Porta Blu

Early Valentines Dinner - really nice outdoor eating area and beautiful indoor dining room - service was top notch- they offered a prefixe Valentines Day dinner of 4 courses- we started with a couple of oysters with a cava mignonette- delish! We could have had a dozen of the oysters! In addition to the vodka martinis that we had (with blue cheese stuffed olive option), the nice bar manager poured a complementary glass of sparking Lambrusco, which went well with the oysters and the Beet carpaccio with burrata and herb salad. My husband ordered seared duck breast for his entree and I ordered the flower crusted NY strip steak - both were good, but a bit unevenly cooked - I wanted medium rare and the steak was closer to medium on one end, but medium rare on the other end. We ended the meal with a lovely chocolate opera cake. The setting is great, service wonderful - we would come back!

While staying at the Hotel Nia we were spoiled by some of the hotel's restaurant staff, most especially Cristian. Most appreciated! Even if you're not in the hotel, this is a lovely unexpected Oasis for stopping in for a coffee or meal, on you own, with friends or colleagues. The gardens are well cared for, diverse and full of nature. Ignacio was gracious when talking about the gardens, then later making quick adjustments in our room. Though like many places, the staff are fairly new, they are clearly putting together a great team! You won't even notice your proximity to the freeway.

HAS POTENTIAL BUT NEEDS WORK - and we left hungry. Food was uneven. Corn soup special was excellent. Chicken Kabob well cooked but small. Server failed to mention that the Ahi special was an appetizers - so I ordered it as my entrée. Bread could be good but was dry. Not stale, just dry. The restaurant itself is a really nice space and opens onto the outdoors. Soup and salad were good portions. Seems like the chef can definitely cook, but they need to enhance the menu and sort out the portions. The ingredients they work with seemed to be very good quality. Has potential to be 4 or 5, but for now a 3.

I was truly blown away with Porta Blu. Our server was a pro and led us to all the right places. I went with a salad made of dandelions which was a new one for me. I after hearing about the whole chicken I had no other choice but to go for it. Who knew Mariott's high end line could be so exquisite? Not me. Kaleb went for the vegetarian entrees and he seemed very pleased. The drinks are complex and hold their own. Definitely made for a the beginning of fun night. ** I review Good Places With Good People. My opinions are honest, I can't control how Google May Manipulate My Words. Please Research & Check Yelp to Keep From Being Misled.**