Now, That’s Italian!

Portofino offers Cucina Regionale Italiana

By Anne Sterling

“Let’s eat Italian., but real Italian, you know, no spaghetti and meatballs,” asked my father-in-law during his last visit. I looked in the Yellow Pages and sure enough I found Portofino Ristorante. I had a hunch it would be wonderful when below the restaurant’s name I read “Cucina Regionale Italiana” – no translation necessary.

Whenever an eatery boasts regional cooking, it’s a good sign. The best known cuisines of the world – French, Italian and Chinese are great in part because they are so diverse, with local specialties that draw on the freshest ingredients of that region.

Thanks to modern transportation, many of these hard-to-get ingredients can be shipped around the world for all of us to enjoy. This was one of the most impressive parts of the dining experience at Portofino. The printed menu includes shrimp and a salmon dish but the remainder of the seafood dishes are daily specials based on the freshest fish available. Chef and owner Salvatore Scotto also orders Mediterranean varieties such as orata and branzino not found in American waters for simple yet scrumptious dishes with fresh herbs and lemon that are as authentic as you’ll get outside of his native Naples. It is great to be reminded that Italy is a peninsula where seafood is a major part of an already healthy diet.

The vegetables, greens and olive oil which have made the Mediterranean Pyramids famous are featured on the menu in abundance. Roasted peppers garnish the antipasto and flavor sliced fresh mozzarella. Endive, artichokes, broccoli rabe, fennel, raddichio and arugula are skillfully used to add fresh flavor, texture and color to salads, pasta and veal dishes. Extra virgin olive oil and fresh garlic are used in perfect harmony for a deep flavor in the shrimp on a bed of spinach, and fresh fettuccini with chicken and zucchini.

At lunch, classic Italian pizza is on the menu with fresh mozzarella and basil, and many of the dinner dishes are served in simpler version at lunch-time prices.
The wine list, of course, includes some of the best Itailian reds and whites from every wine-producing region. Chef Scotto is very proud of the selection and will be happy to recommend his favorites. He returns often to Italy to maintain close ties with his suppliers. Over 70% of the food and wine served at Portofino comes directly from his home country which grants him membership in a fraternity of Italian restaurant owners who strive for authenticity and quality.

Senora Scotto oversees the dining room. Her Italian accent adds to the atmosphere as does the selection of Italian ceramic platters and paintings which adorn the walls Portofino is found at the culinary crossroads of Tinton Falls across the street from Grist Mill and Gertrude Brown’s.

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