When you think about most of the ethnic restaurants in town, there is a tradeoff. You get wonderful food that you’ve craved all week, but you give up the wonderful ambiance that you might enjoy had you chosen another restaurant. Sophia’s Thai Bar & Kitchen bridges that gap. You can enjoy wonderful food with exotic flavors while still enjoying a real night on the town.

On my first visit to Sophia’s for the review, I was joined by two girlfriends who were raised in Davis, Carrie Leamon and Martha Bernauer. Even after warning them that if they drank too much and fell off of their barstools I would have to include it in the story, they agreed to allow our girls’ night to be turned into the restaurant review. My husband, Jon, who normally accompanies me for reviews was with the boys at a pizza place drafting his fantasy football team, so we were missing our chef, but we were up for the challenge.

We met in the bar and started with cocktails. I had a “margatini,” which is what I call a margarita that is shaken and strained into a martini glass. The cocktail waitress was new and in training, and pleasantly agreed to my request. Carrie ordered a Mojito, claiming that they are “by far the best in town.” After perusing the wine list, Martha ordered a glass of Acacia Pinot Noir, and girls’ night was underway! I usually sit in one of the wicker sofas in a dark, quiet corner, but on this night we perched at a bistro table close to the bar to see the action. The bar at