49 Social

          I tried 49 Social recently, not realizing until I arrived that they were in the same space as Ivy, an old favorite of mine. The atmosphere and décor really hadn’t changed much, so I was hopeful when I sat down and even more hopeful when I saw the menu – everything looked amazing!

          I started with a cocktail, Broken Vines, which was their version of sangria made with moscato, club soda, and frozen stone fruit. It was definitely the sweetest sangria I’ve ever had, and although I enjoyed it I switched to a white wine with dinner.

          I tried the deconstructed tuna maki for an appetizer, which was delicious but more like pieces of tuna nigiri sushi than maki. The tuna was delicious and fresh, and topped with a spicy mayo, lotus Root, Tobiko, Nori Powder, Ponzu Foam. I ate two pieces as is, and then ate just the fish without the rice to save room for my entrée. This was a generous portion and the rice made it very filling.

          I also sampled the clam chowder, which was delicious even on a hot day. It was thick and creamy, filled with plenty of clams, potatoes, and bacon, and topped with fried leeks.

          I had a really hard time deciding on an entrée, everything on the menu sounded good. I went with the duo of chicken, which included confit leg and thigh, a statler breast, collard greens, and truffle mac and cheese. This dish had a very southern feel but I felt slightly less guilty because the chicken was roasted rather than fried. The chicken was juicy, with crisp skin and the mac and cheese was delicious (although I would have liked to see some real truffles in addition to the truffle oil).

          Overall I had a great experience at 49 Social. This meal made me less sad at Ivy's closing, and I would love to go back and try some of the other dishes!