Sorella Opens at One Bratenahl Place, Blending Family and Italian Tradition

There’s a new restaurant at One Bratenahl Place, the posh twin-condo compound near the shores of Lake Erie. For the past decade or so, the public dining room at the private property had been home to Bistro at Bratenahl Place, which closed in mid-June. Now, it is the home of Sorella, which will make its official debut this coming weekend after a soft opening in September.

Since taking over earlier this summer, owners David and Alexa Dragich renovated the already attractive interior. Among the improvements are a new bar and lounge area, buffed-up 60-seat dining room, and a private event space called “The Speakeasy.”

Billed as an elevated Italian-American restaurant, Sorella’s menu offers Roman-style pastas such as bucatini carbonara, cacio e pepe, and gnocchi with charred tomatoes. Those classics are joined by entrees like chicken parmesan, chicken marsala, bone-in pork chops and grilled steaks. To start, there are appetizers like Tuscan soup, fried calamari, meatballs and steamed mussels. In the salad department diners will find a Caesar, caprese, wedge and beet-and-goat cheese medley.

A separate bar menu features comfort food items like chicken clubs, smash burgers, chicken wings, pizzas and steak frites.

“The name Sorella – Italian for ‘sister’ – perfectly represents both our family and the spirit of Italian culture,” says co-owner Alexa Dragich. “It’s about connection, tradition, and the bond between family. The fact that both of [partner] Ray’s daughters are now running their own restaurants — sisters in life and in business — made the name feel meant to be.”

Sorella officially opens its doors on Oct. 17.

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