Fine Italian cuisine and romance go together like wine and cheese and in Cochrane Portofino Italian Ristorante is a great place to indulge both your palate and your heart.
This year’s winner of the Cochrane Eagle’s Best Of Cochrane’s Most Romantic Place for a Meal, Portofino’s is no stranger to accolades. It also won our Best Pasta Award and has recognition by notable review sites such as Trip Advisor.
Owner Pierre Langlois credits his restaurant’s success to great customers and Portofino’s commitment to doing things right.
“My chef, my son (Robert), is an incredible chef,” said Langlois.
“We don’t cut corners … our cheese, tomatoes and olive oil all come from Italy.”
That Italian work ethic and dedication to quality was something Langlois was exposed to when he started in the restaurant business almost 40 years ago in Montreal.
“I always worked with Italians … they are the ones that taught me don’t cheat,” he said.
His philosophy has not only made Portofino’s Ristorante a popular place for date night, family dinner or a fine dining experience, it has also generated a lot of trust from customer.
“A lot of my customers don’t even open a menu. They just tell Robert to cook something,” Langlois said, adding staff with up to 10 years in the front of house lends a real family atmosphere to the restaurant.
“About 80 per cent of my customers are regulars. Some weekly.”
Langlois, who has operated in Cochrane for the past 13 years, said he is grateful for the support he has received from the community.
“We just click,” he said of his relationship with the community.
“Cochrane has supported us so good. Our customers are really fantastic.”
Coming from Montreal and then Calgary, Langlois said operating in a small community took some getting used to but he has come to appreciate the intimacy of a close community.
“It’s good to be recognized and we recognize our customers,” he said.
The next date night, consider checking out Portofino’s ambience and fine décor. Don’t forget to try the pasta.
