Social Restaurant & Wine Bar

Brad Ball, the owner and wine guru of Social Restaurant & Wine Bar, saw the value of a wine bar concept in 2006. The College of Charleston grad who attended the French Culinary Institute in New York found a welcoming space in the former Charleston Chops location.

This 19th-century warehouse with a cavernous ceiling, exposed brick walls and easy access to the tourist trade on East Bay Street became the workshop for Ball's passion for wine and wine education.

His cellar holds nearly 4,000 bottles of wine and the back bar has been crafted to meticulously preserve and serve wine at the peak of freshness, thanks to Cruvinet technology.

The bar itself is cozy, with back-lit panels of mellow shades of orange, gold and amber silhouetted by wine bottles.

The dining area is small. If you get the right table, you have a sight line into the kitchen and the Rosito Bisani wood-fired pizza oven area.

Decorating is sparse. The walls have become a rotating canvas for local artists and the rough-hewn interior supports are now stained a deep Merlot and painted with gold curlicues.

The "wine studs" take your order at the bar and "mama merlot" was pouring at the time of our visit. They are knowledgeable and entertaining. Wine snobbery was checked at the door.

Fortunately, America's changed appetites at wine bars resulted in changed opportunities for their owners. The revenue potential that was previously untapped in food can be seen in menus beyond the cheese platters and charcuterie of the '80s.

Social takes advantage of that trend but keeps it simple.

This year (its third year of operation), it hired Zach Smith as general manager and brought on board a new executive chef, Doug Svec, in February.

Svec, a Chicago native who spent some time in Florida, returned to his Midwest roots with the intention of enrolling in culinary school. Economic circumstances did not cooperate, but Svec's passion for the culinary arts sent him on a trajectory that resulted in positions at Tony Mantuano's Spiaggia, Paul Kahan's Blackbird, Carrie Nahabedian's Naha and the short-lived Pluton.

Formal training did not come his way: He earned a seat-of-the pants "Ph.D." in the kitchens of these well-respected Chicago chefs and restaurateurs.

With a bit of sand in his shoes, Svec looked for opportunity in a warmer clime and found it at Social as the wine bar experienced its first growth.

His goal is to match the quality of the food with the wine menu crafted by Ball.

The popular Yukon chips ($6) with blue cheese fondue and scallions remain on the menu. The Italian risotto balls are now jasmine rice balls ($6) bedding down red curry, not tomato jam, and laced with coconut shavings, not parmesan curls.

Thai shrimp spring rolls ($7.50) are egg rolls with a Chinese mustard sauce, so if you are thinking rice paper, be forewarned.

We did not try the pizzas, but you can expect the traditional and the contemporary ($9-$15). I question how blue cheese and Edam qualify for "blanco" ($9.50, $14) and hangar steak and pizza ($10, $15) are strange bedfellows. But the flavor combinations of creme fraiche, bacon and caramelized onions ($9.50, $14) and a vegetarian pizza ($9.50, $14) with house-made ricotta, summer squash and cherry tomatoes ($9.50, $14) are solid ingredients that marry well in taste and texture.

Sliders ($8-$14) disappointed. The ratio of bun to meat was off and the chips were cold and bland. Pork was the best in show, helped by roasted pineapple and pickled bits of shallot. The meatball slider was al dente, great in pasta, not so as presented.

The Kobe beef was dry, hardly enhanced by its quail egg, scallion aioli and Tillamook cheddar topping. With a little tweaking, Svec can have a trifecta with this menu offering.

The salads need to be reworked. The Blackbird Farms panzanella ($11) read better than it tasted. Little more than fronds of fennel appeared on the plate and the ricotta would benefit from straining before plating. The presentation was visually appealing and Svec's artistry permeated all of his dishes.

The crispy chicken thigh ($14) had all the elements of a great dish save for the flabby skin. A polenta cake was given a vol au vent treatment: The center was removed and the hollow was filled with a summer succotash of limas, buttons of yellow squash and tender soy beans (edamame). Great flavors and perfect seasonality.

Svec's current muse seems to be Asian. Sates and curries, tempura and sashimi, leek wontons and rah tham vinaigrette, Thai shrimp scampi and lacquered duck breast build his menu with the Southeast Asian pantry.

The tentative can find salvation in the 2.5-ounce tasting pours and small plates and nibblers.

The informal setting, extensive wine by the glass program, craft beers and well-trained staff provide for neophytes and oenophiles alike.

At Social, you will find the confluence of fine wine and fun food. That is a happy meal that brings a smile to all our faces.