Even though I live ten minutes from downtown Birmingham I rarely go there.
Let’s face it: Getting around there can be a pain, especially if you’re not familiar with it.
However, I think I might actually have a reason to go there now.
Last night I was invited to a media event at Social Kitchen to check out their new rooftop patio.
Since this was a planned event, this isn’t a normal service review where we show up unannounced. But the views were great and the food delicious.
This seems like this is the place you want to be in during the summer. The rooftop has a fully stocked bar with plenty of places to sit. There is a long communal table and a handful of smaller tables that is covered by a retractable awning.
If you feel like holding court on the patio there is also a lounge area with a couch and some chairs. It’s the perfect place to just chill with a cold drink.
During the event there were two craft cocktails for us to try. They were the Slice of Life and the Vlad-A-Mule.
I had the Slice of Life which was made with vodka, basil, cucumber, lime, and ginger beer. I’m not a big vodka drinker, but this was still a really refreshing drink.
The Vlad-A-Mule had tequila, house made mango-habanero juice, and ginger beer.
There was a small meet and mingle at the beginning of the evening while people were showing up.
During this time there were strolling hors d’oeuvres of Avocado Toast, Grilled Cheese with a Tomato Soup Dipper, and Chicken and Waffles.
I wasn’t able to grab a picture of the chicken and waffles, but they were good.
The remainder of the dishes were served family style at that great communal table.
We started out with the Summer Chopped Salad. The salad had lettuce, cabbage, green beans, corn, sopressata, bacon, almonds, feta, basil, and a lemon vinaigrette.
The salad was good, however it was a bit heavy on the cabbage.
The next course was the Salmon which had braised lentils, crispy kale and a mustard vinaigrette.
I’m not usually a fan of salmon or lentils, however I wanted to keep an open mind. I gave it a shot, and this was one of my favorite dishes of the night.
There was a great crust on the salmon, the lentils were flavorful, the kale gave a nice contrast in texture, and the mustard vinaigrette was tangy which helped balance the salmon.
The next dish was the Gemelli with Italian sausage, truffle, creamy tomato sauce, and parmesan.
Unfortunately I do not have a photo of this, it was gone before we were able to snap one.
I can tell you that I really loved the sauce and the Italian sausage had a nice heat but wasn’t too overwhelming.
Our final savory dish was the Falafel Lettuce Wrap with bib lettuce, feta yogurt, with a cucumber-tomato salad.
I’m not the biggest fan of falafel, and unfortunately I’m still not a fan of it. I liked everything but the falafel, so I guess that counts for something.
Last but not least was dessert, which was cinnamon sugar doughnuts.
There is something about fried dough that is coated in cinnamon and sugar. Especially if it is served while it is still piping hot. Yes, I might have burnt my mouth while I was trying to eat a doughnut. No, I’m not sorry. It was worth it.
I will certainly be back to Social Kitchen later this summer. I would like to try some of the other dishes on the menu. I’m sure my husband would go back as well, just for that grilled cheese with tomato soup dipper.
Social Kitchen is located at 225 E. Maple Road Birmingham, Michigan 48009.
