Dining in Toronto has taken a rather social turn in the last little while, first with the arrival of Dishcrawl and now courtesy of the aptly named Social Feed. Where Dishcrawl seeks to expose participants to a variety of restaurants in a given neighbourhood, the Social Feed is all about getting together with a bunch of strangers. That might sound terrifying, but the idea is to foster connections between people within what is traditionally a highly interactive milieu — the dinner table.

Started by a group of friends in Vancouver, the concept took root when they had the eureka moment that dinner parties composed mostly of strangers were oddly more rewarding than those with close friends. If that sounds like a dubious theory, it's worth considering that the "dining with strangers" is a burgeoning trend. Grub With Us, a U.S.-based website, hosts similar events throughout select cities south of the border, and we've even seen similar events take place in Toronto.

The Social Feed has yet to release much by way of details regarding the restaurants where events will take place aside from mention of Easton's Charcuterie as possible destination. Given the organizers' track record in Vancouver, this makes sense. The tendency has been to choose independent restaurants that aren't too hard on the wallet — think $20-25 for your meal (sans booze) — and that remain somewhat off the mainstream radar.

"We work with independent restaurants," Michael Brown, one of the organizers, told the Vancouver Sun back in July. "We can related to them and to what it takes to create something out of nothing. They create a unique set menu and we come in during non-peak hours on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays."

Everything about Social Feed events is designed to heighten interaction between diners, from the long dinner tables guest sit at to the family style approach to the menu. "People who come have jobs, some disposable income, and they're tired of the club or bar scene," says Brown. "They want genuine connections and something more sophisticated than bars and clubs. Dinner is one of the best ways to get together and connect over food while trying out a cool restaurant."

Check out the Social Feed's Facebook page for updates about upcoming Toronto events.

Photo from the Social Feed