Stanton Social is my cousin Blair’s favorite NYC brunch spot. So when the restaurant asked me in for a tasting, I invited my cousin… Marisa. Sorry Blair!

This Lower East Side restaurant recently introduced a new menu item to its Saturday brunches: jazz! I was excited to try the food while listening to the live music.

The chef was kind enough to prepare a special tasting menu for Marisa and me, and we couldn’t wait to dig in! At Stanton Social, the brunches are designed to be shared family style, with dishes continually arriving at the table.

The first dish was the Warm, House-Made Cinnamon Buns. Wow… you have me already, Stanton Social!

They are gooey and wonderful, with the perfect amount of icing!

Next up were the Carmelized Banana Pancakes with candied pecans, vanilla brown butter and maple syrup. I loved them, and Marisa doesn’t even like bananas and she liked them!

Our favorite dish of the day arrived next! The Huevos Rancheros Soft Tacos are incredible!

They are overflowing with scrambled chorizo and eggs, black beans, salsa fresca and aged cheddar.

I want them right now!

Just about this time we were starting to get full. But then the Fried Chicken ‘n’ Waffles arrived and we had to make room!

They are served with a maple cheddar waffle and Louisiana hot-sauce butter, which I thought made the dish stand out from my other chicken and waffle experiences.

Finally, we were served the Grilled Caprese-Style Pizzetta. It was covered in heirloom tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and baby arugula. It was fine, but unfortunately it was the only dish on the menu that didn’t amaze us.

It is pretty though!

While we were eating, we were treated to music from Lateef Beats Trio featuring Vuyo Sotashe. I snuck closer to get a better look/listen.

Overall I loved the food at Stanton Social, and thought that the dishes were innovative and very well done. Plus the jazz music added a fun element to the experience.

I plan on going back and trying the Oreo Cookie Pancakes and the French Toast Sticks. With Blair, of course!

~A