Portofino Bistro

Location

2171 West Henrietta Rd, Rochester NY, 14623

Hours (as of November 2009)

Lunch Menu: Monday-Friday: 11:30AM to 2:30PM

Dinner Menu: 7 days: 4:30PM to Close

Sunday Brunch: 11:00AM to 2:00PM

Phone

585 427 0110

Email

<pdvatale AT yahoo DOT com>

Website

http://www.portofinorochester.com/

Portofino Bistro is a restaurant that serves reasonably priced Italian food. It features a very romantic interior, and is located on West Henrietta Road.

They also offer catering.

Previously known as Portobello's and was located on University in the City of Rochester. The restaurant has moved to a new location but retains the same staff and same menu.

• See Chow Hound Comment July 3, 2008 from John Sebaste Bartender/Operations Manager

Comments:

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Ross adds:

Well, it finally happened - Portobello's done. Portofino, on the other hand, is just getting started.

After a long absence, we gave it another shot. I was very impressed by several things, some of them pretty surprising.

I'll go through our meal in chronological order:

Bread is fresh (rather than the frozen-microwaved garlic bread I had previously at Portobello). It was served with butter, and an olive oil mixture that included balsamic vinegar (a new and appealing addition to the olive-oil-and-friends butter alternative).

We started with a rich lentil soup, with tomatoes and an impressive mix of spices that was neither flat nor over-the-top (a hard trick, to tell by the other lentil soups I've had locally).

The salad was solid (fresh greens, tomatoes, e.t.c.). The dressing was a little heavier than I would have liked, but I tend to prefer very light dressing.

We had the Chicken Valentino - an eggplant chicken dish with an interesting mix of what I'd describe as Italian and Moroccan flavors. While the veggie accents were a little salty (though again, we prefer an unusually small amount of salt), the entree was lovely.

We also had a seafood risotto, which was spot-on. Not too light, not too heavy, with the rich broth flavor of risotto, and the tang of seafood (muscles, shrimp, little clams, and my favorite, the little calamari (Which were neither over nor under done)).

Desert was a "ding-dong cake". Basically, a chocolate cake with a layer of cream and a layer of chocolate cream, whipped to have a slightly marshmellow-y texture. It was well-executed and fresh.

All-in-all, I'm very pleased with Portofino's transformation.

Other points: Decor is nice, not as well-appointed as some places around here, but nicer than most, with much more of a home-y feel. Prices were higher than I'd like as a grad student, but pretty reasonable compared to the other nice Italian places in the Rochester area (I'm thinking of places like Joe's Mendon House or Roncone's (I think that's the name). Lastly, and perhaps most surprisingly, this one is very vegetarian friendly - they have seven dishes on their vegetarian menu, as well as a gluten-free section. If the dishes we had were any indication, they know what they're doing with vegetarian cooking (I.E. the dishes weren't all about the meat).

2006-09-15 05:33:43   It used to be Blades way back when. Trying to find the entrance can be tricky. Big wide deck and good "happy hours", especially during the summer. (Note: this person is describing Pomodoro Grill and Wine Bar, located on University Ave) —KarenMask

2007-08-30 15:18:01   I enjoy the food at Portobello. It is great Italian food in an old world mafia atmosphere. Being renovated as of 2008.

Dont let the rundown unassuming exterior of the old house it is in turn you away, the food is excellent.

I personally feel Granas in the Renaissance and Olive Garden are the worst Italian food I have ever eaten, but then Im not Italian and may not be an expert.

Good Italian restaurant —MrRochester

2008-01-12 15:07:07   Not what I would call fine dining. The place is a little tired looking and the food was very "meh". Not a place I would go back to or recommend to anyone. —BrianSchultz

2008-02-02 17:10:02   Paula, Gail & Co do a great job @ PB's. They are like family. The food is always great and I recommend it to all my friends and coworkers. The Tilappia is incredible. —CliffBaitsholts

2008-03-27 16:06:40   The first time we went it was great. We went 3 more times and it was worse and worse. The food was awful and the service was inexcusable. We never went back and never will. Don't waste your money. —JamesPatrick

2008-04-14 10:06:40   looks like its closed for renovations at the moment. —JcPop

2008-06-29 20:46:09   the awning now reads "portofino wine bar"... no updates on the website —JcPop

2008-07-24 16:37:46   according to the D&C article today (http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080724/NEWS05/80721037/-1/BRIGHTON), Portobello is now Portofino. Basically a makeover. —TippingPoint

2008-08-02 07:49:58   My name is Dominick Morano, I recently bought into this restaraunt and I am really looking forward to serving the Rochester market. I believe we have an excellent product. The location, our chef! wow, the prices reasonable, especially for lunch, the express menu for time sensitive guests, and gourmet pizzas, last but not least our servers. They will be knowledgeable, and attentive not to the point of annoying. From the moment you walk in to the moment you leave, we want you to be happy, and content, and hopefully reccomend us to others. We also have catering....please call! I hope to see you all there. —dominick

2008-11-29 20:46:14   This was our first time eating here. Our server was very professional and efficient and the food was excellent. The atmosphere is very comfortable and cozy. We will definitely be returning soon! —BelPenda41

2008-12-01 10:57:36   Portofino is excellent. Lots of Northern Italian inspired dishes. It mimics the menu of the old Pane Vino when Tony (dont know last name)owned that as well. Great food, I recommend a try. Still maintains the old mafia feel of the original Portobello, so dont think the remodel did much, or maybe my memory eludes me? —MrRochester

2008-12-09 16:39:50   My wife and I decided to stop here last week without a reservation on a busy Saturday night, but were seated within 10 minutes (even though there were several large parties of people there). This was our first time here since Portobella's had gone out of business, and the quality of food there had definitely declined. This has changed under the new ownership - we had an excellent meal with great service. Dominick, the new owner, is a great host and checked with us several times to make sure our meal was OK. It was, and we will definitely return! —DanB

2008-12-30 11:41:07   Removed my comment because I confused these places with Pomodoro on University. —BadFish

2009-01-12 13:43:30   Sadly, Portofino isn't better known, because it is a very good neighborhood Italian restaurant, with as others have noted, a high level of comfort for vegetarians and especially, gluten-free folks. Good food and atmosphere for the buck. —BillMoehle

2009-02-08 19:51:31   Wonderful restaurant! My husband and I love the "Godfather" feel of the place and the warm, inviting air of the staff! When the waitstaff remember you, where you sat last time, and what you had, and take delight in seeing how you like the fare, it's a great place, in my book! I am a gluten-free vegetarian and this place caters to both. The chef is Italian and definitely knows how to cook authentic dishes— and even more rare, can make the rice pasta taste amazing! I wish they had gluten-free deserts. I'm sure they'd be great! Kudos to Portobello's and I wish you all the best! :) —jramey

2009-02-08 19:53:51   Oh! I also tried the gluten-free rice crust pizza recently. Call ahead about an hour to two hours ahead of time— they make it fresh for you— and it was scrumptious! It had the texture of a thin-crust pizza and all the taste of the real thing! Even my husband, who is more difficult to impress, really liked the bite I gave him! Well done! :) —jramey

2009-02-09 17:32:37   The hours for Portofino Bistro and Catering are as follows: Seven Days a week open for dinner Monday through Firday Lunch from 11:30 to 2:30 PM. Please call 427-0410 for reservations. Thanks for all your support! :) —dominickmorano

2009-02-15 00:14:28   Portofino is a nice restaurant. We went there on whim without reservations on Valentines day and were seated without much of a wait. We found the food to be very good. The place was very busy, but that did not stop them from providing good service. My only complaint would be they were out of the champagne (Moet White Star) we wanted. We will be repeat customers. —DMoore

2009-05-02 18:57:31   We had our rehearsal dinner here in Feb 2009 and we were thrilled with the accommodations and service they provided for 30 people. It was wonderful to have our family and wedding party be able to relax and enjoy the evening. Dominick put together a wonderful menu and evening with my in-laws to create such a magical night. We have now starting making Portofino, our special place to go, our 1 month anniversary and my birthday. I highly recommend everyone check them out. —TashaWilson

2009-05-20 23:08:05   Very welcoming service from the host to the waiter. The inside looks like someone's living room (in a good way), and is quite comfortable. There was also a pianist playing Beatles tunes and similar old favorites. We had meatballs as an appetizer, and they were moist and tasty. My chicken with asparagus was cooked well, with a nice light sauce and tender asparagus.
I have one complaint: Our waiter recommended a wine, we ordered it, and we later found out the restaurant had some sort of incentive for selling that wine. It made me feel a little used. I think it was a low-class move, especially from a place that identifies itself as a wine bar.
I'll probably get over it and give this place another try, as we did enjoy the experience, and found the prices reasonable. —EastSideStephen

2009-11-21 11:08:45   OMG. We have been here 3 or 4 times before but our visit this past week was a complete head turner. There is a new chef and the food is up at least 2 full notches. I had a pasta beef stroganoff that featured farfalle and tenderloin. Outstanding. My wife had an eggplant parm that was every bit as good as my meal. We liked the place before but now we LOVE it. Only wish: upgrade the wine list, especially the house varieties. It is their weakest link. —wdrazek