Caffe Portofino — Restaurant in Palmetto Bay

So I was in the Pinecrest / Palmetto Bay area with a new friend for a dinner date, and me being a fan of all culinary things Italian, suggested a restaurant I was familiar with down here. However, our first choice was closed for the Holiday weekend. Looking online, I then found Caffe Portofino and we were pleasantly surprised. As it were, my friend liked it enough she went again today for her girls' dinner!

Hidden away in a back corner of the mall - close to the dry cleaner and not easily visible from US1 - they also have some terrace real estate for al fresco and cenare col tuo cane (dog friendly dining.) We chose to eat inside, and for awhile it was like we had a private chef as we came in right at opening time. By the time we left, there was a full house both inside and out.

Besides the complementary tableside rolls with tomatoes, we started with their burrata, prosciutto and sundried tomato appetizer. The burrata was nice and creamy without being too jiggly, and the prosciutto had just the right amount of saltiness and no edges. My main course was their chicken parmesan (surprise, surprise) with linguini. The chicken breasts were pretty substantial, and it looked like they had bruschetta tomatoes baked into the chicken breast under the melted cheese. Originally just marinara, mine was customized arrabiatta style with a nice bit of heat added to the ragu.

My ladyfriend ordered their Fettucine de la Nonna with added chicken, and she said it was tasty as well. I typically don't go for alfredo sauce but I sampled hers and have to agree. The pasta had a good texture, and the sauce flavorful without being too heavy.

We ordered their chocolate mousse to share for dessert, and it was really rich and sweet. Maybe our tastebuds were already sensitive from the farm trip early, but it seemed a little heavy on the sugar. At least the espresso cleared my palate some.

Service was attentive throughout our dinner, and the dim lighting and soft jazz is perfect for a date night. Prices are reasonable for fine dining in Pinecrest, and well worth it for...

My family and I have been going to this restaurant since 2006 and I have to tell you that it is our favorite restaurant by far! First off the ambiance is exactly what you would expect from a 5 Star Restaurant. It has a certain charm and coziness to it that sets the tone for the evening. Now lets discuss the staff. Since we first went in 2006 the staff of waiters has remained the same which tells you a lot about how well they are treated by the establishment and how much they enjoy working there. They all know the menu and specials without skipping a beat and their level of service is beyond compare. There are two owners that I'm aware of and they are there every night. One of the owners is the house chef and the other runs things in the dining area. The one who runs the dining area always greets all the tables and makes it a point to get to know his customers on a first name basis. Saving the best for last, the quality of food and wine selection. One of the main reasons this our favorite restaurant is due to the consistent quality of food no matter what you pick from the menu or specials. Every time you go there for dinner your food will always come out steaming hot and tasting better than the last time. I'm sure this has a lot to do with the fact that one of the owners is the house chef. The wine selection is not your run of the mill selections you will find in most restaurants. Since they are from Argentina, which is very well known for their wines, you get a chance to really experience a great selection of wines that pair very well with whatever you're in the mood for. Once you give this place a try you...

We were a party of 3 and arrived around 7:30PM on a Saturday night without having a reservation; nevertheless, the maître managed to accomodate us in a very short time. Thank you very much for that; certainly a plus knowing there was not obligation to acquit.

Once seated, we started with the appetizer of the day: carpaccio di polpo. Exquisite, fine and thinly sliced octopus with radish and arugula on a citrus base. For entrees we had Linguine a la Vongole (from la carte) and two of the Chef's specials: snappers with passion fruit salsa. Immediately after we ordered, our waiter came back to apologize and let us know there was only one snapper available in the kitchen. He then offered the seabass in lobster sauce instead. Price difference was ludicrous, for me, but should be the norm to advise the customer. The linguine was excellent, al dente, very tasty, garlicky and the clams fragant. The basil perfume embraced the balanced broth. Simple but nice and elegant dish.

The snapper was the star and perfectly done. The passion fruit sauce enhaced the delicate fish. The seabass was also good, the creaminess of the lobster sauce matched very well. Just one detail; the fillet had one fishbone left... All 3 dishes came garnished with a slice of fried green plantain which I think, although nice looking, were outliers.

The dessert we wanted was also not available so we changed it and settled for the chocolava.

Overall we had a good service. Restaurant ambiance was very pleasant and dimmed lights invites for...