Social Modern Pub – An Undiscovered Gem

We have been searching the city for a gastro-pub that can handle a group of between 15 and 20 people every Tuesday.  We had tried Brewsters, Rosario’s, O2’s and all three had failed to provide the service or the quality that we were looking for.  You would think that a pub would welcome steady income on a weeknight – but alas, no go!

Our regular Tuesday Shenanigans attendee, Michael G.  had posted on his Facebook about a lovely meal he had at a gastro-pub that I hadn’t heard of before.  I did the Google search and found them.  It looked like they might be a good fit for our group – even though they had some pretty bad reviews regarding Wednesday nights.  They had just opened in December of 2011 and seemed to still be getting their bearings.  Mike is a fellow foodie with a palate very close to my own, a fellow lover of bacon – his recommendation alone was good enough for me to at least give them a try.

I made my reservation and the Manager, Ian was nice enough to give me an email back to confirm.  They are located downtown, just behind Grant McEwan campus.  The building was “Campus Grill” in an alternate reality.  There is free parking in the small lot behind the building or on the street after 6pm.  They are open daily at 4pm and generally open until midnight on the weekdays.  They have a daily special that is phenomenal – and I am sure I will be posting as many of them as I can get to!

When I walked in I immediately fell in love with the decor – very minimalist done in black leather and red paint.  They are high-backed bar chairs done in red with some booth-type seats in black.  The place is not huge, and not handicapped accessible.  It is well laid out and comfortable.  There are several large screen televisions that play sporting events and they have satellite music playing that has always been a bit too “poppy” for my tastes.

The wait staff was quick, friendly and efficient.  She told us about the nightly special which was that you buy any alcoholic beverage and you get the “Socialite Burger” with fries at no charge.

Of course, you have the options for the extras – the burger pictured above has added bacon and an upgrade to yam fries.  The patties are hand made and spiced to perfection.  I couldn’t tell you what is in it besides garlic – but it is damn good!

The Kitchen Manager/Chef is one Paul Hoshowski.  His menu is thoughtful and creative.  If you have someone in your party that is a Celiac or Vegan – he has ingredients in the kitchen where he can whip you up something that will agree with your stomach!  He is kind enough to come out a couple of times a night to make sure that the food is up to standards and to see if there is anything that could have been done better.

The “on tap” selection is small, but the bar selection is pretty decent.  As you can see in the photo above, there is an “Aprikat” from our local “Alley Kat” brewery here in Edmonton.  It pairs rather nicely with the “Socialite” burger.

Paul is wonderful at the desserts as well.  The menu has a couple of choices for dessert but Paul always has some kind of special up his sleeve!

Creme Brulee – not on the menu – it just happened to be what Paul had for the dessert special of the evening.  It was some of the creamiest custard that I have ever tasted!

Many thanks to Ian, Paul and the wait staff at Social Modern Pub – we <3 all of you and all of us with the Tuesday Night Shenanigans group really appreciate all that you do for us!

And if you are an Edmontonian – you really need to go and give these guys a try!