Summer sizzles at Portofino Ristorante in Forest Hills, home to fine regional Italian cuisine in the very center of Queens. Portofino is your go-to for a fine lunch or dinner before the Forest Hills Summer Concert Series, USTA Tennis matches, or any fun, summer event. When you’re at Portofino Ristorante, you’re home.
The spacious dining rooms sparkle at sunset with beautiful plants, etched glass, and tables set with crisp white and burgundy tablecloths. Your host Carmine and veteran servers, George and Rigo are well-dressed, professionally trained, and welcome everyone like family. Live piano music plays softly in the dining room on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights to add to the ambiance.
Portofino has special summer cocktails to cool and refresh you such as the Botanical Martini with gin, cucumber, lime juice and rose petal. The tiramisu martini is a sweet concoction, and the frozen Midori Margarita will cool you down even on the hottest days. Fine wines from Europe and the U.S. complement any meal.
We nibbled on warm garlic bread while we reviewed the menu of appetizers that include grilled calamari, juicy baked clams, grilled octopus, and bruschetta. We shared light and tasty eggplant rollatini, layered with fluffy ricotta and there’s also creamy burrata, served with paper-thin prosciutto and roasted red peppers. The classic Caprese salad speaks of summer with slices of mozzarella, fresh basil, and ripe tomatoes. We shared a tricolor salad tossed with arugula, endive, radicchio, asparagus, and artichoke hearts which was bursting with flavor and crunch.
Pasta, pasta, pasta…Portofino has all your favorites plus some daily specials. Gnocchi al pesto with a sprinkling of Parmigiana bursts with fresh summer basil aroma and flavor. Linguine with clams is another great summer dish, and orecchiette pasta are “little ears” sauteed with crumbled sausage, broccoli rabe, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil. My vegetarian companion enjoyed paglia e fieno linguine primavera with summer vegetables ($30). The handmade butternut squash ravioli was delightful with sage and butter sauce with walnuts and a sprinkling of Parmigiana ($29). There’s a kids’ menu too.
The Chefs at Portofino make entrées to order from the freshest ingredients, including fish and seafood, chicken, chops and steak. Tender scaloppini of veal or chicken Marsala, piccata, Francese and Parmigiana are beautifully presented with fresh vegetables or pasta marinara. Signature chicken Portofino is sauteed with scallions, tomato, garlic and basil for a flavorful dish. Enjoy a grilled veal chop, rack of lamb, or a juicy Ribeye steak with baby onions and roasted peppers. The special grilled pork chops with vinegar peppers sounded so tempting, as did the special marinated Cornish hen over salad.
I loved the flaky fillet of sole Meuniere with lemon, butter, and capers. Branzino is simply prepared with lemon, garlic, and extra virgin olive oil to bring out all the natural flavors. Roasted salmon, or a lobster tail with shrimp, scallops, clams, and calamari are perfect for summer along with a glass of crisp white wine.
An impressive platter of desserts is presented at your table to help you choose among Italian cheesecake, toasted almond mousse, Limoncello mascarpone, rainbow cookies, tiramisu, double chocolate layer cake, and banana pudding. Have an espresso and a digestif before you put the cap on this memorable meal.
Portofino is the perfect place for a business luncheon or dinner, family event, or funeral luncheon, as it is close to public transportation and major highways. For all of summer’s events, Portofino Ristorante welcomes you with 51 years of serving the Queens community it calls home. Sit back, relax, and enjoy a trip to Italy without leaving home!
www.portofinoforesthills.com