The Portofino Restaurant - Italian Restaurant in Arlington, VA (Revisited)

526 23rd St S, Arlington, VA 22202
(703) 979-8200

Perfection! If you have not been to Portofino in Crystal City, don't walk, run there.  They are a family-owned restaurant (since 1970!) and this certainly comes through in the solid quality of food and service.  Everything about this restaurant is wonderful.  We have eaten here 4 or 5 times (first reviewed here in 2010) and each time can't wait to return. There is so much thoughtfulness, seamlessness and warmth that is conveyed to the customer through each dining experience, we cannot help but think that this is probably the way all restaurants should be.

To begin with, in an area where parking is at a premium, the parking lot behind the restaurant alleviates the time and frustration it takes to park on the busy 23rd Street.  When entering the restaurant from the parking lot through the back door, you are immediately greeted by the owner and manager welcoming you to the dining room through the office / bar area.  There are two dining rooms in Portofino - one with about 15 tables in an ornate (but not over the top, fortunately) atmosphere and one down the stairs toward that back that is huge and seemingly always busy on a weekend evening.  

The menu lists everything that you could ever want to eat at a fine Italian dining establishment, but wait... the manager personally comes to your table and describes the specials, which for us included two different asparagus appetizers and a half a dozen mouthwatering entrees so creatively designed and so deliciously described that it's hard not to order one of everything just to try.  While we were listening to the specials, ice water and freshly-baked bread were served at our table.  There is something about the olive oil set in a bottle on each individual table that somehow was different from most olive oils and was a particularly flavorful dip for the bread.

We had the calamari appetizer that came with a thick spicy dipping sauce with a hint of horseradish.  In addition to the plentiful selection of food between the menu and the specials, Portofino always accommodates any special requests.  Ours was a Puttanesca capellini, which was fantastic.  We also had the Veal Parmigiana that was smothered in a marinara sauce and cheese with a side of vegetables - all heavenly.

Prices were quite reasonable, too.  The calamari was $8.95, the Puttanesca was $14.95 and the Veal $20.95.  Most other similar restaurants of this caliber typically charge much more.

For dessert, we could not resist sharing the ricotta cheese cake that came in a mild and tangy lime sauce, topping off an excellent meal. Of course with a frothy capuccino.

While the wait staff were all very attentive and friendly, we could not write this review without mentioning one of the greatest assets of Portofino - Julio, a waiter who has worked there for 28 years.  He starts off by joking that this is his first day on the job, fooling you for about a second, and then it's clear he is highly versed in what he is doing.

Thank you for a lovely meal, Portofino! And again, we can't wait to return.

Brio Tuscan Grill - a taste of Italy - Tysons Corner Center, Vienna VA

7854L Tysons Corner Center

(Ground Floor next to Barnes and Noble)
McLean, VA 22102 (703) 288-8882

Brio is clean, friendly, convenient, affordable and the food is good. For someone who really likes Italian food, it's good. For someone who does not like Italian food, it's fine. 

One of the things we most like about it was that the chef is very accommodating. Any dish can be made any way you want.  We have been there for dinner twice and were not disappointed at the level of service or the food. We have had their Pasta Fra Diavolo, Pasta Pesto, Chicken Milanese, and Fettuccine Campania. When we requested extra veggies, such as broccoli and asparagus, there was no problem to include them for a small extra charge. The calamari was also quite good with two kinds of sauces, which were both delish. Brio's signature flat breads are a disappointment, but their white rolls are warm and tasty. The artichoke dip was also a disappointment, especially because it came with the signature flat breads. 

Overall, the Brio restaurant at Tysons is a good option when in the area and looking for Italian fare and chains such as the Olive Garden do not measure up. But if you have a favorite Italian restaurant closer to you and the Tysons Mall is not on your itinerary, it’s probably not worth the trip. 

Ristorante Bunorotti, Vienna, VA

428 Maple Avenue, Vienna, VA 22180

703.281.7550

There are Porsches, Camrys, and Civics on the road.  There are Porsches, Camrys, and Civics in the dining world as well.  Ristorante Bunorotti is certainly a Porsche.  Its kitchen is the Porsche’s engine—revving up some amazing dishes.  The wait staff and hosts serves diners with the sleek lines expected of fine motorcars.  The establishment itself is very traditional Italian style reminiscent of the style of the Porsche itself (meaning it is what you expect a high-end Italian restaurant to be).  That said, Ristorante Bunorotti, located in a small strip mall perpendicular to Vienna’s Main St (yes, we drove right by the place before realizing we had passed it), is all one can expect from a high-end dining experience.  Approaching the place is a bit like parking your Porsche at a 7-11 (if you’re keeping up with the analogy).  But once inside, your eyes are drawn to the collection of photos with various sports and local celebrities intertwined with Italian “kitsch.”  While waiting we were able to identify a variety of players and other local celebs including Chris Cooley, Tony Siragusa, Mike Shanahan, and (sad to see) the late NBC-TV Sports Director George Michael (what??? No hockey players?).  Even though we had reservations, there was a bit of a wait for a table.  Picking out the celebrities helped us endure the wait.  The time had come for Sergio Domestici the host and owner to give us the keys to the Porsche (still riding that metaphor) and take us to our seats.

We were seated in the main dining area along the back wall.  A great seat considering we were out of the way from diner congestion.  We had the customary basket of fresh breads, but to our surprise were servings of an olive tapenade and a tomato mixture to accompany the butter for the breads—a delightful accompaniment.   Our waiter Charlie rattled off a novella of house specialties for the evening and we decided to go with what was on the menu.  We started off the meal with the Swordfish Carpacio and a Caprese salad for appetizers.  Both were fresh and excellent.  While the specialties were enough to choose from, we went with a Puttanesca pasta and the Veal Cotoletta Parmigiano.   Even though the Puttanesca pasta was not on the menu, the chef and staff were more than willing to prepare the dish which was a wonderful medley of anchovies and olives over angel hair pasta.  The Cotoletta came with a polenta puree and roasted vegetables.  Very well done.  We shared the raspberries in Chambord cream sauce for dessert.  

This is fine Italian dining and unless you have an endless food budget we recommend Ristorante Bunorotti for when a very nice meal will complement a very special occasion. 

Rocco's Italian Restaurant, McLean VA

Rocco’s Italian Restaurant

1357 Chain Bridge Rd
McLean, VA 22101

(703) 821-3736

 

We have driven past Rocco’s many times, but never had a reason to try it.  On a hunch*--not really, it was a suggestion from Vicky (see her comments on our Pulcinella blog entry) -- we decided to try Rocco’s Italian Restaurant in McLean on a cold post-snow Saturday evening.  And it was COLD.  28^o  and a wind that howled through you no matter how many layers you have on.  But the warmth of this family restaurant quickly thawed the chill we experienced coming in from the parking lot.  

Everything about Rocco’s is typical and all you’d expect from this neighborhoody establishment.  The place is friendly, no frills, Chianti bottles and plastic grapes hanging off the ceiling, football game on a large flat screen TV, bumper stickers (especially the one that said, “Caps Country”) and hockey sticks on the walls overhanging the open kitchen.  The menu is standard Italian fare: appetizers from fried calamari to onion rings (they look almost alike except one is bigger than the other); entrees are a mix of New York and Chicago-style pizzas, pastas (macaroni) with sauce (gravy), and hot and cold sandwiches.  We had the cheese garlic bread appetizer that came with a ramekin of thick marinara sauce, Fettuccine Alfredo and Chicken Parmigiana entrees.  All entrees come with a generous, though mundane, garden salad.  The Mrs. J’s Rum Cake looked appetizing but we did not have room for dessert.

Service was excellent.  Camila (from Brazil) was very attentive and treated us well.  John (the young owner) was also very friendly.  

If you go here and have a few minutes, please take time to read the history of the owners’ family at the entrance.  It relays a touching story about growing up Italian in America; about family bonds; and about how immigrants can keep – or lose -- their heritage over time. 

A word to adults – this is a “family restaurant” - read: a kid-friendly place.  VERY kid-friendly (i.e.  there were A LOT of kids).   

All in all it was a great evening.  Nothing pretentious about this place, just good local Italian chow.

* "On a hunch, I took it upon myself to check out if there was any information on a '63 Pontiac Tempest stolen or abandoned recently. This computer readout confirms that two boys, who fit the defendants' description, were arrested two days ago by Sheriff Tillman in Jasper County, Georgia, for driving a stolen metallic mint green 1963 Pontiac Tempest, with a white convertible top, Michelin Model XGV tires, size 75-R-14."
                                                                      --Sheriff Farley, quoted from My Cousin Vinny

The Portofino Restaurant - Crystal City (Arlington) VA

526 23RD St S, Arlington, VA 22202-2518
(703) 979-8200

(Please check our updated review from April 2014 here.)

At The Portofino, I felt like I could be anywhere in Italy.  The menu, the ambiance, the ingredients, the service, the wine list, the preparation and most of all the taste took me right back to Parma.  There is a reason the Portofino has been in Crystal City for over 40 years—it is about as authentic as you can get without a passport.  Some of the wait staff have been there for 20+ years.

We went to the Portofino for Elena’s “Date Night” selection.  She obviously was playing into my likes and the restaurant did not disappoint.   Elena requested Angelhair Arrabiata, but if you search their menu on their website you’ll see that it is not even listed.  This is one of the many charms of the Portofino.  They are very accommodating.  Served with a glass of Prosecco and a soup appetizer, the meal was enjoyable.  Bill had the Caprese salad (nothing special) followed by the Cotoletta alla Parmigiana.  The veal was tender, tasty and fresh.  Served with a side of spaghetti, the meal was satisfying and delicious.  The accompanying bread was freshly baked on site with the skill of Italian bakers.  Crusty on the outside and soft and fresh on the inside and served with a plate of extra virgin olive oil was a perfect accompaniment.  The one slight disappointment to the meal was the tiramisu.  It just seemed ordinary and tasted store-bought.  

Crystal City has some gems and the Portofino is certainly one of them.  If you feel like spending a meal in Italy, but don’t feel like dealing with TSA pat-downs, the Portofino is a good substitute.