Portofino Restaurant & Events — Restaurant in City of Utica

Let me start out by saying that the food was exceptional, staff very friendly and the overall atmosphere was great.

With that said, there were definately some odd things happening... My girlfriend made a reservation and we were seated right on time. We sat outside next to the canal and really liked the spot. Good thing we liked that spot because it was probably 20 minutes before anyone noticed that we had no server. A very nice server passed us a few times and noticed us sitting there and kindly took over our table. She gave us menus and water. It was a while longer before a woman I suspect was a manager came over to ask if we needed drinks. She suggested a Lavenger Lemonchello-tini (not sure if the name) for my girlfriend. A WHILE later, a drink comes out and it appeared to be something with cold coffee. We asked the guy that brought it and he very nicely said - yeah, that's the right drink. After taking a few sips, she knew it wasn't right but before we said anything, back came the guy with an obviously Lemonchello drink in a martini glass (he apologized - again, very nice guy)...we thought, this must be it. About 10 minutes later, we see the manager look over and say something to our server. She then comes over with the correct drink. LOL My girlfriend now had 3 drinks... We ordered our food and about 15 mins later were given some hummus and crustini (VERY good)...another 15-20 minutes later some bread and herbed butter comes out (VERY good)...meanwhile at least 4 times different people tried to drop off food or drinks to our table that did not belong to us. Each time, the person bringing it over was very pleasant, apologetic and got it to the right party. Maybe 25-30 mins later we got our food. The food was GREAT. Once finished it took a bit but we got a dessert menu. Ordered coffee and a dessert to share. Took Maybe 15 mins for the coffee and a other 10 for the dessert to arrive...dessert was as good as the food. Whole dining experience was 2 hours and 30 minutes. We were in no hurry so it wasn't a terrible thing for us. Our server was extremely nice and I don't believe was the cause of any of the timing... The place is just disorganized.

Bottom line is, the food, staff and atmosphere are worth the disorganization and overall time. If you are on a schedule, this is not the place to go but if you have the time, and some patience, it's definitely...

Off-the-bat...a little noisy for a pricey restaurant. Seriously, the dining area need be divided, so the obnoxious drinkers in the dining room, are kept in one separate area, so the rest of us can enjoy a quiet, relaxing, not asking everything be repeated atmosphere. It's just common-sense. Too many pricey restaurants just stuff everyone in a single-room. Not even bothering to maintain a quiet atmosphere. Diners just don't wanna hear other table's conversations. The service was exemplary. Dining staff, were taking care of tables expediantly and courteously. The waiter, was excellent and deserved a handsome tip. We ordered the sausage & peppers, for the appetizer. The sauce was flavorful, fresh, and kept you wanting. The entrees, were herb-crusted Salmon, Chicken Al-mattone(a iron-skillet used to flatten half-a-chicken), and a fourteen ounce Prime-rib. All cooked and seasoned to perfection. The grilled brussel-sprouts were delicious. Just as some advice, the Executive-chef, may want to try introducing Sorbet(a small cup), to patrons, to cleanse the palate, prior to beginning meal service. Cold custard, is also beneficial option. The Chicken Al-Mattone, was cooked perfectly, and the meat was tender, not needing a knife. A bed of red-flattened potatoes, was under the chicken with a savory gravy. I almost ordered a second, to take home. The prime-rib, was not at all dry nor over-cooked. And not saturated with herbs. Fresh spinach complimented the steak. Desert was...unique. A Portofino Chocolate Pearl. Wow. I did not knolw whether to frame-it or eat-it. And if you need a little energy, you can pour fresh espresso over the white-chocolate dome, for quite a memorable dessert experience. Would we return? Absolutely. The next-time, we want to dine outside, along the Canal. Maybe in Early Autumn. Portofino, also has a exquisite brunch and lunch menu. If you're visiting the Utica or Rome New York neighborhood, definitely have Portofino Restaurant on...

We went to the previous Aquavita here years ago and didn't feel the need to go back till we saw it was the new Portofino. So much was so good, especially all three people who waited on us. I stopped in early to check it out and the young man who met me was so sweet and encouraging, as was a nearby bartender. When we arrived, we had a female waiter who was stellar. The back balcony overlooking the canal was lovely that night. All of the food was excellent, from the warm burrata with toasted flatbread to our salads to my vegetarian husband's eggplant parm (and our waitress' patience with his food allergies) and my incredible wedge of lasagna, topped with green (basil?) and red (marinara) and white (cheese) to look like the flag of Italy! And that was fun but not necessary to make it palatable. It was very good. One of the downsides were our drinks, my pear thing and my husband's grapefruit one. Still, the waitress offered to fix it, and I demurred to get on with the meal. The other was no bread and by the time I asked and got it, the meal was over. Which was the biggest problem: the timing, and not just at our table. Nothing came forever, then everything came at once, with something missing. It was happening at every table, and I see it in previous reviews. This seemed to be a problem of the kitchen/manager and not the servers. Despite downsides, we'd go back. The food and service and views are...