Many of you probably remember Riff's Wine Bar, the deliciously dark and quaint place on East Avenue where you grabbed a drink on cold nights. The Social has taken its place, expanded upon its beautiful bar, turned up the lights a bit (don't worry, not too much), added a few brush strokes of color, and hung some oh-so-seductive Artisan Works paintings. What you have is a place that refuses to be labeled - it's tapas meets fusion meets organic - a place like no other in Rochester.

There is a manifesto of sorts at the bottom of Social's menu that exemplifies the type of experience the owners want diners to have. "The Social's Purpose: To present the guest with as much fresh, healthy, seasonal, locally grown and organic ingredients in order to provide a superior dining experience." An environmental, green-living, political, socialistic dining experience? We all could use a little of that in our lives.

The Social has been open for only a few weeks and I found the place buzzing with a sophisticated, maybe even a little adventurous, crowd. Diners were tasting a little of this and that, like the organic black bean and cheddar quesadillas with pico de gallo and crème fraiche, or the Roasted shitake and frisee salad with Lively Run goat cheese and truffle vinaigrette. I hear the lamb is fantastic (it's grilled with three sauces, candied garlic, and micro greens) but I really want to try the mussels drenched in Mexican beer, tomatoes, onions, jalapenos, and garlic. And best of all, the prices are extraordinarily reasonable, ranging from $5 to $11, which makes tasting a few things even easier to swallow.

But of course, I came to drink. Social has a wide range of organic wines; I sampled the Organic Natura Cabernet and sat outside in the quaint café-style chairs with my puppy Tesla (no, not the band or the electric car; think the scientist) and the ever-present dreamy companion. The Social brings a little piece of heaven to East Avenue. The buzz is true, go enjoy it.