Sofi’s Mediterranean restaurant opens in San Marco
Owner and chef Joe Gjergji talks about his new San Marco restaurant, Sofi’s Mediterranean.
Sofi’s Mediterranean, a new upscale restaurant, has opened in San Marco, replacing Bar Molino.Owner/chef Joe Gjergji named the restaurant after his daughter and hopes it becomes a family legacy.The menu features Mediterranean and Italian cuisine, with signature dishes like Chicken Sofi and Octopus Bada Bing.Gjergji has extensive experience in the restaurant industry, previously owning Toscana Little Italy.
A new upscale restaurant in historic San Marco celebrates the rich flavors of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine as it builds on one family’s heritage and hopes for the future.
Sofi’s Mediterranean, named for the daughter of the restaurant’s owner/chef, recently debuted at 1538 Hendricks Ave. Suite 2, in a renovated art deco building dating back to 1926.
The new restaurant — with 120 seats including an outdoor patio — takes the place of Bar Molino, which closed Jan. 31 after more than two years.
A destination restaurant, Sofi’s comes from 15-year veteran restauranteur Joe Gjergji, the original owner of Toscana Little Italy about 2 1/2 miles south in Miramar.
With Sofi’s Mediterranean, Gjergji is carrying on his family’s heritage and creating a legacy that he hopes to pass on to his 12-year-old daughter.
“The restaurant came after my daughter. I wanted to open a restaurant dedicating it to her so she knows a little bit of the background where her father came from, what he does when he is working. So, hopefully, when she grows up, she keeps it in the family,” Gjergji told the Times-Union.
On the menu at Sofi’s Mediterranean
Sofi’s focus on Mediterranean and Italian cuisines reflects his family’s background. The restaurant is “where the flavors of the Mediterranean & Italian cuisine come together.”
“We mix from different flavors. Italian, we have the pasta, then we have the whole branzino, then we have the lamb. There are a lot of flavors that come into it, you know, with the roasted red peppers with artichoke hearts, capers, and the whole fish. It gives you a little bit more of a lot of flavors,” Gjergji said.
All the dishes at Sofi’s are made to order.
“Our No. 1 signature dish here is our chicken Sofi. It’s a four-ounce butterflied chicken [breast] that is sauteed with olive oil, shallots, asparagus, prosciutto, a touch of creamy Alfredo, and a touch of marinara. It’s finished with fresh basil on top,” Gjergji said of the entree listed on the menu as $25 for chicken and $35 for veal.
He said one of their popular appetizers is Octopus Bada Bing ($25). One octopus tentacle is grilled and then topped with sauteed garlic, artichoke hearts, kalamata olives and cherry tomatoes. It’s served with extra virgin olive oil and crostini.
Also featured on the menu:
New Zealand Char Grilled Lamb Chops ($45): New Zealand Rack of lamb cooked to medium temperature and served with mint–infused demi-glazeMarsala Glazed Ribeye ($55): Grilled 16-ounce ribeye topped with mushrooms, caramelized onions and a delicate demi-glaze marsala sauceMediterranean Roasted Branzino ($32): Whole fresh branzino topped with sauteed garlic, capers, sundried tomatoes, kalamata olives, and asparagus, garnished with fresh basil and crumbled Feta cheeseBleu Filet Pasta ($32): Beef Tenderloin, roasted peppers, mushrooms tossed in fresh spinach and creamy Gorgonzola sauce drizzled with Balsamic glaze and served over fettucciniShrimp Scampi ($26): Shrimp sautéed with diced vine ripe tomatoes, leeks, and fresh garlic in a unique lemon-wine sauce then tossed with linguini pasta and pecorino Romano cheesePasta Meatballs ($23): Homemade meatballs in signature marinara sauce, tossed with spaghettiRavioli Di Portabella ($23): Ravioli filled with Portabella mushrooms in a creamy Alfredo sauce, sun-dried tomatoes finished with fresh basil and pecorino Romano cheese
Appetizers range from Caprese ($14), Asparagus Napoleon ($17), and Parmigiana Meatball Bites ($18) to Double Down Clams Casino ($22), and Scallops and Shrimp Aglio–Olio ($26).
Sofi’s also offers craft cocktails, beer and wine. Desserts offered include a creamy Italian lemon cream cake, traditional Tiramisu, Creme Brulee Cheesecake, a Molten Lava Cake and more.
Carrying on a family restaurant legacy
Gjergji, 36, is the first one in the restaurant and the last one out the door at Sofi’s.
He’s worked his way up in the restaurant business from the kitchen to front of the house, management and ultimately opening his own place.
His family has been in the restaurant business since 1999. They previously had two restaurants — Michelangelo’s — one in Mandarin and the other in Miramar next door to Toscana. Gjergji was 17 when he began working in those restaurants — learning the business from his uncle and cousins.
“My uncle sold that business and I saw the opportunity next door, where Toscana is current now, and I put the plans together and got the place and opened Toscana,” he said.
Gjergji was 21 when he opened Toscana. He had it for about 9 1/2 years before selling it.
His daughter is showing interest in following in his footsteps. She’s learning the business from the ground up — she sometimes helps out at the restaurant after Gjergji picks her up from school.
“She grabs a couple bottles of water and tries to act like a bartender,” he said.
Gjergji said it took him about a year and a half to find and finalize Sofi’s — transforming it from a dream into reality.
“This is very big for me because it is something that I truly wanted so badly and worked very hard to get this place open for my family, my daughter, my wife and myself,” he said.
Gjergji’s goal for Sofi’s is straightforward.
“I love the customers and I like to go talk to them. I try my best to go to every table to make sure that everything is ok, and to make sure that they are happy. I don’t want customers to leave my door unhappy,” he said.
Reservations are recommended for Sofi’s Mediterranean, which is open from 4 to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, and closed Monday.
Teresa Stepzinski is the dining reporter for the Times-Union. Follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @TeresaStepz or reach her via email at tstepzinski@jacksonville.com.
If you’re a subscriber, thank you. If not, become a subscriber to get the latest dining coverage.
💻 Sign up for Dining Notes, the free weekly restaurant newsletter from the Times-Union’s Gary Mills delivered to your email inbox each Wednesday. Sign up now.