Social Thirty-One — Restaurant in Ontario

First impressions matter, and while our evening had some highlights, it also left room for improvement.

This was my first visit to the restaurant, and based on reviews I had read online, I arrived with high expectations, excited to enjoy a night out with a group of friends. We were a party of eight, and while the ambiance was inviting and the atmosphere pleasant, the overall experience fell a bit short.

It took some time for our drink orders to be taken and brought to the table, setting a slightly slow tone for the evening. I ordered the Pear Punch, which was genuinely enjoyable—flavours were well-balanced, with subtle ginger notes and a light touch of lemon that complemented the pear nicely.

Unfortunately, delays continued as we waited quite a while before our dinner orders were taken. When the food arrived, it did not come out together. Two guests received their meals well before the rest of the table, resulting in an awkward wait and a less cohesive dining experience.

I chose the panko-baked pickerel, which had great potential. The pairing with a white wine, tomato-basil sauce was thoughtfully done, and the flavours were well-executed. However, the lukewarm temperature of both the fish and potatoes detracted significantly from the dish. Unfortunately, our server did not return to check in after the meals were served, meaning there was no opportunity to mention the issue or request a resolution.

After the meal, my spouse ordered a mango-raspberry panna cotta to share, which was sweet and creamy—nicely balanced with the bright notes of raspberry and mango. It was delicious. The graham crumb added a pleasant texture, though the dessert could have benefited from a slightly more generous drizzle of raspberry coulis. Again, drink refills and general attentiveness were noticeably lacking.

To be fair, there was a wedding happening at the venue that evening, which may have contributed to the slower service. It's a lovely space, and I believe the kitchen has the potential to shine with better timing and a more attentive front-of-house team.

Final thoughts: While the food and setting have promise, the experience as a whole didn’t quite live up to expectations. We may consider returning on a quieter weeknight to see if the service and pacing improve under...

A new favorite. The staff made a special moment come to life for my wife and I on our 24th wedding anniversary. From the moment I made the reservation, I have been in contact with Jennifer, the Manager, to stage a scene to surprise my wife with a gift. Under the coaching of supervisor Kayleigh, Patricia approached the table holding a book and pen pressed to her chest and asked my wife if she was indeed so-and-so, as if star-struck. When my wife replied replied with a tentative "yes", Patricia told her that she had read my wife's book and loved it and would she sign it for her? My wife had always wanted to write a book, but hasn't yet. She was about to tell Patricia that she was mistaken when Patricia showed her the cover, which had the author's photo and name on it (my wife's). She was dumbfounded until it dawned on her that there could only be one culprit: me. The book (yes, a real book) was entirely written by AI. Needless to say, she was very surprised and pleased by the anniversary gift / gag. Kayleigh even went as far as to video the scene for me, which was a kind and thoughtful touch that will definitely help us remember the moment even better than a photo! Oh: the food, the ambience, the service and the ACTING was all EXCELLENT! They even offered us a complimentary anniversary dessert which was delicious. We will be back for sure, albeit under less elaborate circumstances (I promise!). Thank you Jen, Kayleigh and Patricia for making our...

A friend and I stopped in today for lunch. We sat on the patio as the air conditioning in the restaurant made it quite chilly. Neither inside seating nor the patio were particularly busy. There were two servers working the patio.

We both had mocktails. Although they were out of pomegranate syrup, raspberry was offered as an alternative and it was perfect. I had Dill Pickerel (see pic) and my friend had the Solterito Bowl. Food quality and flavour...excellent!

Where our experience fell short was on the customer service end of things. Our server, while pleasant, was fairly inattentive. I returned from the Ladies Room to find our food had arrived but there was no cutlery. My friend said the server or runner came up behind her and quickly put the plates on the table and left just as quickly. I had to go find the server to get cutlery. She said she would bring it right away. She did not. I watched her (through the window) as she took drinks to an inside table whilst our food was sitting on the table cooling down. After bringing the cutlery, she never returned to see if the food was to our liking and did not ask if we wanted another drink or to have our water refreshed.

I don't expect to be waited on hand and foot but I do expect basic customer courtesy. There is a learning opportunity here, I think. I do wish to emphasize that our server was pleasant which we...