Portico
Tucked-in the former location of the Edible Garden in Goochland County on the curvy River Road, one finds the new Italian eatery, Portico. What a beautiful sight it is, at night, with intimate small buildings dotting the property, all lit, with (on this particular warm January evening) people dining outside.
The old setup remains, with the kitchen building separate from the restaurant/bar.
What dominated the experience inside was noise; at least on a weekend evening, the atmosphere was boisterous, with loud conversation bouncing off the ceiling and wood floor. Probably not ideal, taking in the decor and intimate surroundings that glowed with soft light.
The menu was not complicated, offering a number of items any fan of Italian food would find scrumptious. Salads looked fresh, and their special mushroom soup was deliciously satisfying.
An entrée of eggplant was served, as with many dinners, with a side of cabbage and mashed potatoes. The tomato sauce was good, and definitely looked and tasted homemade.
Service wasn’t quick, but this was a busy night. A few things I think could be improved:
- noise level - in a winter season, you want to maximize the number of tables inside, I get that; but something should be done to combat the noise level in a small intimate space like this (baffling on the ceiling, or rugs);
- bread service - every Italian restaurant ought to encourage communing with bread to start the meal. When guests can nosh on bread during service delays, all is well. Sitting at an empty table with an exhausted drink, not so much.
- go gourmet - the beautiful building and surroundings seem slightly mismatched to the level of cuisine. What we ate was delicious, but lacked real gourmet polish. The sophistication level has a ceiling to expand here.
My recommendation at this point is to seek-out Portico when you’re close by, and perhaps on a weeknight. This is a great spot for locals to enjoy an aesthetic food experience in a quasi-magical setting.