Italian institution brings the goods

My companion to Portofino wanted to order fettuccine alfredo, but the chef, Giuseppe Falconio, wouldn't let him. Sitting at our table, Falconio shook his head at my friend's lack of mealtimes ambition.

"You gotta try the tuna," he said. "No fettuccine tonight."

It sounds rude on paper, but within the intimate context of Portofino, it would've been shameful for Falconio not to stop my friend. Of course they make a great fettuccine alfredo - why waste a meal proving that? Show me your best.

And lord, is Portofino's good.

The arrangement, staff and aura of Portofino is decidedly Old World, and that's no contrivance. Owner Ralph Berarducci came from Italy more than 30 years ago, opening Portofino shortly thereafter. He's kept a close circle of friends to operate the restaurant. The main host, Boris Radivoievici, has known Berarducci 20 years and worked for him six. Falconio hails from the Abruzzo region of Italy, an area Berarducci believes spawns the world's best chefs. He might just be right, since Falconio has cooked for Pope John Paul II.

Berarducci, according to Radivoievici, plays the strict disciplinarian when it comes to "service and quality." During our meal, we saw plenty of both. Of course, they knew we were doing a review, but I saw little difference between our treatment and that of other tables. When I walked away for a few minutes to check out the rest of the restaurant, my napkin had been refolded on the table. Our servers possessed a deep knowledge of the food and wine menus, lending us great suggestions for each course. And Radivoievici lived up to his "host" title not just by seating parties but by checking up on them throughout their meals.

The meals!

We started off with a bruschetta, complements of the house (but $5 for you). The bread's toppings were simple - garlic, tomato and basil. While tasty, it ran into texture problems that haunt all bruschetta. The bread was too tough and the toppings too soft, making the combo more difficult to eat than it should have been.

For appetizers, the showstopper was a salmon and tuna carpaccio ($9), a disguised thin, raw fish dish under a bed of capers and cucumber. It was edgier than your normal Caesar salad ($7) and mussels (cozze $9), and managed to complement the fish's saltiness with the plainer vegetables. We ate the salad and mussels, too.

The tuna special met the hype; the fish was grilled around the edges and nearly raw in the center. Take it with mashed potatoes, and you've stumbled across something quite sophisticated.

Our dessert was tiramisu over a raspberry and mango coulis. The chef told us it was his mother's recipe, and I've since decided that his mother is an amazing person. My friend considered it the best tiramisu he'd ever had.

That's how you make a meal.

Starting Oct. 13, you'll also be able to dance at Portofino's. The recently renovated venue now includes a dance floor and DJ booth for both classic and contemporary pop. But you'll probably be too full to dance.

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