Beauty and Essex

The hippest of hot new eateries downtown, courtesy of the genius behind Stanton Social, Beauty and Essex delivers on the hype.  All your favorite comfort foods served in sexy surroundings (by only the hippest of designers), a setting made explicitly for beautiful-people watching.  A dramatic entrance through what appears to be an antique jewelry store unfolds into a lobby with a grand spiral staircase.  A gray-ish bar area leads into a dark, sparsely lit dining room, with no detail overlooked.  A trip to the powder room reveals a complimentary champagne bar and lounge (sorry, guys).  Ladies, this place was *made* for your red-soled shoes.  Break ’em out and hightail it over here.

I had the great luck of being invited to a surprise birthday dinner for a dear friend hosted there…  5 delicious courses, family style.  I’ll let the photos speak for themselves.  The biggest surprise was the hominy; down south, they cook it like grits/oatmeal until it’s gross and tasteless.  This hominy was crisp and refreshing.  The battered fried lobster tacos were a bit overcooked for my preference, but tasty nonetheless.  The baby back ribs are worth going back for alone, but everything was remarkably done.  Service outstanding.

Of course, I would expect no less, as Stanton Social is one of the more consistent mainstays of laid-back luxury in the Lower East Side.  One can only hope the rooftop opens soon!