providence social

my friend and i had sunday brunch. we
we both agreed it wasgoodnot great but the atmosphere was nice as was a carafe of mamosa for $9. that will earn it a like ;)

good tapas restaurant (with plenty of room for improvement). upon entering we thought the decor was cool, very unique. seemed to be going for the industrial age or something. layout of the bar was nice, and the big windows into the dining area opened it up while providing a sound barrier for diners. the bartender was kind of rude when we walked in and asked about our reservation, responding "there's a hostess if you'll wait a minute". whatever, maybe a bad day, but all that needed to be said was "the hostess will be right with you".

after being sat by a server we browsed through the menus. drink lists were good, unique cocktails and an above average wine and beer selection. one thing to note is that for a tapas place the menu is very small. if your menu consists of small plates there should be more options than the 16 or so in my opinion. mostgoodtapas places i've been to have upwards of 30.

the fries/breadstick thing brought to the table to start was straight up weird. cold shoestring french fries arent really a great substitute to bread, olives, etc... but ok. the tapas was verygoodwith the exception of the beef on weck meatballs which were dry, and probably not prepared that day. everything else we definitely enjoyed. service was alright.

i'd like to check out the outdoor patio once it gets nice out, but unless they really impress me on my next visit i probably won't make this place one of my favorites in buffalo. as of this visit it's good, but there's plenty of places better.

on tuesday of local restaurant week, 5 yelpers met at providence social under the reservation ‘yelp buffalo book club’. when we planned this event the previous month while wrapping up our first book at toro, we completely forgot about lrw, but it actually worked out perfectly! providence social is a nice restaurant in a converted historical home on rhode island st just inside elmwood village. blessedly in this messy muck of a winter, providence social has their own parking lot directly across the street. the hostess sat us at a wrap-around booth so we could all hear each other discuss our book of the month: orphan train by christina baker kline.* i would love to discuss the book in further detail, but let’s just stick to providence social, shall we? we fit comfortably in the booth with room to spare, and could hear each other and our server fine. our server totally understood that we wanted to talk, so he gave us plenty of time to discuss our book, inserted himself into the conversation politely, and was all around enjoyable; we all really liked him. along with the attention of the busser and watching the other servers, it just looks like providence social has a reallygoodcrew on board, and i love seeing that! our server mentioned providence social’s cocktail menu (libations), and i had to take a look. each cocktail is $10, forgoodreason. ps definitely serves up some quality cocktails. their elmwood  caught my eye: absolut mandarin, aperol, hand pressed grapefruit juice and house-made sour? oh. yeah. my husband’s eye was drawn to the social sting (how do you do) made of cognac, creme de menthe, egg white, and ginger beer. the best news? providence social’s lrw specials went as such: choice of 3 featured plates or house-made desserts 20.15 add 22oz beer, or 2 beers, or 2 craft cocktails 30.15 or add 1 bottle of house wine 40.15 we could get 2 cocktails at essentially half price? uh, yeah, we snatched that deal up! i was a little uncertain about splitting a dinner

social club. went for appetizers and drinks before the hockey game on friday. place was packed for happy hour. new owners really remodeled the place. rick martin memorabilia and old buffalo pictures decorate the restaurant along with stained glass windows of the buffalo skyline. unique square chandeliers with branch light lighting are in the dining room. large patio off the side of the restaurant with couches and chairs along with tables. it will be nice to use in the summer and warm weather. bar offers signature drinks besides wine and beer. i ordered a chenango which had tequila st. germain and a sprig of rosemary. delicious even though some people thought it was too strong. we ordered the beef carpaccio, oysters, duck nachos and portobello stack. all of the food was verygoodand enough to share with our party of 4. the beef carpaccio and the duck nachos were our favorite items. service was a little slow for only ordering appetizers. will have to come back for entrees when we aren't in such a rush.

charming atmosphere. i dined at providence social last night for a light late dinner. i have heard manygoodthings about the place so i decided to check it out. the bar is incredible and boasts an amazing aroma. i had the special grilled cheese soup- delicious. i also had the lobster mac and cheese, great as well. i love the banquettes that make the dining experience more intimate and private. presentation on the food was creative and inviting to match the incredible aroma and taste. there is something for everyone on this menu; well thought out and truly one-of-a-kind. service was great too. try the chocolate trio dessert! yum! after dinner i stepped outside to the patio, which i predict will be a hit starting next summer. the outdoors setting is relaxing and embodies both class and charm. thank you josh for being a gracious host. this restaurant is a great addition to the top dining options in buffalo. i will definitely be back.