On a drizzly Monday afternoon, my sister Alex and I walked into the café. The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter. Every table was occupied with wine sipping guests beginning to unwind from their work days.
We snagged a spot at the bar top and immediately studied the wine list. While Portello doesn’t offer its regular happy hour menu on Mondays, they do offer every glass on their wine list for $5, which is a killer deal. With this discovery, we began our feast. At the bartender’s recommendation, we both started with glasses of the ’14 Castillo de Jumilla Rosé, and it was delicious. Fruity and light, this rosé truly was the best of both worlds, with a hint of the richness characteristic of red wines and the refreshing sweetness of a white.
After snacking on the complimentary green olives, sipping our wine, and enjoying the ambiance, we finally came to a decision about our food selections. And after consulting with the bartender, we plotted our course: we would order the Bruschetta, the Antipasto Board, and if we were still feeling hungry, the Italian Sausage Panini. Portello has the sort of environment that is ideal for having little bites here and there, and ordering more if need be.
The Bruschetta, which comes with four slices, was the first of our selections to make it to the soirée. And while many might cringe at mention of “bruschetta,” this is a far cry from whatever soggy piece of sourdough you’ve inevitably had at a dinner party at some point or another. No, this bruschetta is perfectly toasted, leaving the bread crispy and golden, with a delightful crunch. The menu offers a huge variety of toppings to choose from, but Alex and I decided on the following: Smoked Salmon, Cucumber & Marinated Onions, Tuscan White Bean with Sun-dried Tomatoes (a rather delicious vegan bruschetta option, by the way), Artichoke Tapenade with Feta, and Prosciutto with Brie & Fig Jam (my personal favorite). Each flavor was delectable in its own regard, and I was quite happy that we were able to choose four different topping options, considering that my style of eating out typically involves stealthily (or not so stealthily) snagging bites from the dishes of nearly everyone at the table.
The Antipasto Board was also exceptional, providing a welcome mix of salty flavors from the artichoke hearts, marcona almonds and the prosciutto, as well as slightly sweeter notes from the roasted red peppers and the pesto-marinated mozzarella and grape tomatoes. And who doesn’t love sophisticated finger food? Despite our enormous contentment with the selections, we decided we simply had to try the Italian Sausage Panini. Alex and I split this Panini, but I had a strong urge to devour it all myself. The sausage was rich in flavor and married beautifully with the sweet roasted peppers, red onions, basil, and fontina cheese.
After picking out our final glass of wine for the evening (an excellent Cava Rosé by Torre Oria), we decided we couldn’t possibly leave without the chocolate soufflé. We were properly warned that it takes twenty-five minutes to cook, but when a chocolate soufflé is at the end of those twenty-five minutes, it seems a small price to pay in comparison to the decadent outcome. And the wait was certainly worth it. The soufflé, topped with dreamy vanilla ice cream, was possibly one of the finest ends to a meal I’ve ever experienced. After a blissful ten minutes or so, we had gobbled up all the chocolaty goodness and soon left with delighted palates, full bellies and warm hearts.
Portello Wine Cafe is located at 2754 NW Crossing Drive, and is open from 4-9pm on Monday through Tuesday, 11:30am- 9pm Wednesday through Thursday, 11:30am- 10pm Friday through Saturday, and 4- 9pm on Sundays.
Photo credit: Madeline Churm
