The combination is intentionally irresistible. The charming verandas, stone archways and fireplaces invite you to sit down, eat and drink.  “I like to say that I create the appetite, and she satisfies it,” joked Sofia Papastamelos.
At Sofia Restaurant, she is responsible for the décor, and her sister Angela Diamantis is the food and service coordinator.  
Family, talent – and certainly being Greek – has had a lot to do with the success of Sofia, a bay-view establishment in Margate.
Traditional al fresco dining is offered on an outdoor patio in the warm weather months, when patrons dine underneath the red-clay tile roof among urns filled with colorful flowers and lush greenery that spills out across the natural stone pavers.
But at this time of year, large French doors that reveal the patio offer a tease and pleasant view of the outdoors.  In the meantime, multiple indoor fireplaces set the mood. 
Sofia also features a bar that is designed around a tree decorated with a variety of softly lit colored glass lanterns. Wines are displayed behind oversized arched metal gates.
Yes, the look is divine.  Yet it’s comfortable, too.
At Sofia Restaurant, which is named for a family matriarch a few generations removed, the intent is to provide a place for family and friends to stay awhile. Linger. 
To that end, executive chef Michael Giraldi prepares a variety of Greek fare, particularly the fresh fish for which Sofia is known. Branzino, for example, is imported from the Mediterranean. (See Customer Favorites.)
In the kitchen, another clear Greek influence is the use of a “yiouvetsi.”  This fired terracotta pot is traditionally used for cooking meat, poultry or seafood with pasta. Diamantis trained the staff on using the pot, which she said preserves and holds in the flavors.
She wouldn’t do without it.
“I can remember my great-grandmother used them,” said Diamantis.  “Terra cotta cooking evolved because they didn’t have electric or gas stoves.  Instead they used stone or stucco ovens, fueled by burning wood.”
Family technique and influence can be found throughout the menu at Sofia. A Persian chicken dish is served on a sword, for example. 
In addition to the expected Greek fare, Giraldi has developed a few surprises for the winter menu, including duck and bison. He said that when preparing game, he most often pairs it with a port wine reduction.
Giraldi, who has 20 years’ restaurant experience, has worked in Philadelphia and South Jersey. He began working in the business at the original Mama Ventura’s in Berlin.
“At that time the real Mama Ventura was still in the kitchen. She was rolling pasta -- her and Aunt Rita,” he recalled. Giraldi worked his way up from busboy to waiter to working on the line. 
Today the Philadelphia-born Giraldi heads up the staff at Sofia, where he looks like he could be family. The rapport between Giraldi, Papastamelos and Diamantis would have you believe they were related.  The blood brother to the power sisters is local physician Tom Papastamelos of Shore Memorial Hospital, Sofia’s twin brother and a silent partner in the restaurant.
Sofia is the former site of Zoom Bar and Grill, which underwent more than one year of renovations. The building has earned the distinction of a beautification award from the city of Margate. 
Prior to the Sofia project, the sisters managed Baron’s Steakhouse in Berlin.  They said they are working on relocating and making Atlantic County their home. Giraldi, who lives in Washington Township, said he hopes to do the same.