Portofino
Iced Tea
Rosemary Focaccia with Olive Oil and Balsamic
Fig Salad – gorgonzola panna cotta, candied walnuts, banana vinaigrette (tasting portion)
Calamari – house made marinara, pepperoncini, parmesan (tasting portion)
Truffle Raviolo – asparagus, poached egg, smoked prosciutto, mascarpone
Chicken Foiefredo – pappardelle, roasted chicken, foie gras alfredo(tasting portion)
Gnocchi – forest mushrooms, morels, sweetbreads, fava beans (tasting portion)
Ripatelli – house made lamb sausage and peppers, grilled ramps, san marzano tomatoes (tasting portion)
Salmon – sweet peas, porcini mushroom polenta, buttered radish (tasting portion)
Day Boat Scallops – roasted gem lettuce, caramelized spring onion, Applewood smoked bacon (tasting portion)
Mangalitsa Milanese – sweet and sour eggplant caponata, lemon (tasting portion)
Branzino – grilled asparagus, potato leek gratin, hen-of-the-woods mushrooms (tasting portion)
Double Espresso over Ice
Nutella Crème Brulee – twisted disaronna whipped cream, fudge, crystallized almonds
Cassata Cheesecake – Harry’s berries, Italian wedding cake croutons
Cookie Souffle Trio – chocolate chip, sugar, oreo, vanilla anglaise
More than a touch impressed by the quality of sourcing, service, and execution during a family-style meal at Portofino earlier this year it was without question that the newly launched Spring menu was more than enough an impetus to return, and opting to enjoy the finely crafted flavors in tasting menu format while watching Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals in the lounge the ten new savories and three desserts sent forth by Michael LaPlaca again proved to be some of the city’s most dazzling, not one less than meticulously crafted from some of the very best ingredients around.
Having previously discussed the restaurant’s design, and as such left here to focus only on the cuisine, suffice it to say that service at the bar was bolstered by the Chef himself presenting each dish with full description straight from the kitchen and starting off with a fig salad marrying the flavors of roasted banana to creamy gorgonzola while cutting the fruit’s sweetness with acid a high bar was set, the follow-up of wild caught squid snappy beneath light breading with a melt-in-the-mouth texture discovered just as tooth broke skin.
Enthralled with the housemade pastas during visit one, and as such treated to one each of the new creations over the course of the next hour, it was entirely as a result of the dish’s primary ingredient that a full portion of the decadent raviolo draped in truffle and speck was presented, and precisely as rich as one expect from a dish of its constituents it was predictably still a tossup as to whether the rest were any less exquisite – the signature ripatelli and ribbons of pappardelle in a sauce of foie gras and cream each boiled to a perfect al dente while potato gnocchi were feather light alongside crispy offal in a gravy of earthy aromatics amongst butter and tender beans.
Onward to secondi, the majority of the new plates featuring a seasonally appropriate seafood slant, it was admittedly a surprise that a supple cut of salmon atop a polenta cake found such an amicable partnership with fresh peas in two forms, and although perhaps a bit overcooked with the center just past raw a duo of seared scallops proved equally well accompanied, the lightly cooked lettuce reminiscing the flavors of chow mein while crisp bits of caramelized onion helped meld the otherwise robust savory tones.
Thankfully spared a ‘steak and potatoes’ dish that Michael teased was requisite for a boy from Cleveland as such a thing would have undoubtedly cut short later indulgence at dessert, course nine featured a pounded cut of pork beneath zesty caponata and although the golden breading over soft flesh undoubtedly shined in its own right, it simply couldn’t compare to the crisp scales overlying Branzino – each flaky bite rivaling the signature Sea Bass at Guy Savoy at half the price with a baton of creamy potatoes one would be hesitant to have to share.
Admittedly finding desserts during the first visit a bit blasé when compared to that which came before, suffice it to say that spring has seen a substantial upgrade in Portofino’s sweets and although the Tiramisu still remains for those fancying a classic the better decision is to take the paths less traveled, a trio of soufflés themed in American cookies standing proud, fluffy, and perfect for sharing while a Nutella crème brûlée was expectedly rich beneath caramelized nuts and lightly boozed cream, the ‘cake within a cake’ undeniably the most interesting of the group with seasonal berries and a delicate ricotta sponge wrapped in a thin wall of New York style cream cheese.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Still a hidden gem in a world of celebrity chefs one would be foolish to overlook the confidence of Portofino in putting forth “by Michael LaPlaca” as part of its name, and without the fanfare of Batali, Conant, or that guy from “Cake Boss” the restaurant at Mirage is arguably putting out Las Vegas’ best Italian fare at a pricepoint every bit as favorable with equal or better sourcing, service, and creativity, plus the name on the door standing over the stove.
RECOMMENDED: Every Single Pasta on the menu is special, and so too is the Pork, Branzino, and Cassata Cheesecake.
AVOID: Generally preferring my scallops as close to raw as possible the sear was simply too much for my taste, though other’s impressions may vary. I also did not fancy the reinterpreted cannoli during visit one, the only dessert remaining save for the Tiramisu from the previous season’s sweets.
TIP: Neither the family style nor tasting menu are officially listed as dining options at Portofino, but both are easily accommodated by reaching out to the restaurant where GM Chris Zadie has twice proven to be amongst the city’s best hosts.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.mirage.com/restaurants/portofino-by-chef-michael-laplaca.aspx
