eat good food :: the social

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen my photo that I took in the Upper Arlington Whole Foods of their restaurant concept called The Social. It was such a cool Whole Foods location in general ... the store was just gorgeous. But The Social was something I had never seen before (heard about something simialr on Juli's blog, though) ... a restaurant concept inside Whole Foods that is kind of like a cross between a coffee bar and pub.

The Social offers a manageable selection of breakfast dishes in addition to coffee bar selections:

Farm Breakfast :: $5: two eggs, hash browns, choice of bacon or chicken sausage
Corned Beef Hash :: $9: house-made corned beef and potatoes, topped with a fried egg
Loaded Hash :: $9: potatoes, bacon, cheddar, onions, sour cream, chives, topped with a fried egg
Fiesta Hash :: $9: potatoes, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, green onions, cheddar, topped with a fried egg
Banana Nut Steel Cut Oats :: $6: with bananas, walnuts and maple syrup
Buckeye French Toast :: $6: battered, pan-fried brioche stuffed with peanut butter and chocolate, served with preserves and maple syrup

We had breakfast before hitting the road and I had the steel cut oats and John had the corned beef hash. Here is a photo of John and I on Instagram enjoying our breakfast.

The night before, when we first visited this Whole Foods after our run, The Social was hoppin' offering its burger, hot dog, and fries dinner menu along with Ohio beers.

Burger :: $6: choose Ohio beef or Pennsylvania turkey, ground fresh in-store daily
JR Burger :: $5: choose Ohio beef or Pennsylvania turkey, ground fresh in-store daily
Veggie Burger :: $4: made with veggies, nuts and grains
Jumbo Dog :: $4: all-beef dog in a split top bun
Veggie Dog :: $4: jumbo veggie dog on whole-grain bun
Big Farm Salad :: $6: chopped salad with seasonal vegetables and seasoned popped heirloom corn
Little Farm Salad :: $3: side salad version of the

For all those burger, dog, and salad options you can then choose some toppings for an additional cost.

Coney Island: chili, cheddar, onions
Reuben: Swiss, kraut, corned beef, Thousand Island
Paris: brie, mushrooms, dijon
Belly Buster: bacon, mac & cheese, crispy onions
Italian: fried pepperoni, coppa, provolone, hot peppers
Mediterranean: feta, oregano, roasted garlic, roasted tomatoes
Fireman: Buffalo sauce, blue cheese, celery, carrots
Mama's: bacon, fried egg, cheddar
The Social: caramelized onions, cheddar, Thousand Island
Loaded: bacon, cheddar, green onions, sour cream
Fiesta: guacamole, salsa, cheddar
Columbian: pineapple salsa, mayo, mustard, ketchup, potato chips

What impressed John and I so much about The Social was not only the amazing Whole Foods attached to it and therefore the fact that The Social offers high quality, clean food. But the design and branding was just top notch. The architecture with the window walls, the wood paneling, the furniture, the fireplace, etc. all came together with the logo, branding, menu, etc. to create one absolutely cool place. Whether you come to have a coffee and get some work done on the computer, or to grab breakfast on the weekend, or to meet up with friends for burgers and beers, The Social is just plain cool in a way that so many restaurants these days just fall short.