East Side Social Club
230 E. 51st St., Midtown East, NY
When East Side Social Club opened at the end of last year, it did so amidst a lot of hype, especially for a Midtown restaurant. The Employees Only pedigree and old-school Italian dining club vibe certainly helped create some of that chatter. But people were definitely throwing things around like this is “the Waverly Inn of Midtown” or “the accessible alternative to Monkey Bar.” After spending some time here, our experience is that East Side Social Club is neither of those things. What it is however, is a decent option for dinner and/or drinks if you’re stuck in Midtown, and a fantastic place to watch cougars hammer back drinks in the company of business dudes and European tourists (the restaurant is attached to the Pod Hotel, which is basically an upscale hostel). It’s also a place that, unlike Waverly or Monkey Bar, you will actually be treated well. Everyone from manager on down to busboy has been incredibly attentive and welcoming on our visits, and that goes a long way in our book. There are a few great dishes on the menu, and the wine list is decent. For us, that’s enough to flag East Side Social Club as an Infatuation Approved option for Midtown East. Just don’t get suckered into paying fifteen bucks for one of their specialty drinks. They aren’t worth it.
Food Rundown:
Crostino
A trio of crostino with varying toppings each day. A safe bet if you’re looking for some finger foods while you drink. Eight dollars gets you three.
Buratta and Grilled Broccoli Rabe
It’s really hard not to like buratta, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that this is good.
Bucatini
Our favorite dish at ESSC. This is an excellent homemade pasta tossed with silver dollars of gooey mozzarella and big wedges of fresh tomato. Simple and slammin’.
Spaghetti
A respectable plate of spaghetti in red sauce with meatballs. This is obviously the dish that’s meant to sell the whole old-school Italian vibe, and it does the job OK…but I still don’t feel like I’m on Arthur Avenue.
Grilled Octopus
A pretty standard small plate of grilled octopus and fingerling potatoes. Skip it unless you’ve got an insatiable craving for tentacles.
Branzino
Again, a pretty standard piece of fish, but a serviceable option if you’re not in the mood for pasta or meatballs. By default, this is served with head and tail on, but they will remove them if you ask nicely. Honestly though, suck it up.
Tuna Burger
Last time we at here, it was about three hours after a lunchtime visit to Prime Burger. There was definitely a temptation to go back-to-back burger, but common sense stepped in. We ordered this tuna burger with a salad instead. You’re welcome, heart. Tuna burgers in general aren’t our thing, and as we expected, this didn’t do much for us. Maybe your vegaquarian friends will like it.
Photo Credit: Daniel Krieger
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