Sophie's Cookhouse

I agree with the above reviewer that the food at Sophie's is good but what I didn't like was the service and atmosphere. At the time I visited this restaurant about a year ago, everything was served a la carte and in its own plate or little pan and o ... more

I agree with the above reviewer that the food at Sophie's is good but what I didn't like was the service and atmosphere. At the time I visited this restaurant about a year ago, everything was served a la carte and in its own plate or little pan and often sitting in butcher-like paper. I didn't find this cute but rather annoying. My dining partner had a leg injury and since one has to keep going up to the counter to get the various items ordered as they are ready, I had to keep getting up and down. I felt like I worked there! We were there late Sunday afternoon and discovered that various deliveries had not arrived and they were out of every other thing. Since parking had been such a big production and considering my friend's leg injury, we decided to stay and make the best of it but this turned out to be a mistake. Selections were served either incomplete or with substitutions which didn't make any sense. When I questionned this, I found out that the kitchen was out of many items due to the delivery issue noted above although no price adjustment were made or offered. I also discovered that the "Sophie" in the restaurant's title was the owner's daughter who was about 4 or 5 at the time and was running all around the restaurant which was really distracting and annoying and not appreciated by the diners. The three-star rating is for those dishes I tasted which were correctly prepared and very good. Obviously, someone in the kitchen knows what they're doing. Overall, for reasons outlined above, I left this place happy to be out of there and really disappointed with the experience. I suppose I should give it another try but haven't been too motivated since anyone I know who has been to Sophie's came away with a lukewarm feeling at best for various reasons. I hope the owner/manager of Sophie's is or has straightened out the various problems that I (and others) experienced. less

This new restaurant, which has taken over the old "Clown Alley" space on Columbus Ave., has excellent food and friendly service. The service, unfortunately, is a bit slow, but hopefully that will improve with time. The food, on the other hand, ... more

This new restaurant, which has taken over the old "Clown Alley" space on Columbus Ave., has excellent food and friendly service. The service, unfortunately, is a bit slow, but hopefully that will improve with time. The food, on the other hand, is impeccable. Chef Mateo Granados, formerly the lunchtime chef at 42 Degrees, cranks out some great entres like fried catfish, fresh sausage sandwiches, various grilled fish, etc .... All are made with a great blend of seasonings. A word of advice: if you are hungry, order an entre along with a side dish (the mashed potatoes and whole roasted baby potatoes are great!). less