Eddie's Restaurant Guide: Late Hours, Sinatra and Steaks

If you're a Sinatra fan, then you absolutely have to visit Sopano's, 110 Water Street, between Light and Calvert.

Terry Coffman, former owner of Velleggia's in Little Italy, and in the restaurant business since 1979, opened it in April of 2009 and it has become a big hit with the Ravens and the downtown crowd. It certainly is a big hit for those who like steak.

All day, on a giant screen in the main dining room, Sinatra videos are playing. I asked Terry if he ever got tired of watching Sinatra each and every day and he said, 'Eddie, who can ever get tired of Frank.'

Other entertainment is offered, like Karaoke after 9:30 nightly, blues and jazz from 7 to 10 Friday and Saturday, and then there's videos of the old Dean Martin shows. Do you think Terry is a fan of the Rat Pack—just asking!

Speaking of steaks, and I was, you can order the house signature, the filet, New York strip, Porterhouse (24 ounces by the way) and the ribeyes. All are prime which means they are of the highest quality.

The Destination Guide.com stated it is the 'best steakhouse in Baltimore.' And that is not the only award the restaurant has received. It received 4.5 stars (out of 5) for 'excellence in customer satisfaction' from Talk of the Town (2011, 2012), an internet-based restaurant guide.

Sopano's is open seven days for lunch and dinner, with specials each meal. There is seating for 50 upstairs with additional seating outside and downstairs in what is know as Sopano Zone, a happening sports bar.

Downstairs is where you would go to watch sports, have lighter fare than upstairs, or play pool, darts or shuffleboard. Or you can plop on a sofa and watch the games.

Besides the many steaks, the menu consists of Italian dishes and seafood. The crabcakes, by the way, are extremely good. Any restaurant worth anything at all in this city wouldn't last long serving an inferior crab cake.

Gluten-free and vegetarian dishes are offered. If you look in the kitchen you might spot Miss Bettie, who has been preparing food for nearly five decades. I'm told her dessert speciality is tiramisu.

Before leaving be sure to check out the many celebrity pictures on the walls. I found it fun to try to identify the people in them. I did fairly well, only missing a very young Jerry Lewis.         

They will deliver in the downtown area. For more information go to supanossteakhouse.com. Incidentally, they might indeed be the only kitchen downtown open until 1:30 a.m.