| rev:text
| - The Standard opened back in 2014 on the "almost Euclid" outskirts of Cleveland. I mention this only because it will help to put my comments into perspective. For you see, some of the missteps we experienced at this trendy little bistro/gastropub may have been forgiven was this a younger establishment. Unfortunately, it was this collection of missed little things that made for the difference between "that was pretty good" and "can't wait to return".
The interior is quite beautiful with its exposed bricks, tin ceiling panels, and vintage crystal light fixtures. A wooden archway with mirrored backdrop and a pair of televisions hold court over a marble-topped bar with seating for about a dozen or so and high top tables fill the rest of the space. More traditional dining lies around the corner in a darker, more intimate setting with a view into the open kitchen. A back door leads out to a very nice patio with another bar and umbrellaed tables. I thought the vibe was somewhere between hip and romantic with just the right mix of casual and upscale.
There is a noticeable demographic to the clientele here, too, and it's that they all appeared to be card carrying AARP members. Seriously, we're in our early 40s and we felt like kids among this group. Maybe that's who they're going after, I don't know. It could also explain their aversion to salt (more on this later).
If adult beverages are on your mind, you'll be happy at The Standard. The reverse of the menu is filled with about a dozen or so cocktail options for $10, a selection of wines by the glass and some bottled wines. My wife opted for the Matador, an expertly prepared citrusy rum drink that really packed a punch. They also have bottled beer and 12 beer taps with a nice selection of local beers mixed in. When I asked for a draught list I was given a small piece of notepad paper upon which the selections were hand-written. C'mon, people.
Service was very good and left no room for complaints. It's quite clear that this is a major area of focus for this place as nothing was left to chance. Waters filled, plates cleared, attentive servers checking in, the whole nine. If I had to pick one thing that The Standard does exceptionally well it would be this. You should also be prepared to eat way more bread than you should. The soft, crispy, warm, glutinous, deliciousness aka the bread that they serve here is ridiculously addictive.
For our meal we opted for the crispy arancini, shaved brussels sprouts salad, and small portions of the BBQ ribs and short rib stroganoff. Here's where the aforementioned "little things" come back to bite The Standard in its anthropomorphized ass. My wife really enjoyed her ribs, six bones atop a bed of sweetish Cole slaw and a pair of little corn breads. They were smoky, tender and delicious.
The remaining three dishes all suffered from problems with execution. The arancini were only lukewarm in the center and quite dry and crumbly. The accompanying marinara was tasty, though but the rice balls simply needed more cheese. The brussels sprout salad - which the menu fails to mention is warm, btw - was missing acid (a splash of balsamic, some dried cranberries maybe) and came off very oily. The short rib stroganoff, while a generous portion even for the "small" size, didn't have the taste or texture of short rib. I found it to be a bit chewy, stringy and fatty.
But the biggest single misstep with the food can be summed up in one word - seasoning. As in, lack thereof. None of our dishes had any hint of salt or pepper and seemed to capture the spirit of bland perfectly. I can't remember the last time I dashed so much salt on top of food at a restaurant. It just seemed like everything tasted flat. No punch.
Our experience was OK. The Standard has some potential, for this I must credit them. A concise, well thought out menu, talented bar staff, a comfortable well-designed space, and great service. Unfortunately, they've got some tightening up to do with their menu execution. Admittedly, we didn't try everything, but I think it's a safe bet that the problems are consistent.
|
![[RDF Data]](/fct/images/sw-rdf-blue.png)
![[cxml]](/fct/images/cxml_doc.png)
![[csv]](/fct/images/csv_doc.png)
![[text]](/fct/images/ntriples_doc.png)
![[turtle]](/fct/images/n3turtle_doc.png)
![[ld+json]](/fct/images/jsonld_doc.png)
![[rdf+json]](/fct/images/json_doc.png)
![[rdf+xml]](/fct/images/xml_doc.png)
![[atom+xml]](/fct/images/atom_doc.png)
![[html]](/fct/images/html_doc.png)