I was VERY excited about coming to the Porta Bella. It's been about 17 years since I was last here. I remembered it was SOOOO good that I couldn't wait to come back. Well, I found myself in Madison and HAD to return. We went for lunch at 12:30 pm.
The front was exactly how I remembered it. Beautiful walkway to the front door. Walked in, there was no one except a cash register. The place was very dark and no one was around. Made us wonder if they were open.
We walked further into the restaurant and finally saw someone. We asked "Are you open?" The hostess replied "Yes" & immediately showed to a table around the corner. The dining room, even though very dimly lit, was very beautiful. The hostess was very friendly and invited us to look around the restaurant. We loved the secluded booths and the romantic atmosphere. I could easily see this as a perfect date restaurant.
There was not much on the menu but then I remembered it was lunch and their dinner menu probably was much bigger.
We all ordered Chicken Fettuccine Alfredo. The sourdough bread was warm and very good, especially when you dip it into the oil. However, the entrees were so bland. They were all lacking seasoning and flavor. The chicken was so rubbery and it tasted like it was just cooked in the microwave. Gross. I could not eat it. I had mushrooms added to the dish, which helped.
I was so disappointed after the entree. This was once the high end place I couldn't wait to go back to...now it's a place that serves bland pasta. So so disappointed.
Would I go back? Yes, probably for a bottle of wine in their wine cellar but not for their food....unless their reviews on Yelp greatly improve.