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Paul Hargrove, the new chef at The Standard Grill, on what cooking means to him

The chef also gives Restaurant Hospitality his view on where the industry stands

Holly Petre, Assistant Digital Editor

November 16, 2022

2 Min Read
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The Standard Grill — with a kitchen once helmed by TV chef Rocco DiSpirito — rests beneath New York City’s High Line, the once rusted elevated subway line that’s since been turned into a glowing park filled with tourists. The inside of the restaurant is a shimmering white, contrasted by the raw bar that greets you when you walk into the cozy French-inspired space.

This restaurant, however, has a new chef at the helm and it’s ready for a makeover.

Paul Hargrove took over as executive chef over a month ago and has already made some changes to the vibe of the storied restaurant.

“I view us as a chophouse but perhaps a bit more playful or naughty,” Hargrove told Restaurant Hospitality.

He continued: “The core of the grill’s menu are familiar things; oysters, shrimp cocktail, grilled fish, chops, steaks, etc. However, I’m a very playful person with the food I want the guest to have fun, so I pull from my experiences to try and make things unique to the Standard Grill.”

Some dishes include Honeynut Squash Risotto, Swordfish Schnitzel, Million Dollar Chicken, and Pork & Pickled Pepper Sausage.

Hargrove’s favorite ingredients are the DPNP Pasta, used in the Bucatini Puttanesca and Confit Tuna, and The Meat Hook Sausages, used in the Pork & Pickled Pepper Sausage with Lemony Bitter Greens.

His favorite cocktail is the Meatpacking Manhattan, named for the restaurant’s neighborhood and consisting of Rye, Bacon, Amaro, Vermouth and Chocolate Bitters, because he “loves the burning pine.” 

Hargrove is inspired by “the people who make up the industry, the community it provides to so many people who need it,” he said. “At its best, a restaurant can be the family you choose to have for those who really need one. That’s who I cook for. I work for the people who work with me. I wake up every day and go in for them, we have a job to do — doing the job together inspires me.”

It’s not just about food for Hargrove, it’s about the entirety of the restaurant industry pulling together during hard times.

“It’s for family, the communal nature of dining and being together that we are losing more and more of every day,” he said. “Restaurants are important and not because of any economical factor it provides, for me it’s always been my home. A safe place to find people like me. I’m inspired to try and create a place for people so that it can be for them what it was for me.”

About the Author

Holly Petre

Assistant Digital Editor

Holly Petre is a digital editor for Nation’s Restaurant News as well as the host of NRN’s podcast, Extra Serving, and producer for Informa Restaurant and Food Group’s other three podcasts, One On One by Food Management, Off the Shelf with SN and In the Kitchen with Bret Thorn. Holly holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture, fibers and Material Studies and Ceramics from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. A native New Yorker, Holly enjoys her place on staff as the resident pop-culture expert and millennial with a sassy attitude and great sense of style.

Holly Petre’s work on Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality often covers marketing and trends, either aimed-at or examined-through the millennial mindset. Holly is responsible for introducing TikTok and Twitch to NRN and RH readers as well as explaining terms like “Karen” to staff and readers alike. She also spends her time on staff trying not to make every headline a pun.

Holly Petre hasn’t spoken at any events or on panels, but she is readily available with a killer shoe wardrobe and several witty quips.

 

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