Portofino

Portofino Restaurant Review:

Some come for the relaxing outdoor setting along the Detroit River, where they can watch hungry boaters tie up to the restaurant's slips. Others come for the comedy club or the occasional themed dinners. But it’s the food and casual feel that have made Portofino a down-river dining fixture for well over a decade. Walk past the bar and hear locals trade stories with boaters, continuing into the large dining room. Or, when it's warm, head straight for the dockside, umbrella-topped tables. One of the restaurant’s signature dishes is sautéed veal medallions, and it's a solid option. So, too, is the shrimp accented by olive tapenade and finished with a splash of white wine. Other hands-down winners include the 12-ounce strip steak and baby-back ribs, roasted in a brown sugar rub. You’ll also find shrimp-and-scallop-laced pasta in dill cream sauce and barely seared, sesame seed-crusted ahi in balsamic reduction. Consider combining dinner with a river cruise on the Portofino Friendship, offering wine, history and moonlight themes.