Portale Restaurant Opened in Chelsea, NYC

(Written before COVID-19 quarantine; in fact, Portale was my last pre-COVID meal as I left to ski in Austria the day after dining there.

Portale’s patio is now open for outdoor dining beginning at 4:30 PM.)

Alfred Portale had been the longtime former chef of Gotham Bar and Grill when I raved about that restaurant. He recently opened his highly anticipated first solo restaurant on 18th Street in a renovated carriage house. I couldn’t wait to go.

Friends who had been told me to ask for Dan, a waiter who came over from Gotham with Alfred and has worked with him for 12 years. We asked; he delivered, beginning with my cocktail selection.

Asking whether their Brutus was a spicy drink, Dan said it was and was one of his favorites made with Mezcal, grapefruit, limoncello and spiced with Calabrian chili ($16). So delicious, I know I’ll stop back just for this drink.

Dan knew we were sharing and had the kitchen split each portion for us starting with the ethereal foie-gras and chestnut puree filled tortellini in a rich chicken broth ($21). (Sharing so you’ll note that some photos are of half portions.) We also shared the classic finocchio salad. A combo of roasted and raw fennel, black rice and blood orange supremes ($17).

A half portion of lumache (ridged housemade pasta shells shaped like snails) consisted of a short rib, pancetta and pork bolognese bianco sauce with black truffles folded in all sprinkled with parmesan ($28). Portale calls it bianco (white) as the sauce is made with white wine, chicken stock and a touch of cream.

A half-portion of our duck entree was more than enough. The sweet-spicy Calabrian chili and honey coated-duck breast was cooked to perfection — medium rare — accompanied by sunchokes and cooked radicchio ($38).

For dessert, don’t miss their unusual milk chocolate “tiramisu” ($14) bombe made from milk chocolate, mascarpone and ladyfingers along with espresso gelato atop candied cocoa nibs. Also worth the calories is their most olive oil cake served along with blood orange marmalade and vanilla ice cream ($14).