Sofia's Choice is the Warehouse District

Julia street in the NOLA arts district continues to develop with changes in both art galleries and the restaurants that support the area. Sofia is the newest food establishment which is the creation from local entrepreneur Billy Blatty who many of you tenured locals know created the hip club Ampersand many moons ago... and yes his pop wrote the Exorcist. Billy has partnered with Talia Diele of the Denver Culinary Group. We were fortunate enough to have both Billy in the house checking on tables and Talia delivering the food to our tables which was so fun to have the executive chef come out and present the food.

Sofia is named after that famous lovely lady Sophia Loren and yes, we did have the discussion about the way her name is spelled and why the restaurant's name is spelled SOFIA. Turns out that Italians changed their spelling when they came to America - -or at least that is the story the restaurant is going with. The space is a renovated warehouse of course and has the pulse of a Blatty club with the comfort of a casual, friendly dining space. We were there on a Tuesday and walked in with no trouble, though our waiter told us the place had an incredible past weekend with a lot of waiting so reservations are advised. The food is already spectacular and fresh on opening week, and we recommend sharing. Our waiter was kind enough to space out our three dishes so the timing was perfect. An extensive drinks and competitively priced wine list is also available and full bar with seating adds to the space. They need to expand the beer listing to some more of the local breweries but pretty sure they will figure that out very soon. Wandering about is a must to absorb all the fun paintings and the architecture - note the very voluptuous pizza oven and two projection screens flashing Sophia Loren movies on the walls. Lighting is spectacular with special effects popping in the ceiling to keep your eyes moving. Large tables center the restaurant making it easy to accommodate big parties.

Sofia is definitely going to be a fun place in the arts district so take some time and get your Italian on.