A Bigger Mushroom, A Bigger Restaurant

NEW HARTFORD — The portobello is the king of the mushrooms, dwarfing its fungish brethren with its imposing size and woody, exotic flavor. But Portobello Ristorante & Pizzeria, New Hartford’s Italian dining sensation, is only getting bigger.

Now in its third year of business, Portobello has garnered a reputation for quality, and it isn’t unusual to see customers lining up outside the door on the weekends – so much, in fact, that head chef and owner Emil Odai decided his restaurant had to grow.

"I can’t wait until we finish," Odai said Monday of the extensive renovation project, which began two months ago and is slated to conclude in mid-December. "Every year, my business is growing."

Odai makes it his business to help out the community – and the country – in which he has found so much success, from holding fundraisers for the local fire department and other groups to raising money for Katrina victims last year.

"It’s great," Linda Gosselin said of working under Odai. "He’s a really sweet guy, and a very, very nice person to work for – and with."

Gosselin, a full-time waitress, is one of several employees who have been with Odai since the beginning. That’s unusual in the restaurant business, which is known for having a high turnover rate, but it’s not surprising here. The staff seems to hold Odai in high esteem – and he returns those sentiments, taking every opportunity to praise his 20 or so employees.

"Linda is very pleasant," Odai said of Gosselin, of whom he seems particularly proud. "All the customers know her, she calls everyone by name. The customers feel very comfortable around her."

But fond as he is of his devoted staff, Odai is a family man, first and foremost. Portobello is actually the second restaurant of that name owned by the Odai family. Emil’s father, Idriz, owned a Portobello in his native Croatia for some 20 years, and passed on his culinary know-how to his son. Emil said the menu in his New Hartford restaurant – Italian-themed and redolent of the eponymous mushrooms – is very similar to that of his father’s Portobello.

Odai and wife, Sherry, have three children together – Anifa, 8, Armend, 6 and Aneesa, 2. All three have pizzas named after them, and while little Aneesa’s "favorite" – a pizza topped with shrimp, tomatoes, olives and sun-dried tomatoes – might not seem like a typical 2-year-old’s cup of tea, it’s nice to see the youngsters getting a nod from Dad on the menu.

And aside from renaming the pizzas in honor of his children, in the three years since Portobello opened on Route 44 near the Canton line, that menu has only changed once – when Odai expanded his lunch offerings. Gosselin said the chicken portobello entree is a customer favorite, as is the Italiano – one of 26 gourmet pizzas on offer. Odai stressed that, beverages aside, nearly everything served at Portobello is homemade – from the warm, rustic dinner rolls to the thin-crusted brick-oven pizza to the pasta itself. But while the extensive menu remains constant, the restaurant’s aesthetics are in the midst of a complete overhaul.

The dining room has undergone a complete makeover, and now sports a Mediterranean-themed look, with oak paneling, mahogany-hued leather booths and stucco walls of a salty pink, evocative of a Sicilian setting sun splashing off the rocks.

Still under construction is an entirely new wing, roughly doubling the size of the building, with a lounge and fully-stocked bar. Portobello, which formerly had a capacity of 70 persons, will now be able to comfortably seat 120, according to Odai.

"I love it. It’s very warm and inviting," Gosselin said of the new decor. "We’ve had great reviews, from our clientele and from the staff."

As for the food itself, Odai seems to have set a high standard for his kitchen staff. This reporter sat down to a lunch Monday, ordering the $7.95 portobello special. Pasta dishes like this one, bursting with scallions, olives, roasted peppers and, of course, portobello mushrooms, are offered with a choice of spaghetti, ziti or linguini. On Monday, the ziti was perfectly al dente. The rich, tangy brown sauce, neither thick nor watery, had a woody flavor which really brought out the sylvan nature of the dish. The portobello clearly took center stage, but the fresh, firm kalamata olives imparted a wonderful, zesty kick that made the hearty mushrooms come alive.

Portobello is located at 107 Main St. (Route 44) in New Hartford, and is open seven days a week, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays, until 9:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday and until 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Odai said the lounge will remain open later once construction is finished. The restaurant closes three days a year: Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Prices are reasonable – especially considering the generous portions – with no regular entrees over $20. Takeout is available, as is catering for parties. For reservations or inquiries, call 860-693-2598.