about Set in the heart of beautiful historic Ellicott City, Portalli's is an Italian restaurant like no other. Created by the coordinated vision and leadership of proprietors Evan Brown & Alan Biars and local chef Keith Holsey, Portalli’s was designed to offer a nice mixture of traditional Italian dishes and Italian-inspired preparations unique to Chef Holsey.
Now diners can enjoy the beautiful atmosphere of this classically decorated historic building without breaking the bank. Whether you’re looking for traditional Italian style dishes such as Beef Carpaccio, Lasagna Bolognese, or Spaghetti & Meatballs, or unique preparations like Braised Beef Penne or Veal Short Ribs smothered in a wild mushroom marsala sauce, Portalli’s is the place for you. The Italian-inspired wine list is diverse but approachable for the casual wine drinker, and there has been extra emphasis placed on staff training to ensure each and every guest has left with their expectations exceeded. The goal was to create a restaurant that has as much appeal for families looking for a night on the town as it does for the most critical foodies, and the end result is a restaurant everybody can enjoy.
about
menu
tapas 
Our dinner menu was designed by Chef Keith Holsey in the spirit of traditional Italian dining, where it is common for people to enjoy an appetizer (antipasti), followed by a salad (insalate), then a pasta and finally a meat (carne) or fish (pesce). Each of our dishes are managable single-serving portions that will allow our guests to enjoy three or four courses, which is what Chef Holsey recommends.
The lunch menu is designed to offer the same high level of flavor, but at a dining pace more conducive to the afternoon.
portallis menu 11-21-11.pdf
Click to view a pdf of
our menu and wines
by the glass.
starters 
Monday: 1/2 price bottles of wine
Portalli's will be offering every bottle of wine on our list at half price on Monday nights!!
Wednesday: 1/2 Price Sangria
Get your Sangria for half price.
Thursday: Lobster Night
Choose one of three lobster entrees for just $19.50.
Friday & Saturday: Late Night Happy Hour (lounge only)
8pm-midnight all martinis & wine bottles half price
Sunday: Brunch
main Sunday Brunch
Portalli's is pleased to offer a brunch buffet every Sunday morning. The following are items offered:
- Bottomless Bloody Mary's and Mimosa's
from our Bloody Mary Bar
- Scrambled Eggs
- Pancakes
- Tomatoes Provencal
- Maple Sausage Links
- Applewood Smoked Bacon
- Fresh Fruit
- Smoked Salmon w/ capers,
hard boiled egg, red onion
- Omelets made to order
- Carving Station
- Home Fries
Prices
Adults with bottomless
Bloody Mary's & Mimosas $21.95
Adults without bottomless
Bloody Mary's & Mimosas $16.95
Kids $10.95
desserts Desserts
Cannoli- Italian pastry shell filled with a sweet ricotta chocolate chip cream.
Panna Cotta- Vanilla bean custard served with fresh strawberries and a balsamic drizzle.
Tiramisu- Espresso-soaked lady fingers layered with marscapone cream and dusted with cocoa.
S'More- Rich chocolate mousse topped with carmelized marshmallow fluff with homemade shortbread cookies for dipping.
Poached Pear Puff Pastry- Port and vanilla-poached pear and whipped marscapone inside a puff pastry.
Lemon Blackberry Bread Pudding- Topped with toasted almonds and vanilla creme anglaise.
Page 5 Wine List
The Portalli's wine list was created with Chef Holsey's menu in mind, combining a wide variety of Italian bottlings, as well as a fantastic array of New World selections. Our goal is to offer bottles that not only compliment our food, but that also represent great value. Each week we conduct wine trainings with our staff to ensure they are familiar with our offerings. Your server will be happy to recommend a wine that will compliment your menu choices, so feel free to ask for their recommendations. Click the icon below to view our most current wine list.
portallis reserve wine list 11-10-10.pdf
nightly specials
menu
wine list
brunch
desserts
menu
Gift Cert You can buy gift certificates for Portalli's with just a few clicks! Just click the icon of the amount you wish to buy and our simple Paypal checkout will guide you through the process. Once purchased, we will email you a printable version of your gift certificate within 24 hours and all you need to do is print it out and bring it in to redeem it. It's that simple, and you don't even have to be a Paypal member in order to make a purchase!
Important: If you would like us to email the gift certificate to your gift recipient, please include their email address in the "Add Special Instructions" box during your checkout!!
