Portofino 's Master Chef, Giuseppe Falconio (below, right) cooked for Pope John Paul II in Abruzzo.

"PORTOFINO 'S MASTER CHEF HAILS FROM ABRUZZO"

"THE BEST CHEFS ARE FROM ABRUZZO"

In Rome , the best restaurants have a sign outside boasting that the best chefs are from Abruzzo, says Ralph Berarducci, the owner of Portofino restaurant, who came here from Italy over 30 years ago and opened his first restaurant just a few years later. Master Chef Giuseppe Falconio brings to his post and new country not only the culinary traditions of Abruzzo, but also his standing as one of Italy 's most recognized and respected chefs. Falconio's recipes reflect a modern Italian approach as well as classic traditions. His career is highlighted by a steady of stream of commendations - including the gold medal of the Federation of Italian Chefs - and assignments to cook for presidents and dignitaries throughout Italy and around the world. Chef Giuseppe Falconio now functions as executive chef at Portofino Restaurant, creating new dishes and continually upgrading the restaurant's popular menu.

May 27, 2009

"Defying The Odds"
A Walnut Street Icon Tells A StoryOf Survival

By JENNY DeHUFF
THE BULLETIN

Philadelphia — The story of Ralph Berarducci could make an author rich, but the humble Walnut Street restaurateur is not interested in boasting of his successes. Cradled between Philadelphia Home Art Garden (PHAG) and Modern Eye, Portofino, at 1227 Walnut Street, has survived the everchanging Philadelphia restaurant scene for about 37 years. The owner, Mr. Berarducci, said he has been lucky in his business.Hailing from Abruzzi, Italy, he came to theU.S. in 1963 in search of new experiences, love and exploration. What he foundmade him out to be one of the best-known Italian restaurateurs in Philadelphia. While some of the restaurants
of famous Center City chefs like Susanna Foo and Georges Perrier are falling by the wayside, Portofino has been consistently successful through the economic quagmire. “It’s all about detail,” Mr. Berarducci said one recent evening. “Food has to be fresh, waiters have to friendly and the dining room has to be clean.” Mr.Berarducci can relate to a self-made notion. Coming from a wealthy Italian family, he declined to take over the family farm. Instead, hewanted to earn a living on his own.Upon arrival to the states when he was in his mid-20s, he took a serving job at the Barclay Hotel, with no restaurant experience at all. He studied the customs, trends and service details, practically overnight, and began earning his wages. By 1967, he opened Pinocchio’s at 15th and Latimer streets — one of a few Philadelphia restaurants serving only authentic Italian cuisine. His critics told him he would never survive the cutthroat restaurant business, having little knowledge of the industry or the have-no-mercy Center City clientèle.After a raving restaurant
review, Mr. Berarducci witnessed the line to Pinocchio’s snake around the corner as people waited to get in. He hadmade it. Mr. Berarducci soon realized his tiny, heckered-tablecloth Pinocchio’s was busting at the seams and his business required more space.He sold Pinocchio’s in 1971 and reopened four blocks away in a building that once housed a brothel. He gave it a new name — Portofino, a location in Italy that gave him fondmemories. The romantically-lit Portofino buzzes with Walnut Street excitement. The keys to success he said, are buying fresh and locally, catering to diners’ needs and making the impossible, possible. “I buy fresh, everyday from Esposito’s,” he said. “If something is not listed on the menu,
it is because it comes in new, daily.” An example of this is the shrimp frittatta, a traditional Italian baked egg dish, stuffed with peppers, mushrooms, onions and mozzarella cheese.It is a bargain for $12. Wine, unlikemost other restaurants, is not marked up 400 to 500 percent, but rather sold at just above cost, like a bottle of the Riserva Ducale Chiante Classico for $45. A banner dessert is the house-made tiramisu — perhaps the best in the city. Served with raspberry and chocolate sauces, the sweet, savory mascarpone melts away softly leaving the diner wantingmore. In addition to the hospitality he shows his diners at Portofino, Mr. Berarducci deliversmeals to the homeless every Christmas and Thanksgiving. He absorbs the cost of scores of turkeys for needy families and said he gets to know each family, year after year. In the last 35 years, Mr. Berarducci has rubbed elbows with Frank Sinatra, witnessed Liza Minelli slap her boyfriend at a table and shared expensive wine with Elizabeth Taylor. These days, he sees more local notables like athletes from the Philadelphia sports teams. The feeling of old world hospitality reigns supreme at Portofino, where the owner and wait staff treat guests like family. The restaurant also is capable of accommodating larger parties for events, like wedding receptions. Mr. Berarducci also has a deal with the Central Park system at 12th and Sansom streets, which offers diners a parking discount of $6.00 for twelve hours with a stamped ticket from Portofino.

Jenny DeHuff can be reached at jdehuff@thebulletin.us