While on a recent quick trip to St. Pete/Gulfport, my very good friend and dining companion suggested that we try a new find. Thankfully, most west Florida residents can enjoy a "new find" every day....that much to choose from.
In a very non descript strip mall we found Portofino Italian Ristorante....a little gem that was worth the search. Actually, we were looking for a now closed Thai restaurant. We ventured in and our gracious hostess, Carmella, greeted and seated us immediately. The restaurant just had good vibes.
We began our dining with a suggested bottle of an Italian Merlot.
Carmella was very good with the wine suggestions.
Our first suggestion was for the Seafood with Linguine.
Perfect mussels, shrimp scallops and calamari.
Beautiful butter/lemon sauce with al denté linguine.
I asked Carmella to surprise me with an entreé that she enjoyed.
She returned to the table with an eggplant casserole packed with
great flavors and lots of creamy cheese.
Our visit was enjoyable and reasonably priced. A nice dinner out at a restaurant I will be sure to return to on the next trip. Thanks again Carmella~!~!
Oh...I forgot...the wonderful Tiramisu Cake! Delicious.
