We had a lovely double date with a lovely couple. The plan came sudden, and finding a table for four on a weekend, that is nice and quiet could be a challenge in the city. But, I do have some research skills, especially when it comes to food and restaurant… So, I found this location that was just perfect for the occasion!
It is located inside the Walker Hotel Greenwich Village, tucked away in the back. It is almost hidden. The lobby of the hotel was a few steps down from the street. It was very nice, laid back and relaxing atmosphere with a fireplace.
They had a nice live music in the lobby, playing jazz that fits the atmosphere. What a cool space, hidden just a few steps below! The restaurant entrance is to the left, through the narrow hallway passed the book shelves.
There was supposed to be someone at the front, right by the narrow hallway at the host/hostess section. But, we didn’t see anyone, so we walked into the restaurant. As soon as we got inside the restaurant, a staff came over and assisted us. They had a full bar, pretty good size too.
The restaurant was big, beautiful and very welcoming. Since we were there early, it was mostly empty. I asked for a quiet part of the restaurant, so we had a nice, roomy table at the corner. The restaurant had a skylight, bringing in lots of natural light, supported by lots of soft lights.
Society Cafe is a new market-to-table American restaurant. Opened only about two years ago, so it is not too well known just yet, even though they have lots of raving reviews. I am glad we got there before they got too hot and popular.
The beautiful interior was not the only great thing that won us over. Their complimentary bread is not any ordinary bread. They brought us huge popovers, that was warm and fluffy! They were accompanies by herb-infused butter, that made it even better. The popover was moist, more so than regular bread. The shredded cheese on the top had just the right amount of salty flavor. This was really awesome popover!
We were celebrating our friend’s anniversary, so we started off with some cocktails. I got Secret of Staying Young ($14). Yes, I might have ordered that based on the name of the cocktail… LOL. It is made with Rum, Ginger Syrup, Grand Marnier. It came with egg white on top, which was awesome! It was very gingerly and tasty! Sweet but not overly sweet, strong and sophisticated drink.
My hubby went with Kitten On The Keys ($14), since he likes cucumber. It is made with Vodka, Lemon & Lime Juice, Muddled Cucumber & Strawberry. Thinly sliced cucumber was wrapped around in the inside, which was very interesting. I have never seen a drink made this way before. It was an interesting flavor as well, kind of “green” flavor, not much fruity flavor. It was a refreshing drink.
We ordered a couple of appetizers, something that sounded really good and comforting… The first one was Lobster Tater Tots ($9) with ginger ketchup. I know, sounds great, right?
Lobster tater tots was very small in portion, but flavorful and good accompaniment to drinks. It was packed with flavor, and melt in your mouth good.
Another appetizer we ordered was Short Rib Poutine ($11), made with French fries, bacon, and cheese curds. This one was bigger, which was better option to share.
Poutine was flavorful with good amount of ribs and high quality cheese. As I said, we wanted comfort food as our appetizer, so it was perfect dish, just the kind of dishes we wanted.
We got another drink to go with the main. I chose another interesting sounding one, Shoes To Booze ($15), made with Whiskey, Chocolate Bitters, Espresso Beans, and Filthy Cherry. This one was stronger, and relaxing at the same time it wakes up your taste buds with espresso beans. Quality drink!
For main, they had pretty nice choices to choose from. One of us went with Brisket Burger ($24). It comes with Applewood Bacon, Slow Roasted Tomato, Raclette Cheese, Society Sauce. I also considered this one but since we got comfort food for appetizers, I decided not to get it. The burger sure looked super tasty! And yes, the one who ordered this dish certainly enjoyed it.
My hubby and I decided to go with the seafood options, since it usually would be light dishes. The first one was Sesame Crusted Yellowfin Tuna ($33). It comes with Fried Sticky Rice, Bok Choy, Ginger, Fairytale Eggplant, Carrot-Coconut Emulsion.
It was plated really nicely, with vibrant colors. Everything was cooked perfectly, and yes, tasty. Fried sticky rice was interesting, giving additional texture to the dish. Speaking of which, this dish had most of all the textures, from crunchy, crispy, juicy, creamy… All the ingredients came together nicely, becoming one happy family.
Another one of our choice was Atlantic Sea Scallops ($29), made with Grilled Spring Onions, Maitakes, Local Squash & Zucchini, Soubise Sauce. It was a bit small in portion, but not too small.
The scallop was very plump and meaty, a bit too salty for me, which was unfortunate. But, the rest of the ingredients on the dish was not overly seasoned, which was good. Everything was high quality, prepared with care.
For dessert, we got Cappuccino ($6) and some desserts. The cappuccino was a good cup, with creamy foam on top.
We ordered two desserts to share. The first one was Carrot Cake (12), which comes with Crème Fraiche & Honey Ice Cream and Bourbon Anglaise. It was “meaty” with a good amount of shredded carrots in the batter. It was very flavorful, and with a generous amount of frosting. The ice cream was really good too.
Another dessert we chose was Mascarpone Cheesecake ($12), with Berries, Graham Cracker, and Meringue. Now, at the time of reservation, I told the restaurant that we are celebrating my friends’ anniversary. I didn’t ask for anything special, but then, look what they did with the cheesecake! They dressed it up for the celebration, even though we didn’t ask them to do that. How sweet!!!!!!! It made the celebration extra special!
Needless to say, the service was warm and welcoming. They were polite and took a really good care of us. Thank you for the special dessert! All the dishes were made with high quality ingredients, and we enjoyed them all. I am happy to have found this spot, it is certainly a hidden gem. I would love to go back again before it gets way too popular and busy.
Society Café –