Portovino's menu must come first
21.05.12
But before any of that matters, it needs to work on its menu, its atmosphere and, most importantly, its Italian-inspired dishes.
During three visits to the restaurant, which replaced Loft 610 in November, we found food that didn't live up to our expectations. In Omaha, where diners can find good pizza and hearty Italian food, Portovino falls short.
I enjoyed one of the two pizzas I sampled. A lovely roasted beet salad was the highlight of all my visits. If more of the food would have been similar to those dishes, it may have changed my opinion.
Meals begin with a wire basket filled with two warm wheat rolls and a number of crunchy and skinny seasoned cracker sticks. It comes with a dish of warm marinara sauce topped with a round of seasoned goat cheese. I liked the warm, herby cheese but found the marinara thin and bland.
Because pizza makes up the bulk of the menu, I ordered the arugula pie, topped with the spicy salad greens, roasted pears, Maytag blue and mozzarella cheeses, balsamic vinegar and prosciutto ham.
Source: Omaha World-Herald