There are few things in the food world that I enjoy more than a classic steakhouse. The intoxicating aroma of aged steaks—sizzling on hot plates—wafting through the dining room, the showy seafood towers adorned with chilled lobster and caviar, the slabs of thick, house-cured bacon, pours of whiskey to start and full-bodied reds to take you through the meal. I love everything about the classic steakhouse template.
In North Jersey, Englewood’s Sofia has long impressed diners with Italian-inspired appetizers, raw bar towers, broiled steaks and chops, thoughtful pastas and much more.
I have reviewed Sofia once before (you can read that review here), but it has been some time since my last visit and I felt due for a return. Plus, I’ll take any excuse to scarf down briny oysters and caviar—broiled steaks and spaghetti laden with lobster.
Caviar service is always a great start
Sofia’s greatest strength is in the excess. Sure, the gorgeous sun-bathed back dining room, the bar backdropped by dozens of rums and whiskeys, the downstairs cigar lounge and the white coat-donning servers can give off the impression that Sofia is over-the-top, but is that an issue? It’s the commitment to the classic steakhouse culture—and the team to back it up—that makes Sofia such a powerhouse in the New Jersey dining scene.
It toes the line of timeless elegance, coupled with modern culinary excellence. And I, for one, cannot get enough. I know I’m not alone in saying that.
Clams Oreganata always has a place at any table of mine
A meal at Sofia, especially with a group, flows with ease. You might start with the coveted seafood tower—and you should—but the list of appetizers goes well beyond just poached lobsters and Osetra caviar with all of the fixings. This is New Jersey, and Sofia is an Italian steakhouse. That attribute is as important as ever when ordering your first bites of the evening.
Oven-roasted meatballs, cut by cool, creamy ricotta
Share, share, share. That’s the name of the game and the best way to experience the lengthy list of starters at Sofia. I want plates of Clams Oreganata, broiled until the breadcrumbs turn golden brown and the clam’s juices ooze out of the shell—a half lemon in a cheesecloth to squeeze over top. Equally alluring is the Fritto Misto, a mix of calamari, zucchini, artichokes, cherry peppers and slices of lemon, all battered and fried (yes, even the lemon). Street food from the south of Italy somehow fits perfectly in one of Bergen County’s most luxurious restaurants.
Spicy sausage-stuffed long hot peppers with provolone mornay
Oven-fired meatballs come bubbling in cast iron pots—adorned with dollops of creamy and chilling ricotta. A dichotomy that never tires, no matter how often it’s done. What better to pair than a sausage-stuffed long hot pepper? Covered in aged provolone and broiled, of course. In stark contrast, a cylindrical stack of tuna tartare—garnished with cold shingles of cucumber, avocado and a green wasabi-spiked tobiko flooding the top.
Perhaps my favorite pastime, though, as I sip cocktails and await a large hunk of aged steak, is slurping down oysters. A lot of oysters. A mix of East Coast (Canada) and West Coast (Washington) oysters will do the trick just fine. Which, of course, comes with the usual crew: a pungent mignonette, cocktail sauce, and my go-to, Tabasco and lemon. It might be seen as below-the-mark, but there is nothing better to me than a creamy, briny oyster, cut in half by the sharp, vinegar-forward spice of Tabasco. Just a drop is all you need.
East Coast oysters. Briny and creamy.
By this point in the meal, you should be perfectly primed for the entree portion. A couple can share a porterhouse for two, or you can each go with individual steaks, lamb chops, half chickens—you name it.
I’m going to say something that might come off as a “hot take.” Something I wouldn’t have dared put into print even just a year ago, but a truth I can’t hide from any longer. Filet Mignon is underrated, and I recommend Sofia’s filet with glee. I can hear the cries now: There’s no flavor with filet! You need a ribeye! You need the fat for the flavor! Don’t get me wrong, I love ribeyes, NY strips, Bavette—all of it. But sometimes, just sometimes, you need to indulge in a Filet Mignon. The original boujee cut of beef, before a decade of food media tried to convince you that you were wrong for loving it.
Filet mignon is underrated. Full stop.
It’s beautiful, too. A hunk of brown-hued meat—drenched in aged beef aroma—comes simply presented on a plate stained with fire and beef fat. A platter that has seen so many steaks, it’s once-white hue is reduced to a distant memory. That’s how you know you’re at a real steakhouse. And when you’re at a real steakhouse, the filet never lacks in flavor. Maybe it’s because they know how to treat it carefully, or maybe it’s the rendered beef fat that they spoon over the top before sending it out into the dining room. Pair this with a texture far and away better than any other cut of steak, and you have yourself a winner. It’s a once-in-a-while cut of beef, but can we please stop pretending like it’s lackluster in any way?
Beautifully textured with a warm, red center. Served on a scorching hot plate.
Sofia boasts a long list of entrees beyond steak, so if you’re not a beef-eater, you’re in luck. Whole snapper is grilled, presented and fileted by a skilled server tableside. I watch in awe as they effortlessly separate the meat from the bones with just a spoon and fork. It’s the type of presentation that demands your attention—but the pressure never gets to them. It’s like they’ve done it a thousand times before.
A server masterfully carves fish tableside
Pastas also fly through the dining room in abundance. Seasonal ravioli filled with zucchini and mint-scented ricotta and hand-rolled trofie with cacio e pepe and fresh favas are in-line with the season, but it’s the spaghetti with lobster that has become a staple at Sofia. Al dente spaghetti, tossed in a Fra Diavolo sauce flavored by fresh lobster. A split Canadian lobster is cooked directly in the sauce, and garnishes the pasta alone. It’s a dish that defines Sofia’s concept with ease. There lies your reason to order pasta at a steakhouse.
Sofia doesn’t need my praise. The Englewood steakhouse has evolved into an institution on its own accord, but still, I can’t help but celebrate it. It combines several of the things I love in dining into one, compact concept. The classic American steakhouse, gone Italian. The luxe decor and tie-sporting servers. The tableside service and the platters of caviar. These are delicacies for me, and despite what others might think, it’s a style of dining I don’t often get to enjoy.
Fritto Misto, loaded with calamari, lemen, zucchinni, artichokes and cherry peppers
Sofia is meant to be an experience. While the lunch and happy hour menus offer a more casual and accessible entry point into the space, it’s the showy nature of the restaurant that keeps me dreaming of it. Because, every now and then, I want my dry-aged steak paired with lobster and a glass of Bordeaux. I want to follow it up with a cigar in the lounge and a pour of 18-year Scotch. These are the things that Sofia does better than anyone. It’s the reason why Sofia was put on the map, and it’s the reason why it’s not going anywhere.
For a true display of culinary opulence, you can’t really beat it.
About the Author/s
Peter Candia is the Food + Drink Editor at New Jersey Digest. A graduate of The Culinary Institute of America, Peter found a passion for writing midway through school and never looked back. He is a former line cook, server and bartender at top-rated restaurants in the tri-state area. In addition to food, Peter enjoys politics, music, sports and anything New Jersey.
1 comment
Need more South Jersey