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When the Standard Diner opened five years ago after much ballyhoo and project delays, it was to be the crowning jewel of the East Downtown neighborhood. The food was comforting but hip, the servers hip but comforting, and it seemed like a good place at the right time. A few chefs, menu tweaks and five years later, how has the standard held up?
Chef Chris Olsen has set up a comfortable place in the renovated auto building, adding just a few new items and keeping many of the longtime favorites. Don’t mess with the Wedge Salad ($6), no way; blue cheese dressing and big bacon chunks will always have fans, as will Osee’s Tomato Soup ($6), garnished with potent garlic croutons and basil oil — decadence to offset the tomato bite.
Our server ran down the specials but I had already lit upon a salad with “spring” written all over it: Spinach Strawberry ($8). Tell me this doesn’t sound good — cashews, goat cheese, strawberries and pancetta all tumbled under a light dressing. Each bit of rich cheese contrasts with sweet berries playing off the crisp, briny pancetta. I had to slow down to await my entrée, lest it be destined for a takeout box before I even saw it.
My companion leapt on a house favorite: Chicken Fried Steak ($14), meal enough for one hungry guy with a few bites stolen away. With breading thick and crackly under the fork, it still gave way to tenderized steak without any knifely assistance required.
To the concern of my waiter, I followed up that pork-accentuated salad with one of the most unusual items on the menu, Roasted Beet Loaf ($9). He definitely gave me the impression that only the most vocal vegetarians order this quirky entrée, but for any beet fan it is a must-try. It’s red — really red — and served with a generous smear of grainy olive mustard. Trust me, the mustard is not decoration; add some to each bite, and the dish is transformed from interesting to delicious. Crunchy texture is studded throughout the beets with pumpkin seeds, making for one heck of a unique dish.
We tore through our entrées like we had just finished long workouts, even interspersing bites with a tear or two off the crusty loaf in the middle of the table. With the spicy butter dish ready to spread on each piece, it was hard to resist.
Nearing our end, we still recalled that the desserts at Standard are quite the temptation and asked to hear what was available. Actually, it is quite easy to prepare yourself for this predicament — the front counter’s display showcases each dessert for your inevitable ruminations. This allows not only a quick look at each flavor option, but size is a critical factor if your appetite is waning — and we took the small route to sweetness. A chocolate pot ($2) layers dark chocolate with light cream in a container barely larger than a shot glass, but all the better for enjoying, as were my four perfectly arranged truffles ($2).
Standard Diner ☆☆☆½
LOCATION: 320 E. Central at Arno, 243-1440,
www.standarddiner.com
HOURS: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 11 a.m.-10:30 p.m. Fridays-Saturdays; 9 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Sundays
BEER AND WINE
