Porto Leggero makes its home in the heart of the Downtown financial district. But don’t be put off by the corporate address. Once inside, you’ll fee like you’ve been transported to Northern Italy.
The restaurant is conveniently located right at the Harborside light rail stop. Getting off the train, I pass an office complex where New York Sports Club members toil away on their exercise machines. I have to admit that the prospect of a sumptuous meal holds more allure than a run on the treadmill.
I’m met at the door by Floor Manager Eliot Nochimson, who seats me on a side banquette, offering a good view of the waiters and my fellow diners. It’s a Monday night, and the place is quiet but not empty. There are couples, a lone business traveler, a table of convivial coworkers, and women dining in pairs. Unobtrusive background music makes conversation easy.
The décor is a warm combination of golds, reds, and blues-the color scheme I’m told of the Pope’s Swiss Guard. At one end of the room is a mirrored wall and along the side is exposed brick with arched doorways. Huge chandeliers hang from the high ceilings.
The waiter immediately appears. He’s very efficient, nearly whisking away the extra place setting before I can tell him that I am waiting for a friend. While I wait, I sip a Stella Artois; as promised the beer is cold and the glass chilled. But I’m not long without company. Soon I’m joined by Head Chef Angelo Stella, who owns the restaurant along with Michael Cetrulo and Mark Marandola of the renowned Scalini Fedeli restaurant in Chatham, NJ.
Stella has the day off. He’s wearing a Giants jersey, still sporting his Super Bowl glow. He becomes animated when he talks about the specialties of the house. A positive and easy-going guy, he has only one pet peeve when it comes to the work that he loves: requests for substitute ingredients. He’s happy to oblige if you’re a vegetarian or allergic to nuts, but he doesn’t want to “put my name on” a dish no longer his own.
Porto Leggero features two menus-traditional and signature. There is no difference in price, just a difference in preparation. In the mood for filet mignon? The traditional menu features a sherry wine sauce with cherry peppers, mushrooms and potatoes. The signature menu offers medallions of filet mignon in a balsamic vinegar sauce.
Steve, our waiter, has a photographic memory, ticking off as many as 11 specials without a crib sheet. My friend orders oven-roasted Chilean sea bass with rosemary and garlic and a white wine lemon sauce, served with pureed potatoes and asparagus. It’s paired with a light Pinot Grigio. She pronounces the wine “smooth and not overwhelming.” I choose tilapia oreganato, but Steve steers me toward a tilapia with fresh-roasted artichokes, asparagus, and caper berries in a lemon white wine sauce-seasonings it turns out that I prefer to oregano.
We have plenty to occupy us before the entrée: whole wheat bread, which I am happy to say comes with butter instead of the usual olive oil, a small complimentary first course of marinated eggplant with pignoli nuts and red onions, and another with crispy mint zucchini, tomato bruschetta and dry sausage.
We’re treated to a taste of Chef Stella’s famous butternut-squash-filled ravioli, topped with a brown butter and sage sauce, finished with crumbled amaretti. Be prepared for a surprisingly sweet sensation, a little too sweet for me, but it gets rave reviews from customers.
My friend orders a salad of organic mixed greens, roasted beets, sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese with a pistachio and artichoke dressing, and I order a classic tomato and mozzarella plate, both moderately dressed for maximum flavor.
“Perfectly seasoned” is the verdict from my friend on the Chilean sea bass. With both dishes, the seasonings enhance rather than overpower the fish. We of course want to save room for dessert and before we have to ask, Steve offers to pack up what we can’t finish. We share a rich tiramisu, made with lady fingers, zabaglione, mascarpone cheese, espresso, amaretto, raspberry puree, and cocoa powder. It turns out that I am not so full after all. I clearly outpace my companion in the dessert department. We finish off the evening with coffee-an espresso for my friend and robust but smooth decaf cappuccino for me.
Looking for a special dining experience? Look no further.
Porto Leggero
Harborside Financial Plaza V
Hudson Street
(201) 434-3200
portoleggero.net
PHOTOS: ROXANA MARROQUIN