There is an Italian and a steakhouse menu at the newly opened Sofia in Englewood. There were problems with some of the food from the steakhouse offerings, and on hindsight we may have had a better meal if we opted for one dish from each menu.
The crunchy crusted bread was ice cold and the chopped salad was served on a room temperature plate, rather than a chilled one. The salad which, was split in the kitchen, was large enough for two, and contained lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion and chunks of blue cheese in a tasty vinaigrette. A 16-ounce Berkshire Farm center cut pork chop was ordered medium rare and came well done. Another problem was the accompanying Granny Smith applesauce was hot, while the mashed sweet potatoes were cold. The Colorado double-cut lamb chops, a favorite of mine, were tender and highly recommended. However, again there was a problem with the temperature, as they were ordered medium rare and were so raw that they had to be sent back to the kitchen. A side of lemon-zest roasted Brussels sprouts from the Italian side of the menu was a generous portion and perfectly cooked.
The Italian side of the menu had some interesting options, such as egg yolk in a ravioli with a sage butter sauce; bread and garlic soup; lamb shank ragu with garganelli pasta; fussili with tomato, octopus and bone marrow; wood-oven roasted Cornish hen and a fish of the day cooked in parchment with herbs and vegetables.
The dessert list (New York cheesecake, lava cake, tiramisu, berries with zabaglione, ice cream and gelato) was unimpressive. We were told that the cheesecake was from Bindi and the zabaglione made in house. We opted for the tiramisu and it was not worth the calories.
The wine list was small with a few bottles available for $40 and the prices went up to about $300 along with some even higher priced options. A Tenuta was listed for $800. We had Molly Dooker, The Boxer, Shiraz, which was $60. It sells for the low twenties at Total Wine.
The bar area has about a dozen seats and is striking with a mirrored wall that goes to the ceiling and bottles displayed on five shelves. Waiters looked spiffy in short white butcher coats over long aprons and our waiter provided attentive service. The floor and tables are wood, which along with the background music added to the noise level. By the time we left, the restaurant was extremely noisy and the bar area filled with a stylish-looking crowd. A smokers’ lounge in the basement has lockers for cigars and an air-filtration system.
Sofia
36 Engle Street
Englewood
201-541-8530
Pork chop.
Photo courtesy of Lowell Saferstein
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