North Jersey
Herald News
The end to a relaxing drive
in the country has never been more rewarding than a homemade
Italian meal at Portofino House of Pasta-Family Resturant, 5129
Berkshire Valley Road in Oak Ridge.
As the quaint and casual atmoshere
of the restaurant greets each visitor, the smells of pasta, meat,
and fish fill the pastel-accented dinning area.
And, each meal begins with
crisp Italian bread to accompany savory appetizer specials.
One highly recommended appetizer
that teases the palate is mozzarella crostini with imported prosciutto.
The crostini is lightly breaded and pan fried served in a honey-caesar-balsamic
dressing.
This sweet and spicy mixture
makes each bite of the crostini unforettable in this large and
hearty appetizer.
For mushroom lovers, the grilled
portobello mushroom and shrimp in a tangy balsamic dresssing
is a surprisingly good combination. Served in a light brown sauce,
the marriage of the portobello mushroom with the shrimp is a
unique way to introduce these two distint flavors.
For those who have a craving
for crabmeat, the crabmeat stuffed mushroom caps are the perfect
solution for seafood lovers. The mild flavor of the crabmeat
nicely compliments the firm mushroom caps accented in a light
lemon sauce.
And each part of the entire
dinning experiance was entertained by a courteous and attentive
wait staff.
One recommended entree special,
lobster ravioli, was served in a tomato-based vodka cream sauce
with shitake mushrooms and peas sprinkled with parsley. The tasty
pink sauce sweetly complimented the large sized raviolis stuffed
with chunky pieces of lobster.
Another menu entree special
good enough to be named after the restaurant combines all the
ingredients of a great Italian meal. Chicken Portofino's, stuffed
with imported proscuitto and ricotta cheese, is breaded and pan
fried with marinara sauce, mushroom sealed roasted potatoes and
broccoli. There is only one word to sum up this meal: delicious.
Every part of this dish thoroughly satisfies and delights the
palate.
Besides these two memorable
entrees, Portofino's offers various regular entrees including
pasta, veal, beef, and fish. And each entree can be made with
any special dietary requests of the customer, according to owner
Mendy Asani.
And a perfect way to finish
the evening is with a choice of original homemade Italian desserts.
Mendy boasts of the fresh cream in the cannolis while other popular
desserts include tiramisu, toscaella, and a must-taste special
called "Midnight in Venice." The dessert combines layers
of vanilla, chocolate and cannoli filling. Toscanella is a buttery
pastery bursting with chocolate mousse and Bavarian cream.
Complimentary fresh fruit
is also served at each table.
Mendy and his brothers Tony
and Mike each have a strong history of quality Italian cooking
and restaurant managment.
Before opening their own restaurant
in 1996, Mendy was head chef for over 12 years at well-established
eateries such as Alfonso's in Teaneck, Vincenzo's in Lodi, and
the Cafe Italiano in Englewood. For over 8 years, brother Tony
has excelled in restaurant management at restaurants such as
Sogni D'oro and Fo Italico in Elmwood Park and the Paris Inn
in Wayne. And brother Mike worked by Mendy's side as an assistant
chef.
Open seven days a week for
lunch and dinner.
Portofino's is located approximately
half way between Route 15 and Route 23 on Berkshire Valley Road.
Reservations are honored for
six or more. Call 208-1818.
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John Whiting
Food Critic
Portofino
If you are tired of impersonal
fast food restaurants, crowded eating establishments or noisy
franchise night spots you may find Portofino's located on Berkshire
Valley Road in Oak Ridge, a pleasant and satisfying change.
Tony, Mike and Mendy Asani,
the brother proprietors of Portofino's, have made quality food
and personalized service their top priorities. Tony is responsible
for greeting customers at the door and overseeing customer service
while Mendy and Mike supervise the preparation of many delicious
dishes offered on a primary Italian style menu.
Mendy's cooking experience
has evolved over 12 years of experience as head chef at such
well known dining spots as Alfonso's in Teaneck, Vinceno's in
Lodi, and the Cafe italiano in Englewood. Brother Tony acquired
his sensitivity to customer needs and attentiveness to service
from over 8 years of restaurant management experience at Sogni
D'ors and Fo Italico in Elmwood Park and the Paris Inn. Mendy
and Tony, supported by a third brother, Mike, makes Portofino's
an inviting and cozy eating establishment for families, small
groups and couples alike.
While Portofino's provides
a relaxing and informal dining atmosphere suitable for both family
and intimate3 dining, the presentation by the Asani brothers
is personal, continental and caring. This allows dinners to experience
a sense of privacy while being served in an attentive and timely
manner that allows for a pleasant and special dining experience.
Located approximately half
way between Route 15 and Route 23 on Berkshire Valley Road in
Oak Ridge, Portofino's does not serve alcoholic beverages but
welcomes those wising to enjoy an alcoholic beverage with their
meal to bring their own. This no only provides an attractive
alternative to earing establishments that tend to focus too much
attention on adult drinking, but a retreat for those who do not
choose to consume alcoholic beverages, Those who bring their
own drinks can find that this will have a favorable impact on
the cost of their night out when the dinner comes to and end.
During our first visit to
Portofino's my wife Buffy and I sampled one of the many veal
dishes on the complete and varied menu. The meal was preceded
by a salad and accompanied by a side order of pasta. The meal
also comes with delicious complimentary home made bread and a
fruit platter. We found the friendly and attentive service of
Tony and his staff outstanding and the food exceptional. During
our meal several friends from the area also stopped in to try
out this new earing spot. They too were extremely complimentary
of the service and the quality of the food provided by the Asani
brothers.
Since that first meeting we
have returned on several occasions and have found each dish sampled
and each eating experience to be as exceptional as on our first
visit. Having visited many of the eating establishments in the
area, it is our experience that few offer the dining experience
we experienced at Portofino's.
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