So.Cial at Le Magasin

Went for some oysters and it was gone gone gone ;(

I was at So. Cial in May and had an excellent burger, ground and cooked to order. Dining companions had the burger, risotto, and fresh fruit (not on the menu, but the server was happy to bring a plate). Service seemed really slow, but the room was lovely, and it was great to sit at a window overlooking Water Street. It’s too bad this restaurant has apparently closed; it was a nice — if slow — place to eat.

Fresh white orchids adorn various parts of So.cial. We were seated promptly, even though we were a bit late for our reservation. The room is not too big, there’s a bar area and a main dining room area, which seats around 35 people. Décor: Maroon walls, with old fashioned chandeliers, and large windows over looking Gastown. Burgundy damask covered chairs, and tables with white tablecloth and a single candle holder.
We were left alone for about 15 minutes before anyone greeted us and offered us water. We received our waters, then waited another 10 minutes for another waitress to come by. We only saw a wine list so we asked if there was a cocktail list available. Apparently they don’t, but they can make anything that we wanted. Oh, and our waitress was also the bartender. After a couple of requests and suggestions, I settled on a cocktail similar to a Sex on the Beach. The others got a pineapple mojito, and a Kir Royale.
«Ok, I will be back in 5 minutes.»
5 minutes never happened and it turned out to be 15 minutes. She dropped off our drinks, and made sure that we all liked them. Another 5 minutes goes by, and she finally comes back to take our orders. Finally, after an hour of being in the restaurant. Now, to the food.
Appy: Butternut Squash Soup with candied walnut chantilly & white truffle oil.
This was a nice creamy soup with a light hint of the squash flavour. The truffle oil overpowered the dish a little bit.
After the appy, we waited another 25 minutes for our entrée.
Entrée: Seafood risotto with wild mushrooms, sweet peas, arugula and pecorino pepato.
The dish came out warm, and not hot as I usually like my food. The risotto was a bit bland, and it was a little undercooked. Mussels and clams were small, and they were overcooked. Prawns were fresh, but the scallop and the fish was a little dry too.
For the dessert, I got the Vanilla bean crème brûlée with pistachio sable, in which the server had saved for us, since they were running low. A nice gesture on her part. It did take another 10 minutes for this to come. We really didn’t know what the delay was. The restaurant was almost empty, there were only about 2 tables left. The crème brûlée was ok.
A dinner that really took much longer than expected. Food was ok, but with all the choices available in Gastown, I hope they have a actual cocktail list soon, and they better take a look at providing more efficient service.

I like So.Cial. We ate in the deli — but brought our sandwich to the main restaurant. Shared the large between 3 hungry guys and that was more than enough (i think about $ 18 total). It’s in a great location in gastown and their are a ton of different meats to choose from — we did Montréal Smoked Beef.
The chips were so-​so, not as crunchy as I wanted (maybe a little under cooked) and a little too greasy, but I did appreciate the attempt to make their own. The waitress from the main restaurant was über friendly and gave us waters and napkins when she really didn’t have to.
I would definitely come back, but maybe for Turkey or Ham or something.

I took friends for Brunch on Sunday, and wanted to enjoy the last day of sunshine out on the patio, which was set. We waited for a while, then decided to go in and ask if we could sit outside.
The service was slow at best, and when the food finally came, one of my friends found a hair in his Benny. We promptly sent the food back, and eventually his new plate came out.
At the end, we received no apology, and not even the slightest offer at a discount on his meal.

* Good idea, but needs better execution. *
The «butcher shop» in the back makes a decent gourmet style roast beef sandwich with a nice variety of toppings. Although the bread was just slightly past the freshness I would have preferred.
As you wait you can grab a complimentary bag of housemade chips. But the chips I had were overly greasy. I know, I know. They are fried. But it seemed like they never drained them properly before bagging them up! If I were a teenager I think my fingers would have gotten zits — there was that much grease!
Honestly in this part of the city, Finch’s (
) is a much better sandwich option at lunch time though.

It is a personal mission of mine to eat breakfast at every place I possibly can that is within walking distance of my house, and some places that might even require transit. Hence, the experience with So.Cial.
Attracted by the deli and sign promoting their Sunday night dinner special I noticed they served breakfast and considering there wasn’t a soul in there I figured it was time to support local business and get my breakfast on.
We went straight to the restaurant and were seated by the window which has a gorgeous view of tourists and dirty cobble stone which, despite my tone, I absolutely loved. It definitely has an up scale feel to the dinning room which gives it some charm, but they don’t over do it so feel free to stop by dressed however you dress on Sunday morning. You don’t have to lie to me, I know it’s no fashion statement.
My first time there I had the bacon benny, considering it’s connected to a deli, I figured it was the logical choice. While we waited they got us started on some scones. I think that bakeries should take notes from this deli. The scones were fresh, not too soft, not too hard, and not at all dry. On top of that they were served with what appeared to be home made jam. SOLD! And my breakfast hadn’t even come yet.
The bacon benny did not disappoint. It was beyond delicious. All it had was egg, bacon, and caramelized onions, and hollandaise but there is something to be said for doing it right without a lot of frills.
I’ve been bake several times since, all for breakfast and every time they are consistently awesome. Definitely try out the shirred eggs if you go, they make me happy like how clever graffiti makes me happy.
I’ll be back to try dinner and the sandwiches. Because let’s face it: Boom! Bacon!

Went here this Wednesday with my boyfriend to get the sandwiches we’ve heard so much about. We both got their lunch special, which includes a sandwich, a beer, and a small bag of chips.
The food was VERY good. I don’t really like the kind of bread they used often (I think it’s some kind of foccacia?) but in this case it was very soft, fresh, and went wonderfully with our food.
The chips tasted homemade, just the right amount of salt and crunch.
I wasn’t much a fan of the beer, it was a bit too bitter for my taste.
I’m leaving two stars off because the people behind the counter seemed to almost look down on us. It felt as if we were treated as lesser than them because we were young and casually dressed, unlike the rest of the customers there that day.
On top of that, we were not given the chips for our lunch combo, so when my boyfriend went to ask for them, they just about GLARED at him like he was an idiot and pointed to a corner.
They were against a window on a rack, in nondescript bags. Forgive us, O Greatest of Sandwich Makers, our eyes were not peeled for nondescript white bags, this being our Very First Time at your Greatest of Delis and all.
Ah well. The food was good, but it cost as much as a meal at Vera’s for two does. Not something we could get every day, but not bad either. Here’s to hoping the staff’s a little nicer next time, too :)

We came here for lunch yesterday for one reason.
«These people make their own meat.» Crystal says to me.
«Well, sh*t yeah, we have to go then,» I say. I am all about delis who make their sopresseta, mortadella, and salami. The deli at So. Cial is no exception. $ 10 gets you a beer, (what they call) a small sandwich, & some housemade chips.
So we head to the back of the restaurant where the deli is. We sidle up to the counter and ask the folks behind the counter for their advice. They recommend the mortadella & the sopresseta. We go with the works– which was a bit of an odd combination: meat, pickled peppers & other various vegetables, packed into two massive slices of focaccia bread. The meat here really is great: fresh and delcious– lots of it. The bread is fresh and soft, and the house chips are very tasty.
The service on the patio was alright and the whole experience was slightly confusing. If you’re planning on getting sandwiches:
1.) head to the back and order from the deli
2.) if you’re looking for a sandwich menu out front, forget it
3.) pick up your order from the deli
4.) go to the restaurant bar to get your beer
5.) have a seat on the patio
If you’re dining at the restaurant, just have a seat. However, if you’re dining on the patio on off hours, you might need to let them know you’re out there.
All in all, I would definitely come back for a sandwich. I would just probably get it without the works… and I might get it to go.

Late-​ish evening, just post a very talkative event, a friend and I took a load off of our sore – stuffed into high heels – tootsies, on their Water St. patio.
Mmmmm fig and curry mussels! Mmmmm frites! Mmmm spicy tomato calamari. And surprisingly — fresh, scrumptious bread plus spread (complimentary with our meal)!
*A couple of my mussels were undercooked — just be careful with those little guys!
With a mild evening, there was no need for heat lamps or even a sweater. And watching the world pass by in Gastown, is always a treat!
I was a little disappointed because the deli closes at 8pm… so a return visit is definitely in the works!

We reckon it was the lone guy in a peaked cap, with a dagger, in the coatroom.
Late, a rainy night. Nothing was open. Nuba spurned our impromptu intimations with a note on the door — moved, over the road apparently, following the direction we were met by a mysteriously shuttered street front. Another couple, lost in the rain, directed us to their next best pick; Cassis had followed suit, felt the vibe, packed up and gone home. Such it was that we were greeted by our host in an odd, empty, opulently decorated dining room. Wine was served (05 Ravenswood Vintner’s Zin) — then spilt, as a scream startled us at the table! *
So yeah. It felt like a murder mystery. The food was ok — hearty I guess, but by that I mean heavy and over seasoned. Fishing whole garlic cloves out of aoli is not really that appetizing. We picked five items from a tapas menu for about $ 25 — mainly because there was about one vego option on the regular menu. The service was fine, the wine list was ok.
I can see that the place would have a certain atmosphere when it’s not empty, so I would go back for a drink. However, the food was pretty much of a muchness — there are better meal options in and around gas town.
* Sure, the scream was fictional. Whatev. The rest stands for keeps.

I go to Social not for the restaurant/​lounge, but for the gourmet deli at the back. I stop in once a week for lunch to get one of their tasty sandwiches made to order. All of the ingredients are fresh and all of their deli meats are truly gourmet. I am partial to the roast beef on whole wheat with everything on it, which includes Dijon mustard, garlic aioli, lettuce, tomato, onion, roast peppers, salt, pepper, and provolone cheese.
I have been to the restaurant once. I found it to be comfortable and moderately prices, but the food was merely above average.

On Thursday evenings from 6−7pm, So. Cial @ Le Magasin is hosting complimentary bites and wine tastings from select BC wineries.
Last Thursday (²⁄₂₅) Nichol Vineyard showcased two whites and four reds.
It’s a very informal and haphazard set up, with the wine tasting taking place in the corner of the bar area near the piano. Help yourself to a glass from the display and approach the rep who will pour you a taste and briefly discuss the wine. Briefly. This is by no means a group tasting as guests came and went, lingering together in their own groups chatting over the day’s events or jousted for more samples.
Staff periodically appeared with small bites intended to compliment the wines, unfortunately as more-​ish as the thinly sliced hand-​cut potato chips were, their vinegary flavour was not a good pair with the wines. The other tasty bites (caribou carpaccio w truffle oil drizzle and tender squid morsels over a tomato) were good menu samplers.
An enjoyable hour and a good way for So. Cial to showcase their restaurant. Whilst the wine-​tasting attracted a lively and diverse crowd (industry professionals, VFS students, post-​work happy hour seekers), the overall vibe in the restaurant was lacking: the lone pianist and half dozen two-​top tables struggled to fill the beautiful Parisian inspired Art Deco space. This was not my first visit to So. Cial but sadly, this has been the ambiance (or lack thereof) each time.
Here’s hoping that the wine tastings will reestablish So. Cial at Le Magasin in the forefront of diners’ minds as it’s a crime for such a gorgeous space to sit so lifelessly.

I love Gastown and work nearby but had never tried So. cial, so as it was a friend’s birthday and she had a hankering for oysters we wandered over after work.
The oyster bar downstairs was nice and comfy, though somewhat empty – not unusual for a Monday night though. We had a couple dozen Kussi and Fanny Bay oysters that were comparably priced to Joe Forte’s at about $ 1.50−2.50 each, and then split three appies and a couple of bottles of wine. I did have a couple of pieces of shell though – they were good oysters but not expertly shucked, unfortunately.
The food overall was good. Oysters fresh and tasty, though I’ve had better migonette: A trio was served that included basic red wine vinegar with some chopped shallots, a second lighter Muscat vinaigrette with shallots and a third (very spicy) chili-​lime sauce. I pretty much skipped these. I love an icy sorbet-​style mignonette or even the fresh horseradish and cocktail sauce they serve at Joe Forte’s much better – but the oysters were very good.
Our appies were excellent, though salty. I’m gathering the kitchen has a heavy hand with the salt (have heard this from a few people), and it’s too bad as otherwise these would have been perfect. I highly recommend the duck confit crêpe and the mussels with black fig. Very yummy. The charcuterie plate was excellent also.
The wine list isn’t stellar, but for Vancouver fine dining I didn’t find it to be too pricey. I did like the selection of BC wineries included. Some Pentage was there, and we had Kettle Valley Semillion – both solid choices, but not what I’d consider ‘high end’ or would buy for a dinner party at home. We did split a bottle of Babich Sauvignon (New Zealand) and it should be noted that it was $ 42, compared with $ 60 at Forte’s and $ 58 at Lift.
Overall a good Monday night out. Good oysters, decent service, nice people and a cozy atmosphere. Another Gastown winner, and one I can see only getting better.

out of mussels and anything crab?
oy, this was not a good start. but the service was good and friendly.
if you order the lamb burger, do not order it medium rare since it will be quite rare. medium would be a better choice even if you like medium rare. like any good kitchen, there is no microwave.
the side salad was a wee heavy on the vinegarette.
the artichoke pizza was excellent. savory and a wonderul thin and crispy crust.
go for the apple tarte for dessert. light and delicious. i was in heaven.
the cappucino was not as rich nor hot as i would have liked but passable.
though i normally like sitting at the bar, this time i opted for a nice, comfortable and warm seat at the window by the heat vent. brrr… can’t wait for the cold spell to end!

So. Cial is much more than a deli, although their sandwiches are amazing if you don’t mind paying a bit more for high quality. It’s also a very sexy nightspot to enjoy some of BC’s best wines (shout out to my fav’s Orofino Cab/​Merlot and Desert Hills Gamay) and some unique options for shared plates or meals.
Because they’re attached to a butcher shop, you know you’re going to get the best quality meats. And there’s a great selection of seafood and fish too. Unfortunately, they’re not on the Ocean Wise list yet (committed to serving sustainable, ocean-​friendly seafood). But they do serve locally grown, organic products whenever possible.
I went to meet with a group of friends and we shared mussels ($ 13), some delicious thin crust pizza ($ 14.50), with a glass of the aforementioned Orofino Cab/​Merlot ($ 13). It’s quiet enough to enjoy a conversation, it’s not cost-​prohibitive and it’s a very grown-​up atmosphere.
Also, it’s just a block and a half from the Waterfront Skytrain/​Bus station. It’s really easy to get there using public transport and not a long, scary walk through Gastown, which can get pretty dodgy in places.

The sandwiches here at the butcher shop behind Soc. ial are very good, and quite cheap for what you get. It’s about $ 6 for a quarter-​round of panini, about $ 10 for the half-​round that would feed two handily. You also get a little bag of delicious handmade potato chips to eat while you wait.
However, the sandwiches also come with a side of attitude. I, for one, despise both mayonnaise and Dijon mustard. So what are my choices for spreads? Dijon mustard and aioli (fancy for «mayonnaise»). I asked if they had any regular mustard. Nope. I ventured a request for just butter. The girl shook her head and gave me a look that questioned whether my unsophisticated tastes would be more comfortable at the Subway just down the street. I hemmed and hawed and tried to make up my mind. You can’t eat a sandwich dry, right?
So I got the aioli. And the sandwich was lovely even with it. The meats here are made on site… I don’t know what they do to them, but they’re delicious.

Gastown’s Le Magasin is a collection of shops and restaurants, housed in the style of the building’s arcade origins. After shopping at Button Button, I spied a deli on the back side of the posh oyster bar, Le So.Cial. Inside, I found a great Gastown lunch option (one on the gourmet, spendy side of ‘cheap eats’). For $ 5.95, you can get a small sandwich (basically a hand-​sized triangle). These aren’t just any old sandwiches. Le So. Cial’s deli has a selection of local and organic custom cut meats, house made charcuterie, terrines, sausages, bacon and a delicious assortment of condiments. If the deli is too crowded, you can sit in Le So. Cial’s swanky lounge. There are a couple stools and a counter inside the deli which is itself done up in the Le Magasin’s 1911 style with high, pressed-​tin ceilings, rustic floors and grand windows. There’s even a tree (dead or fake?) in the middle of the room. Just beware of the cranky butcher…