10 Center Street, Darien, CT- (203) 614-8183 http://www.dariensocialct.com/
Darien Social opened recently, and already it seems to be the destination of choice for people in the area who want a night out. Think of it as a mix between SBC and Barcelona. It's got the rustic wood and big screen TVs that you might find at a sports bar. On the other hand, it has beautiful glass dividers, modern decorative touches, and an upscale vibe.
The bar is usually packed on any given night and gets especially busy Thursday nights and the weekend. The bar boasts 31 beers on tap. There are the favorites that you hope to find, but they also rotate in selections from local breweries. The wines were clearly chosen carefully. For example, they have the Hobo Zinfandel. The Hobo Zinfandel is delicious, but it's not your typical restaurant Zinfandel. It has a great body, the tannins are not overpowering, and the taste is a unique mix of fruit, smoke, and earth. Each wine is like that; it is a varietal that you know, but in a more specialized/unique form. Darien Social is especially proud of its collection of spirits. Many people I know enjoy them on their own, but Darien Social also creates special cocktails with them, such as the "new old fashion" that has a candied bacon rim.
The restaurant portion of Darien Social is just as well-attended and heralded as its bar. There are 2 choices when it comes to seating indoors. The first is a dining area next to the bar, but it's offset from the bar with a gorgeous etched glass divider that runs the length of the space. You can feel like a part of the scene while being seperated from it. I noticed a few families with younger children seated in that area. (I suspect that the kids enjoyed the activity and the parents felt better knowing that potential tantrums would blend in.) The second choice in a more upscale dining room completely seperate from the bar in the back of the restaurant. That's better for people who want a more intimate option.
I got the chance to check out Darien Social for ST. PATRICK'S DAY!! Thanks in part to my crutches (and also the fact that we showed up on the earlier sidr of things so I could get situated), we had 2 perfect seats at the bar waiting for us when we got there. I loved sitting at their bar. It is nice enough that you can order food and have space to yourself if you're lucky enough to score a seat. But then you also get to be a part of the scene.
They definitly got into the St. Patrick's day spirit... in a GOOD way... not that over-the-top-raunchy-Irish-constume-contests-get-drunk-and-recite-limericks kind of way
. They were dying the drinks green (they even did the milk for one little boy who was jealous of the green cocktails he saw going by!) and the waiters had on their tartans and green beads 
. They had some good looking specials, but we ordered off the menu. Stephanie got a reuben that she said was amazing. I stole a few fries, which were crispy, delicious, and the perfect width. While I did not try the reuben it looked great: the bread was crispy and toasted, the cheese was perfectly melted, and the portions were generous. The restaurant was nice enough to whip me up my own customized dish of corned beef and cabbage! IT WAS SOOOO GOOD!!! The meat was tender, the cabbage was flavorful, and there was a very flavorful broth. There was just enough broth to compliment the dish without saturating it. (One of my pet peeves is when a sauce drowns a dish.) We each ordered dessert. I had chocolate chip cookies. They were OK... the cookies as a whole were not exceptional, but they had chunks of rich, bold dark chocolate within them. The presentation was cute; they came on a small wooden tray that had a cup holder for a small glass of milk.
We found it amusing that they had Truvia- not splenda- for the coffee. And granola milk- not regular milk- to go with the cookies. I guess that's what happens when there's a Whole Foods down the street...? (Sidebar: I did not drink the milk due to the lactose issues. Stephanie, however, did and said it really did taste like a liquid granola bar....)
All in all, I was appreciative of how they care about giving the patrons a positive experience. When I called ahead and explained my crutches situation, they were sympathetic and helped us get seating. When we asked about other food options, they offered us the corned-beef selections off the menu. They dyed that little boy's drink green. Oh, and they managed to make the foam of my Guinness green when I jokingly bet the waiter that he couldn't get a stout to show color! I've found that sometimes when a restaurant is all the rage, it gets a "better than you" mentality. Like a "we're gunna fill every stool at the bar and every table anyway so these are the rules" approach. Not here!
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