photo courtesy of sofi

Prawns and scallops skewer with braised leeks at Sofi. 

Before opening the new Printers Row trattoria Sofi (616 S. Dearborn St., 312-753-5502), on July 5th, Maurizio Michi worked for his younger brother Riccardo at his namesake Lincoln Park restaurants, Riccardo Trattoria and Riccardo Enoteca.

“We decided it would be better to work apart from each other,” Maurizio says. “We call each other every day and share recipes, but working together is not easy.”

Sofi, which is BYO for now, peddles trattoria classics such as pastas, meats Milanese, branzino, short ribs with polenta, and homemade desserts.

Although Maurizio separated his business from his brother, Sofi is still a family affair. Maurizio’s wife, Nandita, pitches in, and the name comes from their 12-year-old daughter, Sophie. Not to mention that Sofi does not serve lunch. “I want to enjoy my family a little bit,” Maurizio says.