Taste of Europe
Guests at Portofino Experience Italian-Inspired Dining
Writer / Renee Larr
Photographer / Amy Payne
Portofino offers a guided culinary experience, sending guests on a tour of Europe one bite at a time. Owner and Chef Dan Stackpoole saw the opportunity to give residents an experience they were lacking in the local community.
There are no true, formal, fine-dining experiences with multiple courses in the area, Stackpoole says.
The menu consists of five courses with several options to choose from within each course.
We start with antipasti, which means before the meal, Stackpoole says. In the United States wed call that an appetizer. From there we have insalate, which are fresh seasonal salads and sometimes a soup. Then you have the primi, which is your pasta or starch. We follow that with secondi, which is your protein course. The last course is dolci, meaning dessert.
Stackpoole wants guests to understand the pasta course isnt the entree.
I love to go out to eat, and if youve ever eaten in a true Italian restaurant, you know youre not going to get a huge portion of pasta during the primi course, Stackpoole says. Thats a very Americanized version of pasta.
Portofino does not take walk-in guests, and reservations must be made in advance. This allows Stackpoole to give the utmost attention to each table.
We will never seat all the tables, and thats by design, Stackpoole says. We want our guests to sit down and enjoy the experience. We will only have a few tables sat at the same time. Its about quality, not quantity. We do that so we can focus on the attention to detail, food service and presentation.
When guests arrive for their reservation, they are offered a cocktail or glass of wine from a list procured by Stackpoole. Then theyre guided through the menu by Stackpoole and his partner Summer Hellis. The pair are the only ones working in the restaurant during dinner service.
I do have an assistant, but its pretty much just Summer and I, Stackpoole says. We both talk to tables together. We both run the food. We both make the cocktails. Its a true familial, intimate relationship when you come in. You are going to get to know us.
The restaurant has no phone, no official bartender and no hostess, and will not offer carry-out.
I didnt want our guests to hear a phone ringing in the background and a hostess taking carry-out orders, Stackpoole says. I want our guests to immerse themselves in the experience.
Stackpoole calls the restaurant his fun cooking, and takes pride in sourcing quality ingredients even if they cost more and are harder to find.
The food itself is really quite simple, Stackpoole says. Its not so much about the technique but rather the quality of ingredients used. I drive to Detroit to find some of our ingredients. There are no shortcuts.
Even the olive oil has to meet Stackpooles exacting standards.
For example, the olive oil I purchase for the restaurant is cryovaced, he says. No air touches it so that it doesnt oxidize, so its very floral and perfume-y. The smell is absolutely amazing. Most people never get to experience that smell. When you open olive oil, you have about three to four days before it loses 50% of its flavor.
Antipasti offerings include smoked salmon rosette, steamed mussels and taglieri (the Italian version of a charcuterie board). The primi menu includes risotto frutti di mare (steamed mussels with seafood), quattro formaggio (four cheeses) and ragu blanco.
The secondi portion of the menu includes dishes some guests may have never tried in the past, such as wild boar cacciatore, roasted rack of lamb and osso bucco.
These are items I love to cook, and I consider my best dishes, Stackpoole says. Im heavily influenced by French and Italian cooking. These dishes all contain those influences.
Guests can expect to be at the restaurant for a few hours for dinner.
This isnt a rushed experience, Stackpoole says. Its a well-flowing process, but it does take a little longer than going out to your average restaurant.
Portofino is located on Fall Creek Road in an unassuming retail space. Guests eyes are treated to a small preview of ingredients in a glass deli case in the front of the restaurant.
When you walk through the lobby, youll see the glass case where I display some of our ingredients, Stackpoole says. The quality of ingredients is so important to me. I want guests to see what were using. This way, they get to be part of the restaurant.
Stackpoole has 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Portofino is not his first experience with restaurant ownership.
At one point in time I had 15 different restaurants that I owned, Stackpoole says. This one is my focus now.
Portofino is located at 11206 Fall Creek Road in Indianapolis. To make a reservation or to view the menu, visit portofinogeist.com.
