By now, I have been to Portico at Del Lago Resort and Casino 3 times. (I have spent a total of $12 at the casino, in one dollar bills, covering 2 people. Self control or fear of addiction?)
Portico is one of several restaurants at the Casino, which also features several fast food type places, a buffet (which actually smells good but I have not visited), and a pub/bar that serves "New Orleans inspired" food and has live acts. Portico itself is shorthand for Portico by Fabio Viviani who, if you do not already know it, has several restaurants in Chicago which I meant to visit and did not, and thus I was forced (kidding!) to visit him in dear old upstate NY, fewer than 20 minutes from home. A "fan favorite" on Top Chef, Fabio was beloved for his accent and for his insistence on the value of Italian cuisine. Italian cuisine -- or Italian American cuisine -- has a long and storied history in upstate NY, having followed the immigrants who came her in the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries. (In fact, there is quite a controversy here about the correct way to make gnocchi.) As one friend put it: yet another Italian restaurant?
Well, not all Italian restaurants are alike, of course. You can decide for yourself after reading or visiting -- though after 3 times in fewer than 3 weeks, I am giving Fabio a pause. Or is that Portico's?
Rather than review one visit at a time, let me begin with liquids and then move to food.
Table Tipplings OR Wetting Your Whistle
Ok, I am just a tad done with receiving an IPad from which to order either food or drink, and there is no need to explain it to me more than once. I first experienced this at the Toronto airport what feels like a decade ago, so thinking it is cool and trendy is. . . well, not. That is a quibble. Here are a few comments:
First: there is only one rose by the glass and rose is the thing these days when the temperature is at least 80 and the humidity is at least 80. The rose is a nice one, and fits with most of the food we have chosen. Our servers have indicated "Well, this is an italian place" but still. . . good on them that the one they have is dry and tasty. Name: Chronic Cellars Pink Pedal, 2015. Side note: I think roses are meant to be consumed in the first year and this seems a tad. . . old? It drinks fine but. . .
I, of course, have a preference for cocktails and have tried several different ones: one failed. The others were quite good. Passing inspection were: a variant on a Moscow mule, a lovely concoction called a South Side (green with a lovely edge of tart and sweet), and a makers mark manhattan which I was forced to get because I do not (and this is a matter of taste alone) recommend their Signature Old Fashioned. In the latter regard: I did not finish it and you, dear readers, know that is not like me. I did, though, have a taste of the housemate syrup upon which it is based; that was terrific. The drink? Not so much.
On the non alcoholic side, there is an important point to make which sounds trivial, perhaps. Portico's also serves bottled water that we LOVE -- Aqua Panna. Yes, I know the bottled water thing is somewhere between a scandal and an ecological disaster. I do not care for many kinds of bottled water -- but this one is one of my favorites. Get the still Aqua Panna.
Dining Out
The first time we ate there it was a spur of the moment thing and we did in fact have lunch seated at a table. The second and third times we sat at the bar, once with little in the way of food available as it was an odd afternoon time, and once with the full dinner menu available. In all instances, but especially when we were seated for lunch, we were impressed by the knowledgeability of the servers.
What we ate:
Gnocchi -- not surprisingly I ordered these on my first visit. I love gnocchi -- and these were terrific. They came with a garlic scape pesto (which is why I have not ordered them every visit as I have a limited tolerance for garlic scares) -- a delightful, light pesto on delightful light gnocchi. These are not the best gnocchi I have ever had in upstate NY (I still give that to the old Henry B's) but they are pretty darn close. Small, light, not an over sized portion. Terrific.
Bolognese -- I had a taste of my partner's bolognese on the first visit -- and it was terrific too. The sauce itself (the server claimed) is based on Fabio's grandmother's recipe. Who knows? I can say this: light and reasonable to eat on a hot day, with distinct tastes that heighten rather than drown the house made pasta. The pasta itself had a good mouthfeel and was itself perfection incarnate.
Kale salad -- As you might guess, this is not my favorite food in the world. And yet, it appears often on my plate as I share with my partner who loves kale salad. This was a good one, including the anchovies that accompanied it. There were croutons (tasty little devils) and all in all, I have resisted ordering it again simply because I do not like kale salads all that much.
Swordfish Crudo -- This was simply the best dish I had at portico and one of the best crude dishes I have ever had. The fish was sliced perfectly (and very thinly) and served with a very light (dare I say sprightly) beignet with a splash of ricotta (I think) cream on top with caviar. This is a whole reason to go to Portico. Yes, get it.
Pork Belly -- I admit it. In my view, pork belly is a food of the gods. I have rarely had it and not liked it. This time? I loved it. It was nicely cartelized, and came with a bit of a salad (not much) that was acidic enough to cope with the fat. The serving was perfect for two people. And. . . . did I say I loved it. It was both a nice piece of pork belly (they seem to have really good sources for everything they serve at Portico) and it was truly well cooked and presented. Next time I will get it with the swordfish crude and be very happy.
Meatballs - I cannot recall why this seemed like a good idea, and I have a mixed response. On the one hand, it was light, and tasty and the red sauce was wonderful. On the other hand, it was the size of a softball (I compared it to the truly delicious knodel at Dano's) and . . . I would not order it again. For those who love meatballs (or meatloaf) go for it. Not something I would go out of my way to order again, especially since everything appearing above this item in this blog entry (except that one drink!) I would order again!
Potato Skins - We were tempted into this because (a) we met someone one of our early visits who had them and gave us a taste. The taste was amazing! and (b) we both love potatoes. While they are enjoyable in small quantities, they come in a huge heap and . . . well, I tired of them and probably would not order again unless I was there with a large group and could have just one. I will say that they outclass almost every potato skin I have ever had.
What else?
Parking is abundant. Shopping is possible -- there is a Mackenzie Child store with outlandish (and usual) prices. And you can gamble if that is your thing. If a spa is your thing, I can also attest to the pedicures as reasonable. And, the prices at the spa are lower on Mondays through Thursdays.
Overall: I over did it in a short amount of time but I recommend Portico's.
