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| - The Stanley is a farm-to-table restaurant, which seems to be a popular description these days. However, unlike most farm-to-table restaurants this one stands out from the pack by having very modernist principles in its food along with a bit of rustic flair. You can tell from the plating and the choices on the menu that there was a lot of thought and love put into the food.
Boyfriend and I booked a table for 7pm on a Thursday night. Normally we try to do a weekend date, but getting a table before 9 on Saturday was a challenge. For a restaurant that has just opened within the past month, it was a good sign. The decor is welcoming and elegant, and there's a back area for seating along with the front & bar area.
The menu changes constantly with whatever they have in season and in stock (my boyfriend wanted the apple pie dessert but they didn't have it this night), so whatever I say here may not be present when you go there. However, considering our experience, you wouldn't go wrong selecting anything of their menu.
The offerings are mostly small plates, with a few entree selections, sides, and then dessert (which is on a separate menu/ask the server about the day's selections). There is a separate menu for wine (they have a huge wine selection) and cocktails (smaller, but still interesting). For drinks, my boyfriend chose the Mezcal is the New Black (which was a delight, bitter with a sweet aftertaste) and the Stanleyville (which is basically a Manhattan with cherry syrup added in). I chose the Caswell Cooler, which was a good gin-based drink that was refreshing.
For the small plates, we chose the foie gras funnel cake (!) and the beets plate. The beets plate had beets made 5 ways: pickled, "tartared", pureed, sorbet(ed) and panna cotta(ed). Everything on the plate was meant to be eaten. We both decided that the tatared beets (basically chopped up with a few things mixed in) was the best, although the sorbet and panna cotta were very good as well. The sorbet was slightly sweet, made with yellow beets, while the panna cotta was made with goat cheese and beats and then cubed on the plate. The foie gras funnel cake was a rich experience, with foie gras puree, funnel cake, peaches pureed and diced, and some pecans mixed in. The cake wasn't greasy nor oily, and the peaches and pecans gave the dish another layer of complexity that I enjoyed. Both plates were great for 2 people to share (the foie gras one might even serve 3 people, as it was rich.)
The risotto plate we shared, and for the price, it's quite small, although the shrimp on top were perfectly cooked and the risotto was flavorful. The risotto was creamy with an al-dente bite. However, this was the least favorite of the dishes. If I were to go back I'd probably try another small plate in its place.
For dessert we tried the deconstructed strawberry shortcake. This had to be our favorite dish of the night, as the strawberry jam/macerated strawberries were amazing with the perfectly sweet shortcake. The sorbet had a slight lemony taste to it, and reminded me of strawberry lemonade.
Definitely get reservations if you can -- as we ate people kept filing in for dinner! Also, with anything in the Elizabeth area, parking is a challenge and the lot behind the Stanley is small. We will be back when the seasons change -- I want to see how Paul changes the menu to fit the seasons. :)
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