The Gist
From the turn into the parking lot to your first steps inside Sophie’s Rest, it feels like home — like you’re entering someone’s private residence and having dinner in their dining room.
It’s always been that way, too, whether it was the locals-only scene that former owner Sophie Furmankiewicz welcomed in or the new faces Charlie Manwaring and Thomas Grattan Jr. have ushered through the door since 2012, when they purchased the business.
Once named the Willowmere Inn, the spot has always been known as Sophie’s. Manwaring and Grattan decided to keep up the tradition, leaving the menu packed with Furmankiewicz’s delicious pizzas and dishes that evoke her modest charm.
The Vibe
While the wooden floors, vintage nautical style and traditional bar give the restaurant a moody feel, the beams of natural light and colorful dishes help it feel bright even during colder months.
Less than a decade ago, Manwaring and Grattan nixed the dining-room pool table that stood for years and gave the space a makeover. The changes, initially received with no small amount of side-eye from regulars, eventually grew to be appreciated. The proof? All the crowds coming in for the surf-and-turf style menu, trusted bar staples and warm atmosphere.
The Food
If you know and love Southold Fish Market, you’re in luck. Manwaring, who also owns that local sustenance staple, has brought a few of his fish favorites over to Sophie’s. Bar snacks like wings and mozzarella sticks, plus soups, salads, sandwiches, steaks, burgers and other mains, pepper the popular menu.
Savory seafood, toppings-filled pizzas and the coveted prime rib are just some of the fan favorites off the variety-packed menu. (photo credit: Doug Young)
Tuna Sashimi
Velvety slices of sesame-crusted ahi tuna dissolve in your mouth and are complemented by the crunch of seaweed salad and vegetable noodle rolls served with a side of pickled ginger and soy sauce.
Fish & Chips
This classic dish features three pillowy pieces of beer-battered codfish, the golden coating giving way to a satisfyingly soft bite of fresh, meaty fish. Choose your version of “chips” — fries, home fries or roasted potatoes.
Tuesday Night Prime Rib
Be sure to call days ahead to reserve this Sophie’s fan favorite. Served with a comforting side of roasted potatoes and veggies, the succulent, buttery prime rib is sure to send you home with a full belly thanks to its irresistible, tender texture.
Seafood Stuffies
The baked clam’s buff, bodacious big brother, shrimp, scallops, lobster and clams are expertly blended with seasoned breadcrumbs. Topped with butter and garlic, the rich, doughy mix has a sweet, briny flavor, revealing a perfect shell when you inevitably devour the filling.
Garbage Pie
Manwaring describes this pizza as “everything but the kitchen sink.” Layered and rustic, sausage plays a star turn while meatball, pepperoni, mushroom, olive, onion and pepper toppings give the thin crust a hearty bang.
Sophie’s Rest
730 Main Bayview Road, Southold
631-765-5700
sophiesrest.com
Hours
Monday through Friday:
kitchen open 4 to 9 p.m.;
bar open until late,
Saturday and Sunday:
noon until late.
