The Botanist Social is a new gin joint on State Street that maintains the same dark, chic atmosphere that its predecessor, The Icon, had.
I love the wall of gin. It’s definitely a nice touch in terms of decor, and when you sit at the bar facing it, the wall inspires you to drink gin.
My first drink was the French 69 ($12). The gin with lemon and bubbly rose make for a refreshing and effervescent beverage. I also loved the Poloma ($10). The grapefruit juice and gin balanced each other nicely.
Interestingly, a Botanist Negroni cocktail ($11) is on tap. I thought it was well crafted so that the drink was not overly bitter from the Campari. Other concoctions on the menu include a Botanist daiquiri ($11) and a Fancy G&T ($10).
While The Botanist Social serves dinner, I only tried its brunch, which is served on Saturday and Sunday mornings.
The waffle in the fried chicken & sweet potato waffle dish ($17) was doughy but tasty. It’s accompanied by an excellent piece of fried chicken, and I highly recommend trying the rosemary-infused orange blossom honey.
Meanwhile, the croque monsieur ($16) was a hearty, filling dish. The gruyere and Uphoff ham were fabulous, and the bechamel white sauce was buttery. You can add a quail egg (croque madame) for $2.
I also tried the duck confit hash ($18), which was a mix of savory and sweet with the addition of apples. My only complaint was the lack of duck meat in this dish, as I felt like I was mostly eating the big cubes of sweet potato bite after bite. (The dish also is topped with a duck egg.)
Lastly, I ordered the Botanist Brunch Burger ($16). The prime beef patty, which had an enjoyable grill flavor, is topped with ham, bacon and an egg, inside a buttery bun. That made for a delicious burger.
The Botanist Social is open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday and brunch on weekends.
