Seeking a steak cooked to perfection or a mouthwatering Italian meal before your show? Sofia {36 Engle Street, Englewood; 201.541.8530; sofiaenglewood.com} offers up both, only a seven-minute walk away from bergenPAC.
Formerly known as Smoke Chophouse, this Sherlock-Holmes-esque steakhouse and cigar emporium was transformed (with a lot of time and effort by the owner) into a bright, chic Italian Steakhouse, which continues to hold one of New Jersey’s only indoor smoking licenses. (FYI: Sofia’s downstairs smoking lounge offers a nice selection of cigars for sale—There’s a $10 cutting fee if you bring your own, however, as we reported last summer, they’ll tend to let that slide for regulars.)
Start your dinner with classic Italian eats, including Fritto Misto (crispy calamari, zucchini, artichoke, lemon, cherry peppers, $15), Italian Long Pepper (sausage, aged provolone, oreganata, $14), Mozzarella Di Bufala (imported buffalo mozzarella, roasted peppers, $16), Clams Oreganata (parmigiano, lemon, oreganata, $13), and Polpette (prime beef meatballs, ricotta, pomodoro sauce, $15).
Entrées include everything from pasta (Taglioni Neri, squid ink pasta, jumbo lump crab meat, $24, and Pappardelle, short rib and porcini mushroom ragout, $25—to name just two), seafood (Colossal Shrimp Vene Ziana, scampi style over grilled Tuscan bread, $27, andbergenPAC, watercress, lemon, mushroom, celery, $31), and poultry (Pollo Al Limone, wood-fired, marinated half organic chicken, $25, and Chicken Milanese, fried chicken breast, with an arugula, tomato, onion, and Parmigiano salad, $27). And, of course, there’s “The Butcher Shop,” section of the menu which serves—you guessed it—Sofia’s wood-fired, hand-selected USDA prime dry-aged steaks. Everything from an eight- or 12-ounce Filet Mignon ($42 and $55, respectively) to a 16-ounce milk-fed Veal Rib Chop ($55). Sofia’s raw bar includes a nice selection of East and West Coast Oysters ($16 per half dozen), Colossal Shrimp Cocktail ($8 each), steamed or broiled Alaskan King Crab Legs ($50 per pound), and Lobster by the Pound ($MP), which Sofia describes as “Steamed, Broiled, Angry.”
Sofia’s attentive wait staff can help you pair any meal with the perfect libation. Their drink list includes an impressive selection of wines and beer along with specialty cocktails, such as the aptly named Up in Smoke (Laphroaig 10 single malt scotch, shaken with guava, vanilla, fresh lime juice, and dashes of “Boston bittahs,” served up, $16.)
Sofia is open Monday–Thursday, 12–11pm, and Friday–Saturday, 12pm-12am, and Sunday, 11:30am-11pm. Planning a gathering for the special function, whether it be a corporate event, holiday party, birthday party or other? The “garden room” at Sofia is available for parties of up to 60 people.
