Sofia Wine Bar

When I first received an invitation to dine at Sofia Wine Bar, I was a bit skeptical.  After all, it's not often that you go to a wine bar for dinner.  But Sofia Wine Bar is upping its food game so those that come to drink will stay to eat.  Sofia opened in February 2009 and currently has 80-100 wines available by the glass and 70 by the bottle.  The selection comes from different countries and regions within those countries.  The cuisine is not typical bar food, instead it is Home style Italian.  The French windows in the front dining and bar area create an inviting space that got pretty crowded after a little while.  We sat in the back, a cavernous area that seats about 12.  The space is beautifully decorated but the exposed brick created a lot of extra noise because the voices bounced off the wall.  They typically have a pasta special on Sundays but since we were there on a Monday they decided to hook us up.  We were presented with a marvelous vegetarian lasagna.

The ricotta and tomato sauce were rich and fresh. The pasta was light and melted in my mouth. It was truly spectacular and made me wonder why they don't serve pasta all the time.  Thankfully I was told that they will soon start serving pasta every day!  If it's anything like this lasagna, I'm sure they will gain lots of repeat customers.   Pretty soon after, the Stuffed Mushrooms and Artichoke arrived.

They are mixed with prosciutto and pecorino so I didn't dig in but the other diners definitely enjoyed it.  I was wrapped up in the Mozzarella. 

The mozzarella is made fresh in house.  The thick slices were creamy and flavorful and the tomato was juicy.  I also really enjoyed the toast!  It was crunch but soft. Unbelievable!  I ate way too much bread!  The Eggplant Caponata was my least favorite.

There was nothing exciting about it. The eggplant was slightly overcooked which was disappointing but at least there was some bread there!  The beef eaters devoured the Meatballs.

They were huge and served with rich tomato sauce.  I was much happier when the Margherita Pizza arrived.

The sauce was a little tangy and tasted great with the crust. I loved the mozzarella and the fresh pieces of basil made it taste even better.  Just as I was reaching capacity, it was time for dessert! 

Holy Cannoli!!  Somehow I realized this must have been my first cannoli. This was truly a special moment.  I loved the creamy sweetness. It was perfect! Not toothache sweet just rich and filling. The cream is apparently from Italy.  I also loved the crunchy shell.  It was phenomenal!

I had a great time at Sofia.  The extensive wine list may be the reason you go, but the variety of delicious items on the menu is the reason you stay!  As the owner, Tommaso said, "Eat while you can enjoy it!"  I recommend heading over to Sofia and start enjoying it!

Hungry yet?

White and Church

Last June, I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening for White and Church. I found the menu on NY Magazine's webpage and hoped that I'd get a chance to sample a few items. Unfortunately, the star of that evening was the 60 option cocktail menu. Nevertheless I was in love with the space. The dramatically high ceilings, the well lit bar area that was thankfully not backed by a mirror and the two elevated semi private alcoves. I vowed to come back and try the food. Another opportunity arrived a few weeks ago when I received an invitation to the fall grand opening. At that event, White and Church had introduced its projector.

Italian films with subtitles were projected on one of the walls. It was something like an art installation. That night, I fell in love with the Fried Polenta.  A few days later I returned for a press dinner and for the first time, I saw White and Church as it should be. A glorious modern space that was elegant and classic yet had a comfortable "I could eat here everyday" feel. I was extremely excited when I saw the tasting menu.  We started with a Tomato and Bread soup.

The chef Matteo Boglione sent this dish out to "open our stomachs" for the meal to come. The aroma of fresh basil instantly drew me in. The soup was perfect. If I've learned anything from eating at Italian restaurants, it's the importance of the tomato. The tomato was definitely the star in this dish and it shined brightly. The next item on the tasting menu was Stuffed Green Olives.

A fried green olive stuffed with pork, veal and pistachio mortadella. Since I don't eat any of the proteins in that particular dish, Matteo was kind enough to provide me with a Farro Salad.

Yum-my! A plate of farro, baby artichokes, pecorino cheese and tomato confit…all for me! If you’ve been reading my blog you know I’m not a salad eater. This salad was a big shocker because I actually thought it was delicious! Next up was my absolute favorite dish the Pecorino Cheese Crème Brulee.

This dish was amazing. It was extremely sweet yet filling. I am definitely adding pecorino to my list of cheeses!  We received a welcome addition to our menu in the form of my love, the Fried Polenta.

What I don’t understand about this amazing dish is how something fried and crispy can still be light and fluffy.  Matteo really out did himself this time. The Fried Polenta was served with Parmesan Cheese Fondue.  The sweetness of the Parmesan is perfect for the polenta., which is why I sent it for a little swim :)

I was also pleased with the Artichoke Croquettes.

They were chillingly good. No, seriously, I got goosebumps! The saffron sauce, burrata cheese and black truffle shavings melded well together. The truffle scent was predominant but not overpowering.  The Farfalle Pasta was another venture into heaven.

Of course the pasta was al dente. The tomatoes, arugula and pesto were well blended yet distinct and the pecorino cheese left me with a “holy cow!” feeling. By the time the Burrata Cheese Ravioli arrived, I thought I was no longer interested in eating.

But it smelled so good; I almost ate it without photographing it first! I definitely wanted another bite of this one and stared at my empty plate for quite some time.  Luckily the Tuna Steak arrived shortly after.

It was served with eggplant cream, fried artichokes, caramelized black olives and basil oil.  I was so full at that point but still managed to eat every bite of this dish.  Thankfully that was the end of our entrées.  The deep fried rice ball was extremely sweet.

Definitely not something I would order, but I can see why others would want it. I mean who turns down sugar?  The chocolate cake was far more interesting to me!

Creamy deliciousness. I could have eaten the whole thing by myself.  

White and Church is really a fantastic restaurant. It has blossomed in the last 3 months and I really hope it continues to grow. A lot of the focus is on the astounding cocktail list. That’s all good and well, but a restaurant is about food! I hope White and Church doesn’t suffer the fate of its predecessor. Matteo is a talented chef. The menu has a lot of variety and something to please everyone. His price point is also currently extremely low. Right now he is practically giving the food away! I’m looking forward to returning soon to eat larger portions and sample a few of the items that weren’t on our menu.

Hungry yet?