Dennis Max’s restaurant empire expanded by one yesterday with the debut ofMax’s Social House (116 N.E. Sixth Ave., 561/501-4332), a hip, casual, modern American bistro that goes into the historic space formerly home to Falcon House and after that, Ceviche.
The 1925-vintage cottage was redone by Pam Manhas Design, which seems to have a lock on the local restaurant design biz. The structure’s original brick fireplace behind the bar was uncovered during the reno and is now a focal point of the room, while the gorgeous but previously obscure outdoor patio has been redone to seat 70 in landscaped splendor.
Not surprisingly, given the success of nearby Max’s Harvest and its owners long-held “farm to fork” philosophy, Social House (or SoHo, for short) will emphasize artisanal products and in-house food production.
On chef Scott Pierce’s menu are munchies like crispy pork finds with Korean salt and pimento cheese with pickled green tomatoes; bigger plates like pork belly ramen and local burrata with heirloom tomatoes; and still-bigger plates like a Kobe-style hot dog, braised short rib with mac ‘n’ cheese, and day-boat swordfish with cauliflower, olives and raisins.
Of course, there will be a roster of mixological cocktails, craft beers by the bottle and on tap, and boutique wines.
