The winning strategy for many successful restaurants is to have one owner in the dining room and another in the kitchen. Sophia Italian Bistro has such a dream team. Riccardo Sanseverino was the captain in charge of the dining room at Tesoro in Westbury for many years. His partner at Sophia, Enrique Bermeo, was the chef at Luigi Q in Hicksville for over a decade. These two first-time restaurateurs opened Sophia in Amityville in early September.
They took over the building that was most recently occupied by Villa Avanzo. In the late 1960s this site was home to Vesuvio, a restaurant owned by Mr. Sanseverino’s in-laws.
The white-tablecloth interior consists of two rooms, separated by an attractive brick wall: one, a dining room, and the other, a bar, which also offers eight tables. Large mirrors placed throughout expand and brighten the space.
The draw for me, though, was Mr. Bermeo’s food. I was not disappointed.
Tops among the dishes sampled were three seafood appetizers. My favorite was the grilled octopus. It was fork-tender, served warm and marinated in olive oil, garlic, lemon and parsley with an added fillip of halved cherry tomatoes. Four pan-seared sea scallops encircling a chopped tricolor salad with tomatoes, and an appealing special of smoked salmon Carpaccio, topped with an arugula salad and capers, were also first-rate.
A heartier, vegetarian opener, slices of eggplant lined with pesto and served with fresh ricotta and mozzarella in a lush tomato sauce, was excellent.
Salads also delivered. The Caesar was a classic with farm-stand-fresh crunchy romaine, homemade croutons and a just-right dressing. The chopped vegetable salad with tomatoes, onions, mango and cucumber surrounded by slices of avocado, all in a lime vinaigrette, also impressed.
Unfortunately, the winning streak slowed down with the entrees. A special of linguine with clams and small lobster tails was sabotaged by its large, chewy clams. Another disappointment was the chicken Brie, a grilled chicken breast with melted Brie, sliced apples, and an overly sweet berry reduction sauce. The wild rice on the plate nearly saved it but couldn’t manage to balance all that sweetness.
My favorite entree was the grilled-to-order rack of lamb in a lush brown sauce. Also impressive was the whole roasted branzino layered with sprigs of thyme and served with a sauceboat of lemon, garlic, fresh herbs and olive oil.
One special, the tender pork shank served with creamy risotto, hit the right notes. And those who want a light meal will appreciate the five perfectly grilled shrimp served with spinach sautéed with garlic. Delicious.
Desserts, except for ice creams and sorbets, are made in house. An Italian cheesecake with a thick topper of chocolate was not creamy enough but a luscious tiramisù excelled in that department.
Sophia Italian Bistro has an attentive staff in the dining room and a talented chef in the kitchen. Because of this “dream-team” effect, an evening there can be quite an enjoyable one.