Portofino

Absolutely amazing 5 star experience! This place is close to home and seemed like the perfect place to enjoy my husband's birthday. First of all, I love the intimate setting of this place. There were maybe 2-3 other couples dining while we were there and we had a personal card waiting for us on our table. The chef was amazing and kept coming back to check on us and fill us in on his background and the food. Our waiter was also great! I appreciated being able to try several courses to get the full experience. We started with the baked fontina - not only did it look beautiful but it was delicious. Then I had the Quattro formaggio, basically a cheesy fettuccini - I wanted more but saved room for more courses. We went for things we had never tried before for our next course - Osso Bucco and wild boar cacciatore. Omg... from the presentation to the taste, what an excellent meal! We finished it off with the cannoli for dessert and went home happy! Definitely book this place for a special and memorable authentic Italian dinner.

Just when you thought things couldn't get better.... I had a Friday evening to myself. I had errands I needed to run, BUT they weren't urgent. So, as my car got to the end of my driveway, I had a decision to make. Left to the errands, or right to "what the hell, why not?" have a bang up dinner by myself. RIGHT TURN IT WAS!Walking into Portofino on a Friday night without a reservation isn't ideal. I knew they had a small bar area and have mentioned that we can stop in without reservations and grab a seat. I've enjoyed Portofino since they opened and their staff has been consistent. What does that say about how a restaurant operates? I was welcomed at the bar by Summer, the co-owner. I did my typical "what are we having tonight?" and went with her unannounced surprises. I mentioned what I DIDN'T want (and that's just because I've had it before and wanted to try something new) and it's like we were in Vulcan mindmeld- she knew exactly what I would enjoy. I wanted a true multi-course experience- enjoying an item from each of the 5 courses with 3 different wine pairings + a pre-dinner cocktail. Let's just say it was a REALLY good night. Starting with the diver scallop appetizer. (Venetian Scallops) Just do it and thank me later. 2nd course- and arugula and roasted beet salad with blue cheese. As soon as it was served, I loaded a forkful of arugula and both the red and golden beets, took a bite and then announced that I hated beets BUT I LOVED THE SALAD. Poor Summer, I think I made her heart skip a beat. Lesson learned- try things and give it a chance. You may be pleasantly surprised. 3rd- an artichoke pasta. (Capellini Carciofi) Full house prepped choke with just the right amount of extras, butter, and cheese. At this point I asked if I should save half since more was coming. They graciously removed it, and boxed it up and held it in the kitchen until the end.4th- Heaven on a plate. Otherwise known as the braised shortrib on a bed of mushroom risotto. The short rib was fork tender, and delish- complemented by the rich and savory risotto. I actually dreamed of it last night. :) 5th- I've gotten this far, why not? Again, I left the decision to Summer and I have to say it was DELIGHTFUL! What is typically an appetizer offering, I was served a warm, luscious plate of baked Fontina cheese with berry compote. Add a small glass of Port, and you've put a bow on the gift of a great meal.Lest I forget the opening cocktail, can't for the life of me remember the name of it except that Cherry is in the name and M is the start of the 2nd word. This is a repeat for me, haven't found it anywhere else & it's a treat. Portofino is an experience- treat it as such. Do yourself a favor, take a friend, order from each course, share, savor, and enjoy. Having said that, don't EVER hesitate taking yourself on a date and treating yourself. Well worth it. Wrapping up, I wanted to note that as I sat at the bar I was privvy to the dynamic of the staff. They were all EXTREMELY pleasant, happy to be there, and moved mountains for their customers. Actually, some of the requests that I heard made me laugh and wonder WHY on earth would someone order something and then deconstruct it. BUT- the staff made it work. I've never spent less than 3 hours at Portofino for a meal and each and every time it went by in a blink! Enjoy!

If ever there was a time & place for 5 stars it was last night at Portofino. This is a special occasion restaurant that could become a once a month place... at least! The idea is to order all the courses - which we attempted but failed. I will order dessert next time! I'm already thinking which course I'd trade out for dessert - not an easy thing to do! We had the fried cheese appetizer- which we shared... oh my - the blueberry/raspberry combo with the cheese ... come on! Then I ordered the Caesar salad - it was not what I expected but was several levels above any Caesar salad I've ever had! The presentation - fabulous! The ingredient ratios - spot on! I won't spoil it for you - you must order it! My pasta choice was Paglia E Fieno - the flavor combination of the prosciutto, baby peas and Parmesan was clear & crisp! When the Osso Bucco arrived our server pointed out that knife was placed to get the marrow out- it was like butter on the toasted bread! Incredible! The shank was fall apart tender! Zabagleone Brûlée would have been my dessert choice, just hoping to finish the meal the way I started with the same berry combination?? Fingers crossed! I must mention our server steered me to a wonderful dry Cabernet Sauvignon. Great service all evening!

Our experience with Portofino was exceptional. The staff is friendly and informative. The food is exceptional. I would suggest this restaurant to anybody.

Dinner at Portofino is not just a good night out but this is a true dining experience. My wife and I came here to celebrate my birthday and it made for such a memorable way to celebrate the occasion. The level of service was second to none and felt like we were treated as long time friends and not like customers. Each course was amazing and a culinary adventure as most of what we tried was new to us. This intimate restaurant is perfect for a date night or to celebrate a special occasion. They even have a small, glassed in room surrounded by wine bottles for a more private experience. We loved our time here and look forward to our next visit!

This was a great date night find! Reservations are required and you get the table for the night so you can take your time and enjoy the experience. Our waitress was so friendly and did a great job explaining the menu. Chef Dan came over to introduce himself to my husband and I and we had a really nice conversation. The food was prepared excellently. Great flavors and different concepts that allowed us to try new things. I would highly recommend it for a peaceful dinner out.

This is a small little establishment in the Guy stereo, but the service was fantastic and the food was absolutely delicious. My only gripe is that because it's so busy all the time it's hard to get a reservation. It's worth the wait.

This place is in our top 5. Hands down EVERY TIME we come here spectacular!!!! Everyone of our friends that we recommended to come here has loved it also. Definitely will be back.

I'd give this restaurant 7/10. The service was excellent. The atmosphere was clean and classy. We got cocktails and appetizers. The cocktails were delicious! Very well done.We got the scallops and bruschetta for appetizers. Both delicious. Especially the scallops. We got the Caesar salad and the Caprese salad. Both great! For the next course we got two risottos, the pesto and the mushroom. And we got two pastas. The Bolognese and the one with prosciutto and peas. The risottos were divine! Highly recommend them. The pastas were lack luster. The noodles were overcooked and under salted. The sauces lacked flavor. For the protein course we got the short rib and risotto, the salmon, and the chicken. All were amazing! For dessert we got the donuts and the tiramisu. The donuts we couldn't even cut through with a fork and were very chewy and dense. The tiramisu was a 6/10. We also got an espresso with the desserts and it was delicious!! So good. So good and bad. Honestly, I expected more from this place. Especially the pasta dishes.

Beautiful place and ran by a wonderful staff. Attentive and engaging. The chef often even comes out to explain dishes and check in (when they aren't too busy in the kitchen).They pace the food well. My wife and I have gone ~10 times and it is literally our favorite restaurant we have ever been to. We haven't had anything come out wrong or disliked a single item.One of our favorite items is the Mussels. The broth is exquisite and they are always cooked to perfection. Very happy to have such a lovely place so close by. Prices are also fair considering the quality of the food. We have paid more at "nice" chain restaurants for lower quality food, worse service, and worse ambiance.10/10 would recommend