A restaurant and bar providing diners with a classy, but easygoing, night out aims to celebrate its grand opening this weekend.
Hyde Social — named after Clarendon’s namesake, first Earl of Clarendon Edward Hyde — is scheduled to open at 4 p.m. this Friday at 3100 Clarendon Blvd. Co-owner John Cerrito said the restaurant plans to serve appetizers, drinks and entrees in a relaxed atmosphere.
“You can sit down, you have a cocktail, you can have a bite. You don’t worry about somebody spilling a drink on you, or sweating on you or stepping on your shoes,” Cerrito said. “It’s like a classier vibe for Clarendon.”
The restaurant is a project from local restaurateur Chuck Lee, DJ Phlipz and John Cerrito, better known as Hot 99.5 radio host “Intern John.” With new leather couches and chairs, brick accents and bookshelf wallpaper, the restaurant will occupy the former space of Spanish restaurant Pamplona.
“I think that there’s a perception, maybe … you think a bar in Clarendon, you think more of the ‘bar bar’ scene, and that’s not really us,” Cerrito said. “There literally is something for everyone, even just a fan of comfy places to sit down. The couches are fantastic.”
While a menu is not public yet, Cerrito said the food offerings include a little bit for everyone.
“If you want to go healthy, we have salmon. If you want to be an American, we have a burger with pork belly on it,” he said.
He particularly recommended Hyde’s hand-breaded “chicken tendies,” cheesesteak egg rolls and a poke tower.
The drink menu, meanwhile, features cocktails like an espresso martini, a pistachio martini and the “Hyde and Jekyll”: a gin-based cocktail with lavender mint lemonade.
“It’s been a fun experience,” Cerrito said. “I could definitely see doing more, and hopefully it’s with Hyde.”
