NVM Review

By Warren Rojas

While Northside Social enjoys access to many of the unctuous proteins and elegant cheeses spun out by sibling establishments Liberty Tavern and Lyon Hall, make no mistake: This place is pastry chef Rob Valencia’s house.

Sugar and sustenance are synonymous here, as early birds fill up on gourmet coffee—think: Sumatran, Peruvian blends; embellishments include: honey, simple syrup, cane sugar and ground cinnamon—and fresh-baked pastries while night owls indulge in craft brews, boutique wines (most bottles reside in the $20-$30 zone) and tantalizing crostinis (prosciutto and pear mostarda, anyone?)

One terrifically sweet-and-sour eye-opener features coffee cake infiltrated by spicy vanilla and brushed with lip-smacking lemon glaze. Crunchy almonds and juicy strawberries battled for our affections in a summerific scone.

Apple turnovers dwarf your average gyro, encasing caramelized apples in a pocket of ultra buttery dough studded with glimmering sugar crystals.

Crumbled starlight mints invaded Valencia’s intensely fudgy brownies during the holidays, producing chocolaty bars harboring a wintry mix of peppermint.

Craving savory? Give all your tasting zones a workout by biting into an Amish chicken salad boasting coarsely chopped chicken bathed in herby green goddess dressing, strikingly sweet apricots and tangy pickled beets.