Portofino Bay Dining

[shelleypreston]

Hi out there!

I have recently booked BICE Ristorante @ Portofino Bay whilst I'm on vacation in Dec/Jan. Has anyone eaten there since it changed hands? (I believe it used to be Delfina Riviera?) Anybody experienced this restaurant out there?

Thanks
Michelle..

 

[Cinderella822]

I can't tell you first-hand about the restaurant. But we were planning to eat there one evening during our stay and had heard some bad things about it, such as there was a really bad review on it recently in a local paper down there. I've heard that the service is not very good and not worth the price you pay for the meal. But you never know, you may enjoy it. I know during our week staying at PBH, we never really saw many people coming and going from there. Looked rather dead most of the time.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Honestly, I havent read a positive review on this restaurant yet. I have been tempted to eat here a few times but always ended up at Mama Della's, always a good choice. Until I hear a few glowing reports on Bice, I'll be eating at numerous other Universal restaurants where the food is consistently good.

If you do happen to eat at Bice please let us know how everything was.
You can read a review from Kelly (he also posts here if you want to look up his posts on Bice).
http://www.theotherorlando.com/contents/chapters/3a/bice.html

 

[Fan2CSkr]

I just read a recent review that could be the one mentioned by Cinderella822.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/dining/orl-chow0406aug04,0,7953094.story

We end our summer sojourn at Bice, a ridiculously expensive Italian restaurant at Portofino Bay hotel at Universal Orlando that we also visited in the winter of '05. At the time, I remember thinking that I don't mind being presented with a huge check as long as the meal that preceded it was extraordinary. That wasn't the case at Bice then, and it isn't now.

The food on my most recent visit, as it was on my original, was all good but nothing was particularly wonderful or even memorable. The osso buco was $42 and had no marrow left in its skinny shank, the veal Milanese was dry.

There is one thing I remember from this meal, however: Our waiter was so impertinent that he continuously interjected comments into the conversations my guests and I were having. Five hundred bucks for a dinner for four people is too much money for mediocre food and insolent service.

Bice gives lip service to wanting to attract the local trade, but it acts like a restaurant that is interested only in the business of conventioneers with expense accounts.

Bice is open nightly 5:30 to 10 p.m. Entrees range from $28 to $42. The phone number is 407-503-1415.

 

[shelleypreston]

On hearing all of these comments, I'm gunna cancel it and go elsewhere. Any suggestions for a really good italian restaurant either in Universal or WDW?

 

[aztecgoods]

Probably every other restaurant at PB, last time I was there, I ate at just about all of them, sorry can't remember too many details just remember they were all good.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

I wish someone would post a recent review. There was at least one DIS member who ate there a couple months ago, but didn't post a review yet. We're curious about it also. Although, as we all know, food is very subjective to an individual's personal taste.

FWIW, we ate at Mama Della's at PBH in July. We were pleasantly surprised. It was actually the best meal we had, during our trip. The biggest thing that kept us from trying it earlier was thinking it was going to be a loud, lively atmosphere. Our reservation was at 9:15pm & we had a very nice, relaxing experience. I don't know if the time had anything to do with the ambiance or not.

 

[ksdave]

On hearing all of these comments, I'm gunna cancel it and go elsewhere. Any suggestions for a really good italian restaurant either in Universal or WDW?

The absolute best at either place is Mama Della's at Portofino. I love it so much that I extended a quick, one-day business trip once just to eat at Mama's. The food is superb, the service excellent, and the strolling musicians and Mama herself make you really feel like you are in an exclusive restaurant in Little Italy, or someone's dining room! The overall atmosphere and service at Portofino is exceptional.

The other Italian place we have really enjoyed was Portobello Yacht Club at Downtown Disney. The food was very good, and the service was excellent. Although a little pricier than Mama's, it was still well worth the time and $$. Some folks have a hard time finding this restaurant. Basically, if you go to where the large riverboat is (Fulton's Crab House), Portobello is in the building as you head in the direction of Pleasure Island.

If you love brick oven pizza, definitely try Sal's Market Deli in Portofino. This is another must for our family everytime we go to UO. They also have other dishes that are great for lunch.

For quick, good Italian food in the park, try Louie's Italian Restaurant in Universal Studios. They have good pizza, pasta and salads for lunch at a fairly reasonable price for a themepark.

 

[shelleypreston]

Thanks very much for all your helpful replies. Cancelled BICE yesterday evening. Think I'm gunna book mama's place instead for when we visit Portofino. With so many choices of different restaurants it's just so hard to choose. Am also considering swapping the italian option for Emerils now instead, as I seem to find plenty of really positive reviews on that restaurant located at CityWalk. Is Emeril Lagasse the equivalent of our Gordon Ramsey in the UK???

Thanks for helping me make my decision, looks like I won't be posting a review on BICE either!

Michelle..

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Sorry, I don't know who Gordon Ramsey is. I'm guessing he probably is though. Emeril is one of the most famous chefs in the US, with his own cooking show. He even does toothpaste commercials. I've never quite gotten the connection, but he has a vibrant personality that works well in commercials. He's definitely one of the cooking elite. He's like France's Paul Bucose, & Canada's Rob Feenie, if you're familiar with them.

We love Emeril's & eat there practically every visit. We also like Emeril's in other locations. The only one we haven't liked so far is Tchoup Chop, but most people here love it. As I mentioned in an earlier post, Mama Della's was our favorite meal in July. We also ate dinner at Emeril's, TC, Mythos, & Pat O's. Our meal at MD just had a combination that makes a meal perfect. Great food, fantastic server, & nice, quiet atmosphere. MD will now be on our "must do" list, as well as Emeril's. I personally don't think you can go wrong with either, & would have a hard time choosing. If you want to try a restaurant owned by a famous chef, go with Emeril's. I can totally understand that, because we do the same thing. When we finally make it to England, we'll become acquainted with the Gordon Ramsey name I'm sure.

 

[hannymom]

we ate next door to mamma's at trattoria del porto and loved it. huge portions, and good food. they also have music from table to table. we didn't get the all you can eat, we ordered off the menu.

 

[Fan2CSkr]

Thanks very much for all your helpful replies. Cancelled BICE yesterday evening. Think I'm gunna book mama's place instead for when we visit Portofino. With so many choices of different restaurants it's just so hard to choose. Am also considering swapping the italian option for Emerils now instead, as I seem to find plenty of really positive reviews on that restaurant located at CityWalk. Is Emeril Lagasse the equivalent of our Gordon Ramsey in the UK???

Thanks for helping me make my decision, looks like I won't be posting a review on BICE either!

Michelle..

Gordon Ramsey is quick becoming huge here in the states as well. He's started his second series of Hell's Kitchen. He is about to open his first restaurant here in NY (first one for the states). He's also coming to Florida! He's gone International, Emeril hasnt done that yet.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

Gordon Ramsey is quick becoming huge here in the states as well. He's started his second series of Hell's Kitchen. He is about to open his first restaurant here in NY (first one for the states). He's also coming to Florida! He's gone International, Emeril hasnt done that yet.

Ahhhh....... That's Gordon Ramsey. I tried watching that show & hated it! That's one seriously obnoxious guy. I'm not a big fan of Donald Trump either, just in case you were wondering. Thanks for clearing it up for me though. I'll wait for reviews from others who've eaten at his restaurants, before I decide to give it a try. I won't be watching the show to get a better feel for his talent.

 

[tarheelmjfan]

OT, but the fact that Emeril hasn't gone global got me to thinking. Yes, I think about food way too often, but we've already established that. Now that I think about it, it's much more common for European chefs to open restaurants in the US than the other way around. I wonder why. Not that I'm complaining. Some of the more elderly chefs have moved to Mexico & opened restaurants, but it's more of a convenience along with their retirement. I hadn't ever really thought about it, but it is odd. On a similar note, I wish Rob Feenie would migrate south for the winter.

OP,
I should have mentioned that Emeril is in the Culinary Hall of Fame, which is chefs voting on their peers. That may give you a better idea of his abilities. Naturally, he won't be doing the cooking. (Wouldn't that be nice? ) It is his restaurant, under his tutelage though.

 

[disneyloveNY]

We just returned from a trip to PBH 9/15-9/19. Although we did not try Bice, we did eat a Mama Della's. The food was awful with the exception of the tenderloin and mashed potatoes (a non italian dish of course) The lasgana and risotto of the day was served cold and tasteless. The salad had an insipid balsamic vinagrette. The steak was very tasty and tender, the service was great but the food-not. Maybe it was in part because the hotel was at less than half occupancy and in general nothing seemed to be running up to full speed.
However the trattoria del porto was excellent ,Sal's Market deli for great pizza and the Gelateria for delicious ice cream and home made gelato.
For good casual Italian dining you might want to try Pastamore at Citywalk.We really enjoy the food here.