The Standard Grill

• Cuisine(s): American, Bistro, Steakhouse
  Hours: Sun-Wed 5:30pm-12am, Thu-Sat 5:30pm-1am
  Price: $$$
  Payment Types: All Major Credit Cards
• Attire: casual
  Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining, Private Party, Wheelchair Accessible
  Serving: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Late Night, Lunch
  Alcohol: Full bar
• Reservations: Accepted, Recommended
  Parking: No Parking

Description

Getting a reservation at a reasonable time is near impossible; go earlier in the week and the day for best walk-in results. On the other hand, the people-watching on, say, a Thursday at 10pm is almost worth the trouble of the two-hour wait for a table. Once you manage to get a seat, the reward is unexpectedly generous: A bowl of small, pink-and-white baby radishes, a large pile of bite-size hunks of Parmesan, and a complimentary bowl of fried potato hunks with smoked paprika aioli. The kitchen has a way with fish. Among the many fine salads, you can't do better than the seared squid--crisp-tentacled and tender, tossed with frisée, radishes, fennel, and bits of merguez sausage. Best of all the main dishes is the grilled rainbow trout. The whole fish arrives grilled beautifully, butterflied and filleted, but with the head left on, so you can fork out the tiny cheeks.