SOPHIA STEAK LAKE FOREST: GOOD HISTORY BEARS REPEATING

The paths restaurateurs follow as they create destinations for the dining public weave from city to suburb, township to village. But the aim is always the same: to shape places that draw and satisfy local clientele. That Ryan O’Donnell and Glenn Keefer’s path has led them to open not just one, but two Sophia Steak restaurants on the North Shore is lucky happenstance for everyone here.

First, some history: O’Donnell met his wife, Anna, when the two were working for Keefer at his fabled steakhouse, Keefer’s, in Chicago in the ‘00s. The O’Donnells went on to open their own Chicago restaurants (Gemini, Rustic House, and Coda di Volpe [with Billy Lawless]), before founding Ballyhoo Hospitality in 2018 and opening their first concept under that umbrella, Lincoln Park’s Old Pueblo Cantina, in 2019.

“We always had steakhouses on our minds,” says O’Donnell. “And we felt there was a need for a great steakhouse on the North Shore where we live [Wilmette]. We started talking with Glenn, who also lives here [Northfield], about partnering on this a few years ago.”

Those conversations came to fruition with the May 2020 opening of Sophia Steak in Wilmette. When that restaurant met with success, the Keefer-O’Donnell team added the Lake Forest iteration last October.

Like Sophia Steak Wilmette, the ambiance at Sophia Steak Lake Forest is warm and the atmosphere convivial—upscale, without fine dining constraints. Visually, the deep shade of teal that cloaks much of Sophia’s main dining room glows, softly lit and brightened by an eclectic assemblage of artwork curated by Christina Keefer. Large cushioned booths, curled like tan seashells under an uplit cove of recessed lighting, anchor the restaurant’s dining room. But the real eye candy is the illuminated Umbria quartz bar back, visible from the restaurant through a floor-to-ceiling latticed wall of clear, wavy glass.

The easy-to-navigate menu has prime steaks up top. There’s a 32-ounce Porterhouse or 34-ounce Tomahawk ribeye dry aged for 45 days. Each of these options serves two (a la carte or as a fixed-price full-meal with a $45 upcharge.) Wet-aged steaks range from the 8-ounce Black Angus filet to the 16-ounce prime Cowgirl ribeye. Known as sticklers for quality (Keefer developed an industry reputation for checking and weighing each steak before accepting a delivery), the culinary team keeps the bar high. That extends to affordably flavorful butcher cuts, such as the prime flat iron steak that I ordered “Sophia Style.” Peppercorn-crusted and topped with roasted mushrooms and cognac cream, the 10-ounce filet was as juicy as my husband’s 16-ounce prime Delmonico ribeye, which came with a tangy, house-made steak sauce.

Side dishes of white cheddar potato gratin (very like a french potato pavé) and saba-glazed Brussels sprouts and roasted butternut squash medley with pepitas and chili flecks for crunch and spice, were good accompaniments to the meat.

Sophia’s also aims high with its seafood. Pairing Keefer’s sourcing expertise (he once fished commercially) with the culinary leadership of O’Donnell and Chef Todd Stein, fish dishes hold their own next to the steaks. The miso-glazed salmon we ordered was cooked to my preference (I like it almost rare), not overwhelmed by the miso glaze, and shored up with a confetti of ginger- jasmine rice. Had it been a Friday, we would have ordered the weekly Dover sole special. On his tableside rounds, Keefer told us that Sophia’s has a vendor who takes delivery of the restaurant’s Dover sole directly from Europe, making the fish pristinely fresh.

The appetizer offerings are good examples of Ballyhoo’s aim to modernize steakhouse options. The Crispy Lobster & Shishitos— dippable morsels sheathed in a light crust and served with lemon aioli—were perfectly rendered, with not a hint of greasiness. An underlay of garlic chips was a pleasantly unexpected extra. A second appetizer of Yellowfin Tuna Tartar, pressed with avocado and mango and served with wonton chips, was also very good.

Not wanting to miss the chance to try Sophia’s fabled maple bacon—which also comes on its own as an appetizer—we ordered the Baby Iceberg Wedge salad, topped with squares of the smoky, not-too-sweet, cured pork belly, buttermilk ranch dressing, and shaved blue cheese. Pickled red onion and marinated tomato cut the richness.

Accompanying all, we shared a bottle of Viña Cobos Bramare 2019, a malbec from the Uco Valley in Mendoza, Argentina, which was fresh, full of black fruit aromas, and not too tannic, making it work well throughout the meal. If we had cozied in the bar area before dinner, we’d have tried Sophia’s best-selling cocktail—The Fort Sheridan Old Fashioned.

A slice of Buck Russell’s Chocolate Cake—baked at another new Ballyhoo North Shore operation, Buck Russell’s Bakery and Sandwich Shop in Wilmette—was our finisher. This decadent cake showcases chocolate in three ways with creamy chocolate mousse slathered between tender-crumbed layers that are cloaked in chocolate buttercream and finished with crème anglaise and raspberry coulis.

O’Donnell and Keefer say they are proud that Ballyhoo’s first entry into the North Shore dining scene was a steakhouse, bringing them full circle to their first associations. With Sophia Steak Lake Forest, good history repeats itself deliciously.

For more information, visit sophiasteak.com.