Lower East Side, NY: TAO Group hosted a fabulous anniversary party for it’s LES hot spot The Stanton Social. We stopped by to see the scene.
TAO Group is legendary in modern NYC social life. Anything associated with TAO is refined, chic, and fun. The Stanton Social is no different. Located in the Lower East Side, opening The Stanton Social in 2005 may have been almost a gamble, but the Lower East Side has grown up around The Stanton Social nicely. That said, The Stanton Social is still held to slightly higher standards here.
To celebrate 11 years in the Lower East Side (which, as a NYC rule of thumb, is impressive as most restaurants have a lifetime of 10 years before falling into irrelevancy) is impressive. To celebrate, Bethenny Frankel, Olivia Culpo and Jules Wainstein as well as Chef Josh Capon, TAO Group partners Rich Wolf, Noah Tepperberg, Andrew Goldberg and Jared Boles along with the 11 chefs involved in the restaurant joined in the party.
Led by Chef Chris Santos and TAO Group Co-Founder Rich Wolf, The Stanton Social was inspired by Santos’ own world travels, creating a multi-cultural menu, designed for sharing and experiential dining.
The night was filled with lots of great food and music, with many throwback hits from 2005. At 11:11 P.M., the crowd went wild with dancers invading the main floor.
To give an idea of the legacy of the chefs, a special menu of signature menu items from the past and present were served including:
⁃ Chef Santos’ Potato & Goat Cheese Pierogies
⁃ Chef Ryan Angulo’s Crab Cake Corn Dogs
⁃ Chef Neill Howell’s Foie Gras Roulade with Onion Marmalade and Roasted Pistachios
⁃ Chef Jonathan Kavourakis’ Pastrami Reuben Quesadilla
⁃ Chef Derrick Prince’s “Beef & Broccoli”
⁃ Chef Juan Borjas’ Spicy Popcorn Shrimp Tempura with Yuzu Aioli
⁃ Chef Sarah Nelson’s Guanciale Pork & Orzo Pasta
⁃ Chef Armando Francisco’s Chicken Taquitos
⁃ Chef Timothy Peterson’s Soda Pop Ribs
⁃ Chef Jaime T. Sudberg’s Red Velvet Twinkies
Guests enjoyed cocktails provided by Blue Ice Vodka, America’s number one rated handcrafted potato vodka.
The Stanton Social was designed by James Beard’s award winning team AvroKo to create a “jewel” of a restaurant, its very chic in terms of design. The three-level space features a stunning wall of 2,000 bottles of wine. From the fringe-covered walls, fine lizard skin banquettes, hat box lampshades, and belt strapped pillows, The Stanton Social tips its hat to the luxury and glamour found in the textiles and fashions of the 1940’s, and it works exceptionally well, a tidy luxe spot in arguably the hottest part of the city. It feels like the most intimate of the TAO Group’s holdings.
The Stanton Social is open for dinner nightly from 5:00 P.M. – 12:00 A.M. (M-Thurs); 5:00 P.M. – 1:00 A.M. (Fri/Sat); 5:00 – 11:00 P.M. (Sun.); Weekend Brunch and Light Snacks from 11:30 A.M. – 4:00 P.M., 4:00 – 5:00 P.M. Private dining space is also available. For reservations or to book a private event, please call 212-995-0099. To learn more about The Stanton Social, please visit www.thestantonsocial.com.
