Rachael T.
Yelp
There's been a lot of hype about Eastside Social but I was definitely a little skeptical seeing the menu items from the initial reviews (Torontolife, BlogTO) and the pricing associated with it. I've come to learn that sharing plates are generally a little bit more expensive for the portion size so you really have to appreciate the flavours, the people you're with and hope you're getting an overall great experience.
When I walked in just after 6pm, I was greeted by really friendly people and I was surprised that the place was empty, hearing that reservations have been filling up quite often and it was hard to get a seat. However, I got my table of choice, by the giant window, with the opportunity to people watch :)
After my guests arrived, we all ordered glasses of wine.. which showed up in rather odd little cups- the kind that your kids would drink grape juice out of, or very small glasses of chocolate milk at a breakfast restaurant (from my recollection of working at one). Very unconventional...
We ordered a few items to eat and share -
- Devilled Eggs
- Sea Bream Ceviche w. Taro Chips
- Market Salad w. Smoked Trout
- Cod Fritters w. two types of sauces
- Surf & Turf Tacos
I didn't get to try the devilled eggs, but I was told that compared to the ones at County Snack Bar, this really didn't compare. I'm a pretty big fan of Tacos and didn't get to try these either... but no one really raved / talked about them after eating them, which is never a good sign.
I had the Market Salad w. Smoked Trout and was pretty disappointed. The Smoked Trout was extremely salty and was really dried out like it was over smoked, to be honest. The pieces of trout was minimal, and within the salad, there were pieces of pepper that I was NOT ready for... so be aware of the spice. The light pieces of "pepper" are not what they seem. Overall, a dish full of unpleasant surprises. The Cod Fritters were dry, and did not have much flavour at all... another subpar dish.
We could not stress enough how much we didn't want Cilantro in our dishes - one of our guests really did not enjoy it and even the slightest bit would lead to avoidance. Yet when the ceviche came out, at first sight, she noticed it and questioned whether there was CILANTRO!? And the waitress thought for a second and claimed.. yes there may be a slight bit..... I don't know how much this was stressed so the lack of detail was extremely off pudding. There was no effort to make this right. I was okay with eating it and thoroughly have really enjoyed ceviche.... but this was way too tart from the overwhelming amount of grapefruit. There was nothing to balance out the sourness of flavours, and the hardness of the taro chips did not help.
After writing this review.... I've changed my rating from 3 to 2 stars. Our friends paid for the meal and I'm sure it wasn't cheap so I hope they enjoyed our company, because I enjoyed theirs much more than I enjoyed the overall meal.
Sadness :(