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| Portofino: A State of Mind by Billy Newman Deep inside a cove alongside the Mediterranean Sea lies a town that was once a secluded resort of movie stars and celebrities. Multicolored stucco buildings lay scattered among olive trees and eucalyptus trees growing up the hillside. At a quiet cafe, all one hears is the sound of wind and water. All one sees is the sunlight shining mottled on the boardwalk. All one smells is the aroma of fresh bread, basil, and wine. This is Portofino, Italy. Thousands of miles away, on a quiet street patrons enter a restaurant nestled among sprawling sidewalk trees. Diners sip wine while gazing at a chef working around the brick wood-burning oven. They eat next to the fireplace, among the columns or on the patio. Dining outside, a canopy of trees, late afternoon sun, the smells of Italy... This is Italy right? No, welcome to Portofino - Atlanta, Georgia. Recently, my wife and I had the pleasure of dining at Portofino - not the Italian village, but the restaurant in Buckhead. (It’s hard to tell the difference.) It was a warm evening, and rain clouds threatened to dampen our evening, but we opted for the open patio. Amazed at the quietness of this spot, we found it hard to believe that we were in a large metropolitan city. On the expansive patio, the tables were adequately spaced out so we didn’t feel crowded. The service was friendly, appropriately familiar, and very prompt. The food was good and very reasonably priced and the extensive wine list was filled with a variety of treats. We started off with some Tapas. The Smoked Salmon and Green Olive Pesto Crostini was a delight. The pesto spread added just the right amount of zest to the salmon. I was tempted to change my entree to a double order of this, but my wife restrained me. The Artichoke Dip with toasted flat bread and the Marinated Mushrooms with Tarragon, although not as stellar as the smoked salmon were nonetheless very good. Next, we shared the Arugula Salad with Feta Cheese and Cured Olive. I had never tasted cured olives before; they added a slightly more robust flavor to this excellent salad. Since we were sharing, it didn’t last long. For my entree, I had the Sweet Potato Risotto with Cinnamon Seared Chicken and Fried Carrot. Chicken and cinnamon? A very unusual combination, but very interesting. Although I didn’t know what to think at the time, I found myself mentally revisiting the taste several days later. I will probably reorder it next time. Nan had the Parmesan Encrusted Veal Medallions with Tomato and Mushroom Lentil Simmer. The veal was very tender - absolutely delicious. The lentils complemented the veal with a simple, rustic flavor. For desert, I had the Brown Sugar and Maker’s Mark Bourbon Cheesecake. It was creamy, velvety, and not too sweet. It was rich, but not too heavy. This was some of the best cheesecake I had ever had. Nan ordered the White Chocolate Mousse with Lime Meringue. The mousse was good with no surprises, but the meringue added a pleasant twist to an otherwise uneventful desert. The menu covers a range of dishes, some strictly Italian, others with a stronger American influence. Entrees vary from Linguini with White Clam Sauce to Grilled Sirloin Strip with Asiago & Truffle Macaroni. From soups, salads, and tapas, to a few individual pizzas, Portofino appeals to almost any appetite. The wine list is outstanding. Many customers often come just for the wine, stopping at the bar in the late afternoon for a glass or two and some Tapas. One can order a flight of wine, several small glasses of 2 to 3 ounces each that highlight a winery or region. This is a wonderful way to taste a variety of wines without having to pay by-the-glass prices. The wine list is customer driven. The wines are selected by the restaurant’s wine committee, a group of loyal customers that occasionally come to taste wine in a blind test. They select the best wine based on taste, then they match those wines to prices. The final list is updated based on taste and value. Co-owners, George Tice and Mike Anderson created Portofino after surveying the customers of George’s restaurant, Toulouse. The customers overwhelmingly said they wanted a reasonably priced Italian/American restaurant with a good wine list. They were tired of the overpriced upper-tier Italian restaurants and bad pasta and pizza places. Mike says, “We wanted to create a restaurant based on what customers wanted.” Mike and George did just that. Although Portofino is a barely six months old, the key players are not new to the restaurant business. Mike has restaurants in his blood. He started busing tables at 15, has been an executive chef, and has managed several restaurants. George originally was a veritable professional diner, entertaining publishing industry clients in Manhattan’s star studded restaurants for thirty-five years. Deciding to start his own bistro, he moved to Atlanta and established Toulouse seven years ago. At Portofino, executive chef, Shawn Chastain, and pastry chef, Mike Dowling tap into their years of culinary training and experience to produce a menu that is comfortable yet filled with surprises. Portofino is not a five star restaurant. Mike and George don’t want a five star restaurant. There goals are much closer to what we want, a good restaurant at a good value. Mike says, “We try to be the neighborhood restaurant that everyone wishes was in their neighborhood.” The bill for my wife and I came to just under sixty dollars, not including beverages and gratuity, but we had a feast. The entrees range from $13.00 to $17.00 - very reasonable. For outdoor dining, for Italian/American food with a wonderful wine list, Portofino can’t be beat. Portofino is located at 3199 Paces Ferry Place. Their phone number is (404) 231-1136. |
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| from top: Salmon appetizer; Veal Medallions; Owner & chefs; Tiramisu. |
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