The Gossiping Gourmet: Out and about at Social
Social Costa Mesa is the hot new spot in town. Like many of the new restaurants these days, it is quite casual, and the food is rich and tasty.
Chef Jeffrey Boullt was recently the sous chef at Playground, and he brings with him some of the flavors of his hometown, New Orleans, as well as a range of comfort food and craft cocktails. In the early evening, it’s a family-friendly place, and as the evening wears on, the hip young crowd moves in and doesn’t leave until closing time at 2 a.m.
The décor features the now-de rigueur repurposed wood elements in a big open room with a high ductwork ceiling and cement floors. Two long communal tables sit in the center of the dining area along with tall stools and banquettes. A bar extends along one wall, and two big TV sets above it feature old movies. Playing in the background when I visited were Frank Sinatra and Bobby Darin.
The menu is divided into snacks, shared, seconds and sweets. My dining partner and I shared everything, beginning with the pork belly bar sandwich. This was two thick slices of wonderful pork belly, fatty and juicy with a sweet glaze, stuffed into a long bun that also tasted slightly sweet. Little bits of peanuts were scattered around the bun for a bit of crunch, and sweet, red Fresno chili peppers provided heat.
From the “shared” category, we ordered the Spanish octopus with cannelini beans, braised greens and smoked romesco sauce. The octopus was one fat, long, tapering leg that had a nice mustard-like glaze. It was tasty but very chewy. The beans were cooked to a delicate — and perfect — al dente, while some small pieces of bacon and sautéed kale lent extra depth.
Boullt is focusing on bringing heirloom grains to his cuisine. We were delighted with the grits and wild mushrooms. The delicious Anson Mill Heirloom Organic Grits were topped with goat cheese, a mélange of mushrooms and a slow-cooked egg that we broke open and smeared over everything. The only thing we didn’t like was the mushroom jus on the bottom of the plate. We found it a little bitter.
The “seconds” section featured the entrees, ranging from a burger to a Berkshire pork chop. We selected the seared scallops, which were nicely browned and very juicy. Our favorite part of the dish was the incredibly smooth parsnip puree under the scallops. It had a delicate sweetness and a luscious creamy texture.
The plate was accented with a few baby artichokes, quinoa and Italian salsa verde. The salsa came in a little dish on the side, so you could dip the scallops into it if you wanted a little zip.
Two house-made desserts completed the menu. We tried both. Jackie’s cinnabun was served in a skillet and it was huge. Four people could easily have shared it. It was topped with hazelnut crumble and smoked cinnamon and served with sweetened mascarpone cream. The problem here was that the interior was not cooked enough and it was doughy.
However, we loved the flourless chocolate cake, which was a unique take on this dessert, which seems to pop up on almost every menu lately. Social’s version consists of two rounds of really good chocolate cake with a vanilla-bean chantilly cream in the center.
It was like a giant Oreo cookie, only better. A caramel sauce was drizzled on the plate, and caramelized almonds were sprinkled here and there. It was a great dessert.
One thing to note is that the food comes out in random order, as it is ready. We made the mistake of ordering all at once and the food kept coming, and some of it got lukewarm. I would suggest ordering a few dishes at a time.
TERRY MARKOWITZ was in the gourmet food and catering business for 20 years. She can be reached for comments or questions at m_markowitz@cox.net.
Social Costa Mesa
Where: 512 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa
When: 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays
Prices:
Snacks: $6 to $18
Shared: $10 to $19
Entrées: $14 to $29
Desserts: $8 to $10
Wine:
Bottles: $28 to $97
By the glass: $8 to $15
Corkage fee: $20
Information: (949) 642-2425 or https://www.socialcostamesa.com