Social Experiment bar + kitchen

Boo! I’m sad to hear this place is closed!
I went when it was still Blue Ribbon, and it was damn good!
Service was great. Attentive and helpful, but laid back enough you didn’t feel rushed.
Oxtail stuffed calamari and prosciutto wrapped veal sweetbreads for apps. Both really delicious and unique.
Scallops and Lamb Ragu for entrees. Scallops were perfectly cooked and flavors were great, but a little too much butter. I know how that sounds, but seriously guys… Butter. Overload! Lamb Ragu was good, but nothing special.
Now the pudding… my precious butterscotch pudding… this was delicious. Perfectly salty and sweet, fresh whipped cream, and the most perfect texture. I dream about the butterscotch pudding to this very day.:sigh: one day my sweet… one day!

Do yourself a favor and come here immediately.
I love wine bars and I love Hillcrest. While browsing through Unilocal for new places to bookmark, I came across this bar. Piqued, I looked through the pictures and immediately began drooling. The actual experience here was no exception. We came here to kick off a birthday party and ended up staying for more drinks and food. Of the duck confit flatbread, diver scallops, and handmade pappardelle, our favorite were the scallops. It’s so easy to overcook scallops, but they did a fantastic job! The leeks and sauce that came with this dish were simply to die for. Our server was so hospitable and didn’t hover… yet every time we wanted more food or drinks, he was somehow there. I love this place, from the ambiance to the food to the service. I wish we had stayed for dessert but we will definitely be back here again.

Went to Social Experiment for my partner’s Halloween birthday dinner with 7 other people. As my partner and I were getting ready at home, he gets a text from the restaurant confirming if we’re still coming. I thought that was a really nice! My partner and I got there early, but they seated us at our table right away and as we waited for the rest of our party, we ordered some drinks. The ambiance of the restaurant was hip, modern and trendy. I thought the concept of the restaurant was perfect for Hillcrest!
The servers were nice and friendly, but the service was not consistent. It was pretty difficult to track down a server and for some reason, they kept taking away the menu! I would’ve given them five stars, but the inconsistency of service was a little disappointing.
The food was rich and decadent. Meant to be shared, their menu consisted mainly of «shareables.» It reminded me of tapas bars in Spain. We started with the bruschetta and it was served deconstructed. The baguette was perfectly toasted with a crunchy crust and soft interior. It was served with tuna salad, which was very good, and arugula with lemon vinaigrette. It was delicious!!! The Brussels sprouts were fried to perfection and served with lardons, which provided a additional layer of richness and saltiness. It was served with an aioli. The zucchini fries were also spot on!!! It was served piping hot!
We also ordered the grilled octopus, which was surprisingly very tender and not chewy! One of the best I’ve had! The tuna poke was very good and fresh. It was served with very thin taro chips which complimented well with the fish. The piece de resistance for me was the pork belly. The meat was literally like butter melting in your mouth!!! It was so rich and decadent, but the pickled veggies did help to cut down the richness.
Overall, our experience at Social Experiment was outstanding. Prices were a little high, but the quality of the food was very good and the atmosphere was fun! We’ll definitely be back!

I ate a decadent meal here before the rebranding, when the restaurant was still called Blue Ribbon. The menu used to feature different cocktails and more pasta dishes, including an amazing pasta dish that consisted of a parmesan «dish» filled with creamy linguini and topped with an egg. I’m sad that it’s no longer on the menu.
The octopus was cooked well but needed more salt. It tasted bland. The popcorn, devil’s eggs, and shishito peppers were all hits with everyone. The pork belly and scallops were the best dishes of the night.
The cocktails are interesting and flavorful.
The butterscotch dessert was not as good as I remembered. I wouldn’t order it again.

[late submit]
San Diego Restaurant Week has come upon us again. My SIL picked this location. Seemed like a pretty good deal ($ 25 range) for 3 courses. I’ve had the Blue Ribbon Kitchen bookmarked from the past and I’ve driven by many times. Through restaurant week, I learned they rebranded and renamed the restaurant to Social Experiment. to focus more on small, shareable bites and drinks.
We started off the wrong foot. but I’m giving them the benefit of the doubt. The reservation was set for 8:15 PM on a Wednesday. Despite it being restaurant week, I found it a bit disappointing that we had to wait over 30 minutes (nearly 45 to hour) to seat our party of three. After a long day at the office and scrambling around to find street parking. all you really want to do past 8PM on a weekday is eat and go home. The premises are small. There are a few big tables. but it’s mostly bar area seating (smaller tables alongside the wall). It appears that they have a full bar — and the bar itself physically takes up a good half of the restaurant.
So after we finally get seated. I will commend the service. It really made up for my displeasure for having to wait till now what was 9:00 PM on a weekday night for dinner. The African American hostess (I didn’t catch her name so I am merely identifying her) was extremely business professional despite my off-​handed comments about the time. She handled the situation well in conjunction to a blond woman running the floor (I believe she may have been the owner). The service (when you had it) was good. but the staff limited. but they addressed the issues very patiently, kindly and with 110% courtesy. It’s understandable that restaurant week provides a chaotic whirlwind for the establishment. The challenge presented is to balance your normal business approach to the hoards coming in.
The food was creative and tasty. Overall I think the chef did a good job. Presentation was nice, flavors were good, and the creativity was there. A few dishes just missed the mark for me. but it was probably due to the fact it was Restaurant Week.
*Amuse Bouche: one chip with tuna tartare and lemon. Very interesting that they offered this. I thought it was a pleasant bite. My group thought that there was a bit too much lemon. I enjoyed this starter to warm my appetite for what would come.
*Zucchini Fries: (Black Garlic Aioli /​Fried Parsley /​Sea Salt) Very tasty. Definitely recommend getting this dish. The batter is delicious and salty. The black garlic dipping sauce also very delicious. We had a decent portion of fries to share, and you really couldn’t stop eating this dish. Would recommend and would definitely re order. This is a dish that needs to be eaten hot.
*Brussel Sprouts: (Housemade Pancetta /​Apple Cider Vinaigrette /​Capers) These were. pretty tasty. they baked it properly where the outside layer was more crispy than soggy.
*Albacore Crudo (Haas Avocado /​Ruby Grapefruit /​Lemon EVOO) Our least favorite dish of the night. The grapefruit slice was much too strong. I recommend that the restaurant remove the grapefruit since the evoo already has a strong citrus zing to it. The citrus, however, overpowered the albacore. It was also missing textures– everything was just mushy. This dish needs work.
*Crispy Pork Belly Bites: We ordered this dish in addition to the 3 course meals for 3. Our group loved these the most for the flavor, texture and presentation. Definitely a tasty morsel. A little steep on the price but most of the group would purchase again.
*Maine Diver Scallops (Zucchini Cakes /​Melted Leeks /​Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc): The scallops were very well seasoned and cooked. I loved the spring and juiciness of the scallop meat. The zucchini cakes were a nice touch, but the sauce did make the cakes a little squishy in texture, where there should have been a bit more crunch. Still, a tasty scallop dish for this type of «bites» restaurants.
*Handmade Pappardelle (Lamb Sausage Bolognese /​Goat Cheese /​Italian Parsley): This is a very strong dish. You need to like both lamb and goat cheese, two very powerful ingredients to my palate. The pasta noodles were very tasty and tasted of higher quality noodles than box noodles.
*Merlot Braised Short Rib (Horseradish Potato Purée /​Red Onion Marmalade /​Beef Jus): this was a little on the salty side, but overall tasty.
Desserts were the highlight. Unilocal is limiting my word count. so let me just say each of these were EFFING AMAZEBALLS. These would be main reason why I would return. especially for the butterscotch pudding.
— Blue Ribbon Butterscotch Pudding (Sea Salted Caramel /​Fresh Whipped Cream)
— Dark Chocolate Tart (Peanut Butter Ganache /​Seasonal Berries /​Caramel
— Cheesecake in a Jar (Local Strawberries /​Meyer Lemon Curd /​Graham Crack
Overall, a pleasant experience minus the wait. Would recommend. A+ on the service. Yum desserts and very unique dishes.

Amazing amazing amazing. Food, drinks, service, and ambiance!
For the Restaurant Week promotion, the $ 25 was well worth it. A group of 3 – 4 would be best in trying this place out since they really encourage you to ‘share’ your plates. They even had «House Rules» to stop you from using your phones while socializing — or you buy the next round of drinks. Less FB-​ing and more real-​world conversations! (two thumbs up)
== Our Order ==
— Zucchini Fries: delicious, perfectly crispy and savory.
— Brussel Sprouts: a little salty because of the pancetta, but still very flavorful and good. Definitely share this with a group or it will be a bit much for one person.
— Albacore Crudo: light and tasty.
— Scallops w/​Zucchini Cakes: fresh and cooked very well. Loved how the leeks and lemon butter worked together.
— Short Rib: tender and just falls apart when using a fork. The red onion marmalade goes perfectly with the meat and purée.
— Papparadelle: has a hint of heat/​spiciness that worked well. Tasty dish.
Dessert: we ordered all three to try, and the Dark Chocolate Tart was definitely the best of the three. It’s like an extra large, extra delicious Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup. The Butterscotch Pudding was good, but a bit too sweet for my taste. The cheesecake was good, but I still prefer the traditional way they are served in cake-​form!
Drinks: We ordered the Lychee Fizz, Midnight Margarita, and Black Rose. All were delicious, with the Margarita probably being the best tasting of the three. Lychee is the fruitier one if you prefer the sweet drinks. Black Rose is a strong but good drink as well.
Pictures to come… stay tuned :)

Came here for dinner with a few friends on a Sunday night. We expected it to be crowded because CityFest was going on, but it wasn’t too bad and we had a nice view of the stage and the CityFest crowd.
I’m not sure why this place changed names because the décor, menu, website, happy hour times, etc seem to be the same as when it was Blue Ribbon. Happy hr on Sun is usu 5 – 6:30 but (I think because of CityFest) they were having happy hour all night when we went! Woot woot! That meant $ 2 off cocktails, $ 3 off all food items, $ 5 beers and $ 6 wines.
I checked out the menu on-​line before we arrived (I had the hungs and didn’t want to get all hangry on my friends) and expected the lunch menu items to be available since it said «full menu served all day» on the site but they weren’t. The share and dessert items were available. No biggie because everything seemed delish, so I ordered the duck confit flatbread. My fiancé ordered the zucchihi fries, and my friends orderd the devil’s eggs, charred octopus, and ahi tuna poke. To drink I had a Georgia Peach, my fiancé had a beer, and my friends had the Timmy’s Tea and happy hour red wine. Everyone enjoyed everything! I ate my flat bread down to the last bite, stole a few zucchini fries, nibbled on some octopus and ate the delicious looking ahi tuna with my eyes because by then I was too full to eat another bite.
We sat, chatted and people watched for a while as our server was nothing but attentive and courteous. After an hour or so of sipping and chatting we ordered dessert (we’re so greedy lol). We shared the chocolate tart and butterscoth pudding. Again, all good to the last drop. I ordered the tart but barely got any because after a few delicious bites I stepped away to take a call and by the time I got back (5 mins later) my dessert was gone. lol. Damn you work for ruining my dessert Lol
All in all a great experience and to top it all off they validated our parking in the Hillcrest Village lot. Woot woooooooot!

I wish I revisited this place sooner. In less than two months they changed their menu and restaurant name. I was hesitant and I wish I followed my gut.
When I first visited it was called blue ribbon and I came across their all day happy hour completely by accident. Everything ordered was amazing and I’ve been dreaming about what I ate almost daily.
I came back expecting to be able to re order some of my favorites but their menu had erased most of what I tried during my first visit. I gave what was available a shot and it just wasn’t that good. :(only the brussel sprouts were delicious but it’s not worth coming here for just the brussel sprouts when I have a favorite place that does it better already AND they still have my all my favorite dishes.
I will most likely not come back unless another revision is done.

I’m not sure if there is a change of ownership, a name change, or what the story is here?
I came a few months back when the place was called «Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen». It was great, good service, validated parking for the garage spaces.

Taste of Hillcrest, ever heard of it?
For foodie girls like me that love a real“huge bang for you buck deal,” taste of hillcrest is a STEAL. Sample 44 restaurants for 35 bucks or something crazy like that. Serioulsy, It was like a scavenger hunt for food. Roll up, show them your ticket, and insta-​food.
Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen was doing something a little different. They invited you in, sat you down, and handed out treats. Awesome customer service, but for the masses, this was not the best idea. People came in all confused, misguided and not sure what to do or where to sit. The people sitting at the front of the house were left hungry becasue we followed the rules. People who didn’t get the concept swarmed back and were like vultures towards the food servers coming out of the kitchen.
Either way, what I sampled was FANTASTIC and the effort was noted.
Some of the staff apologized and brought over lamb ragu pasta, roasted brussel sprouts, ceviche, and that amazing butterscotch pudding. All were a huge hit and I definately loved the farm to table concept and décor. Blue ribbon, you won a fan and I’ll be back.
Thanks be to Taste of Hillcrest. Blue Ribbon was my one standout restaurant from the pack.

Pros: Chinese Long Beans! Saving grace of the night. I ordered it as a side. Despite it was greasy, the flavor was OK and I like the fact that the kept it one piece. What is the point if they are cut to the size of regular green beans. Long life bean symbolizes for longevity in China.
Octopus pasta was pretty good.
Good wine selection.
Cons: Some dishes are too greasy, others are too small.
What’s up with the Calamari… three pieces swimming in a pan of sauce. This dish is too crafty for me… for $ 12 I was really hoping for something filling.
Along with that I’d say everything is on a pricey side. I’d love to be a regular for this Hillcrest local joint but the $$$ kept me away.
Suggestions: I hope they open for lunch.

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to dine.
Hillcrest, Hillcrest, you are the best place to eat! D bar, Snooze, Hash house, 100 wine etc. Is it too rash to say this is my favorite place in Hillcrest? Maybe not…
I first discovered BR Rustic Kitchen during taste of Hillcrest. I remember they served pappardelle w/​lamb sausage bolognese, fried brussel sprouts, albacore w/​avocado and grapefruit as well as butter scotch pudding. Not only was it one of the most generous restaurants offering a large variety of dishes but definitely my favorite of all the restaurants I tasted that day.
Apparently their strategy was very successful because since then I’ve been making excuses and finding reasons to get back. My favorite just happens to be the dishes offered during Taste of Hillcrest. They really put their best foot forward!
I looooove the Pappardelle lamb bolognese pasta and the brussel sprouts are as good as the ones from Bo-​beau. The butterscotch pudding is fantastic, it taste like a crème brûlée minus the brûlée. Other dishes to try are the duck wings and the Bucatini.
I should mention that happy hour is 4:30 — 6:30 and there are many dishes offered for $ 5 – 8. They also validate parking if you park in the Hillcrest parking structure right next to Union bank. Good service, good food!

Searching for late night viddles on a Saturday night and was told over the phone that the last call for food was 11:30pm.
The menu consists of small meticulously crafted plates that range from $ 5-​$ 9, awesome for foodies.
Ordered:
HAMACHI-​served with slivers of radishes, cubed watermelon, and a delicate ponzu sauce. Superb.
RK DEVILED EGGS-​pureed yolk, maple bacon. Eggs-​cellent.
SMOKED SALMON FLATBREAD-​crispy flatbread, house cured salmon, crème fraîche, sweet red onion, and a lemon olive oil drizzle. Amazing.
FUSILLI-​lamb sausage bolognese, mild red sauce, chopped basil. Great stuff.
All the girls i’ve loved before:
BLUE RIBBON BUTTERSCOTCH PUDDING
Butterscotch/​Caramel marriage topped with a dollop of fresh whipped cream. Timeless.
CHOCOLATE TART
A giant dark chocolate peanut butter cup presented with sea salt caramel and seasonal berries. Decadent and an A+
CHEESE CAKE in a Jar
Tart lemony cheesecake with sweet vibrant strawberry preserves, topped with fresh whipped cream in a small mason jar. Classic.
Every dish I tried was a surprise and a delight to the taste buds, and I wouldn’t hesitate for a second go round.
Fin.

Absolutely divine dining experience here.
I came to wine and dine and very good friend on his birthday. It was my first visit myself, and he said «are you sure you want to take me somewhere you have never been?» I think he thought it was risky. But yes, I did. the overall Unilocal ratings and photos do not lie; this is a place to impress people. I was confident of that.
«Rustic and decadent» are perfect descriptors for blue ribbon rustic. Dont come here for a ‘light meal.” If you are… you are not getting the most out of it. come hungry, come without a restricted diet. enjoy. ya know those meals where you cant help but close your eyes as you chew because its just *t h a t g o o d* and you want your taste sense heightened? I experienced that here. To me, eating out is an experience and activity, not simply nourishment.
My favorite dining companions share my taste, love for new things, and most importantly… SHARING everything. the bday boy stated «I hate brussels sprouts.» I gave him some eyes with brows raised and informed him that he probably never had some foodie brussels sprouts. what do you know, we have a convert. our delightful server, Anthony (do request him if available, he was absolutely fantastic and socially enjoyable) came over and nudged me saying «what did you friend say about brussels sprouts? LOOK at that empty plate.» heh :)
For our meal, a bit of surf and turf was selected: The scallops and New York strip, medium rare. Such succulent, buttery, perfectly cooked scallops. NY strip, perfect medium rare, wonderful cut. Fennel-​Potato Gratin… well I’m such a sucker for potatoes and have very high standards in preparation. we found no faults in our meals.
food comas ensued.
DRINKS: I wasn’t highly impressed with the cocktails, though. Our Timmy’s Teas were created with completely flat ginger beer and were sent back. I get frustrated because I know most people are not aware of the proper taste of these «mule-​like» cocktails and for $ 10, they should be outstanding… Not sipped in acceptance. I have questioned the carbonation of a lot of establishment’s ginger beer and wish there was better quality control… esp for a mellow weekday night, as this was.
my friend then got the Blueberry crush (which seemed too sweet) and I got the Chili Margarita (fine, not overly special). I would suggest sticking to the wine menu instead of their cocktails.
Overall…fantastic place. They have an amazing happy hour I really want to take advantage of next time. But for what I experienced alone, it was a very good birthday location and made my friend feel quite special. And to that, I truly thank Blue Ribbon.

Mmm, yummmmmy!!! I came here for restaurant week, but I will definitely be back regularly! Rustic, cool feel to the place, awesome service, fantastic food. I ordered the beef carpaccio, diver scallops, and butterscotch pudding for my 3-​course meal, and each and every bite was wonderful. The beef carpaccio was lightly cooked, very thin slices of beef topped with olive oil, capers, micro greens, and a creamy, tonnato sauce. Very flavorful, pleasant texture. The diver scallops came as a pair, served on top of these two little squash cakes that had a very nice, warm, rounded flavor to them, and definitely made the meal filling. The butterscotch pudding– fan-​friggen-​tastic. Just order it. Even if you think pudding doesn’t sound like a nice dessert, this one IS! Delicious, not overly butterscotchy if you’re not a big butterscotch person– this dessert is awesome. Try it!
My friend and I also ordered some things a la carte– the zucchini fries were tasty, thinly sliced and then fried, served up with a nice, garlic aioli. The burrata– awesome!!! So creamy, melted onto your toasted bread (which was also great, by the way). If my tongue could have the sensation of flopping back onto a fluffy, feather bed and laugh with glee, it would be something like this. For her main course, my friend had the sugar pie pumpkin and ricotta agnolotti, which was pretty good– beautifully presented, with some nice, not overly-​sweet, delicate flavors.
Loved their wine list– enjoyed a few wonderful glasses of great whites with our meals! ;) I’m so happy to have finally had the chance to visit this place– cannot wait to dine here again!

The service here is amazing. The host received our adjusted reservation just fine, and let us choose where we wanted to seat our large party of 8. As soon as our party rolled in, they gave us waters right as they sat
The ambiance is adorable! It has a great vibe and romantic lighting/​seats.
Delicious brussel sprouts! The other Unilocalers were not lying. Amazing zucchini fries too. Great sharing appetizers.
My boyfriend and I shared the short rib over polenta, with some kale. Nice and tender. Presentation was beautiful too. We also had the stuffed calamari w/​oxtail. This was not my favorite. It was too fresh. I guess i

Blue Ribbon Rustic Kitchen is an unassuming, yet welcomed, new addition to the neighborhood. Three of us popped in here on a Sunday evening for dinner. Upon arrival, we learned that we had just missed some HH specials, but that didn’t dissuade us from readily ordering from the regular menu. (Note: Rumor has it that their HH specials are great!)
I started with a glass of wine, and my dining companions selected drinks from their specialty cocktail menu. For appetizers, we decided to share the Blue Ribbon Caesar Salad ($ 10) and Deep Fried Brussels Sprouts ($ 8). Both were enjoyable to say the least. The Brussels sprouts were unique in that they were prepared with an apple cider vinaigrette, accented by capers and pancetta. They were nice and crispy. Addicting, really. The Caesar was also quite good, and I really enjoyed how they portioned it so that we could all partake of it equally.
For my entrée, I selected the Crispy Goat Cheese Gnocchi ($ 17). The gnocchi was prepared with duck confit and caramelized onions. All of the textures and flavors were fresh and pleasing. I could have actually kept eating and eating, but my serving of gnocchi just didn’t stay in the bowl long enough, regrettably. And there’s the rub. I think the portion size is a tad underwhelming, but I don’t have the average appetite, either. Thankfully, the appetizers and other filler (bread) made up for it.
Overall, Blue Ribbon was an enjoyable experience, albeit a bit pricey, in my opinion. I’d definitely return again, though. I was happy with everything I gobbled up. Perhaps a HH is in my future.

Kinda sexy. Each dish had a punch of flavor. Who knew brussel sprouts could be so exciting?! I had a glass of Chardonnay and my husband had a beer. We enjoyed snuggling in a half booth while we people– watched.
My gnocchi with duck was tasty. I tried my husband’s salmon and it was good too. The butterscotch pudding was so full of flavor and accented by salt that it echoed on our tongues long after we swallowed each bite.
The bill was around $ 75 which was a bit pricey for 2 people. Unfortunately we thought we were coming for happy hour but there isn’t any early happy hour on Saturday!!! Early happy hour from 5 to 7 is only Sunday through Thursday.
We might return for happy hour. It was a tasty and romantic atmosphere, and reminded us a bit of an Irish pub. On the other hand there are so many new places to try.

This place seemed sooooooo cool when I walked in!
The prices seemed good too!
BUT
the prices I saw listed outside were happy hour only…
I ended up getting a gnocchi dish — just potato and mushroom mostly for $ 18!!!
DANG!
and not only that, some of the gnocchi were still cold inside! ;(ewww…
i had already taken it home (just like 3 minutes away) and I was starving, so I ate it.
Portion was small too.
But while I was waiting for my food a couple people asked if I wanted water and kept my cup filled… otherwise, this would have been a one star…

It totally pains me to do this, but fair is fair. When I had a excellent experience here, I wrote a review loaded with praise. Unfortunately, my second trip was a lot less savory.
It’s amazing how one bad seed can completely spoil the mood, and our busboy/​food runner did exactly that the other night. I noticed his attitude from the start but didn’t mention it to anyone else at our table assuming I was being overly critical. Finally after the third abrasive interaction with him I had to ask the table, «is this guy a rude or is it just me?» All concurred with a «yes.» Pull it together dude, you’re serving a great product, people enjoy it and all you have to do is put on a game face for a few hours. Our server on the other hand was incredibly nice, relaxed and patient.
As mentioned, most of the food was very good as I remember from my first visit with the exception of one really sour note. The Di Stefano Buratta was terrible and tasted as if it had gone bad. It almost had a metallic flavor to it and I had to spit it out into my napkin to keep from gagging. We sent it back and never heard much more about it but were offered another appetizer leaving us to assume they sent out a terrible dish. On a high note the short rib ravioli was pretty solid — I added shrimp for a few extra bucks and it left me satisfied. Not blown away, but satisfied.