Hot Plate: Miso Lobster Rolls fuel your night at Ascent Lounge

Lounges occupy an amazing niche in the nightlife scene. They’re comfortable enough for those who came to have a conversation over drinks, lively enough to inspire dancing when a great song comes on, and the food is not too pretentious. As the name implies, you’re here to relax.

The newly opened Ascent Lounge in the Time Warner Center understands this completely. An oasis transports from the buzz of Columbus Circle four floors below, this upscale spot serves the kind of late night half-drunk menu you’re always wishing for: crispy truffle taters, Manchego-Fontina grilled cheese sandwiches and wagyu sliders. But through the end of the month, the thing to order is the umami bomb that is their Miso Lobster Rolls.

Arriving three generously filled challah rolls to a plate, they’re rich with miso butter, whose fermented funk cuts the sweetness of the Maine lobster meat and bread. Squeeze a lemon over them, and you’ve got something that tastes like it came from an upscale fish shack rather than a midtown bar. And at just $16, it’ll set you back a lot less than most lobster rolls around the city.

No worries if the munchies strike late in the night — Ascent’s DJs spin until 2 a.m. Tuesday-Sunday and until 3 a.m. on weekend nights.