Photo by Lauren Kirsch
The word “merriment” is defined as fun, gaiety and enjoyment, and Merriment Social is just that. It’s more than dinner—it is a social, festive activity.
As you walk into the expansive space, it gives you the feeling of walking into a hosted party where you are the guest of honor. The bright lights and artwork on the wall all add to the soft industrial feel. The artwork is as funky as the lettering spelling out their name on the exposed brick wall and both were done by the Illinois-based artistic group Fatherless. The level of the music was not so loud that you couldn’t enjoy conversation, but enough to give off a party vibe. The craft cocktails are creative libations that are a generous pour and have fun signature names like “Through the Looking Glass” ($11). A great beer selection is available both on tap and in bottles. Also unique to Merriment Social are “punches for two.” Sharing a punch on date night, such as “For Whom the Bell Tolls” ($21), is a great way to get the party started.
The casual vibe spills over to the staff and Chef Andrew Miller’s menu, starting with the Americanized dim sum cart. This signature dining experience is genius and a fun way to start the meal. Some nights you can even find one of the other co-owners proudly wheeling the cart around and enjoying his patrons. There are usually four to six items on the cart (ranging $2-$7) including the subtle nuance of the steam bun dish in the form of a thin taco. The taco was filled with pork belly, goat cheese, figs and hazelnuts—a great combination of flavors and fun to eat. The table favorite was a short rib pierogi served with a horseradish gastrique and pickles with a hint of caraway that cut the richness of the filling. Equally good were the shrimp balls and the shrimp and pork dumplings with tamarind.
Moving on to dinner and keeping in line with the playfulness of the evening and menu was the seared Hudson Valley foie gras served with a house-made English muffin and lemon curd, lovage, blackberries and walnut aillade. It was almost too generous a portion for such a rich dish. The menu offered two Brussels sprout dishes, both vegan ($8), and we opted for the fresh shredded with cashews and a buttermilk, mint and Thai chili dressing. I loved the heat of the chili with the coolness of buttermilk and mint combination. The other was a fried version with fermented honey and thyme crème fraîche and pie crust.
The two scallop dishes on the menu were both beautifully presented. The first was served crudo ($8) with coconut, cucumber, lime, jalapeño and cilantro. All these ingredients worked so well with the delicate scallop, including the raw jalapeño. The scallop was quartered instead of thin sliced to give a different texture to the dish. The second scallop dish was seared and perfectly caramelized, with a mild massaman curry, sticky rice and a fresh garnish of lime-pickled radish and cilantro blossoms that brought the whole dish together ($16).
We had to try the Merriment Burger to see what all the fuss is about and I must say it is one of my favorite new burgers around town. The meat is ground in house with a good ratio of cheek, chuck, short rib and brisket. Two patties covered in gooey cheese on a homemade milk bun and a slather of “Social Sauce” that should be renamed “Awesome Sauce.”
The dessert menu that evening was key lime whoopie pie ($3), gooey butter cake with beer jam ($6), peanut butter cream puffs with candied bacon ($4) and sweet corn panna cotta with blueberry jam ($3), but consumed by all the lively activities and rich savory dishes, the desserts will have to be an activity for another time.
Merriment Social
240 E. Pittsburgh Ave.
414-645-0240
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Handicap Accessible: Yes
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