The Standard, East Village opened its new cafe this week, and it sure does look like a fine place to relax and savor being an attractive rich person with nothing to do but flip through fashion magazines and plan your next trip to the Standard Miami. As you can see, the cocktails ($12) look stellar, and they've got a late-night menu that includes a Pork Belly sandwich with pineapple, cabbage, cilantro, and fries ($16); as well as a corn dog ($5) and some Shrimp Sliders served on brioche ($10).
The ground-floor cafe, called simply Cafe Standard, keeps long hours, opening at 7 am. daily and staying open until 2 a.m. on Sunday through Wednesday AND until 4 a.m. on Thursday through Saturday. The lunch and dinner menus are more expansive than the late-night menu; you'll see some "organic salmon" for $26 and a hanger steak for $27. Lunch offers a "jar" of organic chicken soup for $12 and a "picnic board" with spice-roasted carrots, cream cheese, cabbage-apple slaw, curried egg, pistachio pesto, pita ($16).
We're told the menus are still "continuing to evolve." And in January, the hotel will open its adjacent restaurant under Michelin-starred chef John Fraser.
25 Cooper Square (Bowery at East 5th Street) // (212) 475-5700
