Social

*Post by Mark.

It didn't seem right to try Columbia Height's relatively new speakeasy Social without a little bit of an entourage, so we recruited our friends Ross and Annie to lounge, mingle and gluttonize with us. Social is the kind of place you'd expect to find in Dupont Circle or Georgetown instead of north of U street. But as classy or ambitious as the restaurant and lounge may seem, it retains a warm and welcoming vibe that should be no detriment to it in its 'up-and-coming' Columbia Heights neighborhood.

Social initially stands out for its homey interior. The casual, lounge vibe in the upstairs dining area wants you to feel at home...literally. With home-furnishing specific appurtenances and even a wall of family portraits (below, left) Social intends on making you comfortable and eager to stay a while. The menu encourages you to eat, drink and socialize, and from the looks of it, you could even file some documents in some of their for-display drawers and cabinets while you wait for your meal.

We were seated at a central table with deep, comfortable couches (like in the photo below). As relaxing as they were to recline in, reclining meant being far out of reach from the food on the table, and being within reach of the table required sitting awkwardly on the edge of the couch. A minor inconvenience in an otherwise cozy experience.

Service was friendly and helpful if a little uneven. It took longer than expected to get started with water, and once we had finally ordered, the onslaught of food hit the table nearly all at once, forcing us to combine plates and stuff our mouths just to make room.

For drinks, we enjoyed our selections from the specialty cocktail menu. Angela got a refreshing, light martini made with cucumber (below, left), while I sipped on an enjoyable mojito (below, right). Ross enjoyed his Superfly made with mint Firefly Vodka and pink lemonade.

The menu offers both individual entrees and a selection of small plates for sharing. You can further customize your meal if you get the small plates, as you can choose from three different sizes: when it comes to sliders, for instance, you can get a plate with 3, 5 or 7. Staying true to the theme of the restaurant, the four of us decided combine forces to wreak some havoc on the small plate menu, starting with the Gilroy garlic fries- which eventually emerged as a favorite of our small collective. The garlic was pretty subtle (until we got to the bottom of the bowl) but definitely there, and the fries were nicely crisp.

We also munched on the fresh guacamole. The dip itself was good, but upstaged by the warm, fresh, thick and crunchy chips it came with. 

To balance the abundance of meat we'd inevitably be consuming, I ordered the beet salad, which was solid and well-dressed with a light hand. The goat cheese that accompanied the salad was great, tart and crumbly, with an almost ricotta-like texture.

The Vietnamese pulled pork sliders were recommended as the most popular item on the menu, made with braised lemongrass, caramel pork shoulder, and a "fiery Hao Long dragon slaw." Angela enjoyed them, but Annie and I agreed that there wasn't enough pork in them (proportionate to the slaw and the bread), and the Asian flavors and sweetness were a little overwhelming. 

The chicken parm sliders were a bigger hit, at least with me, as a more substantial blend of meat and cheese made them more properly portioned bites. 

Another popular choice at the restaurant are the Sonoran grilled Mahi Mahi tacos marinated with citrus, chili and herbs, served with jalepeno cabbage and topped with a roasted jalepeno and clementine pico, finished with a smoked tomato aioli. There was no disagreeing about the very agreeable fish tacos - while they didn't blow anybody away, they were more than decent. 

The "Backyard" baby-back ribs were grilled and served with corn-cob wheels. The meat was flavorful  and tender, but the boring presentation made it seem like an afterthought. 

The Poké, made with 'Grade A' sashimi ahi tuna and marinated Hawaiian-style with a wakame salad, was more successful - the chewy and tangy seaweed salad provided a great flavor and textural contrast to the tuna, which was buttery smooth. And all the ingredients benefitted from a nutty sesame dressing.

Lastly, we shared the miso-glazed chicken skewers, served with a peanut dipping sauce. The chicken was very juicy and the glaze was tasty. The peanut sauce was fine, but nothing special.

All in all, the food was pretty respectable, and a nice complement to the unique atmosphere created at Social. And the huge and diverse menu (thanks to Ross and Annie for helping us make such a dent in it!) makes it much more likely that even the pickiest of diners will find something to munch on. If it wasn't so far away from us, I could definitely see this becoming a regular place to meet with friends after work for drinks and small bites.

Comments

[Bryan]

I believe these are some of the best photographs I've seen on this site in a long time! They're wonderful for so many reasons! This is by far the prettiest I've ever seen Columbia Heights look!

[Angela]

Thanks Bryan! That means a lot coming from you. And thank you for the tips!