On an early spring vacation to Boone, NC my wife and I selected Café Portofino (near the Appalachian State Univ campus) on Rivers St as our dinner destination one evening.
Ever on the lookout for something unusual, comfortable and of course for delicious food, we truly believe we found the right spot on this night. As the school was out on Easter Holiday we all but had the restaurant to ourselves on a weeknight, but also gave us the chance to engage our helpful/cheerful server for menu selections and to get up to peruse the unique decorative items on the walls, especially the many Marathon mementos acquired by the owners of the restaurant, who are avid runners!! We each selected recommended pastas for our meals. I had the Eurasian Arrabiatta, linguini with portabella mushrooms (+ I added chicken), a nice spicy (not too hot) dish with hints of teriyaki, garlic and mushroom flavor. I couldn’t stop eating it was wonderful! My wife enjoyed the Santa Margharita, basil, pesto and pine nuts tossed with linguine and topped with roasted Roma tomatoes, a lovely mild dish yet with a depth of flavor. Likewise, another cleaned plate!! Both entrees were served with a large homemade yeast rolls topped with butter & roasted garlic. Be forewarned, the exterior looks like a saloon, but fear not, families, students, vacationers, etc. will be delighted by the offerings inside, and by the way come as you are, dress is strictly casual! Should you desire more of a saloon atmosphere, adjoining the restaurant is a more carefree billiards/pool hall where one can still partake of the full restaurant menu. This was our favorite meal on our spring vacation this year. Eclectic is but one description one could use to describe Café Portofino, (see their web site for more details) but by all means check them out while in Boone.