Cape Fine Dining

The Port is Good

The Port Restaurant in Harwichport

Let's get one of our pet peeves out of the way up front. Almost every restaurant we dined at this year was too cold. The AC was turned up too high. This has something to do with the manager going in and out of the kitchen and the wait staff running around so they get overheated. They don't feel the difference. The patrons do. We're cold. Turn down the AC and open a window.

Otherwise, The Port is a chic restaurant. It's run by professionals. It pays attention to detail. And it shows.

Food  On our second visit to The Port,  we tried the Warm Baby Spinach & Scallop, pan seared scallops served over a bed of warm baby spinach and drizzled in a bacon fennel dressing. Very good, as was the Gorganzola garlic bread. Extremely rich and creamy fresh toasted bread.

The main event featured Chicken Saltimbocca, layered and wrapped with Prosciutto, spinach and Fontina cheese, served with Garlic whipped potatoes and vegetables, and Portabella Ravioli,  a homemade Portabella Ravioli, in a champagne caramelized onion butter sauce, with Roma tomatoes and spinach. Both were excellent and were served very hot. 

Everything came in large portions, but we managed to save room for dessert, homemade Tiramissou. A little heavy but with all the right flavors.

An over-priced wine list is never the less, good reading, as is the dinner menu. We savored an adequate bottle of French Bordeaux throughout the meal.

Service We liked the no reservation policy.  A slight  inconvenience, but very egalitarian. With a popular smaller restaurant like The Port, it's really the best way to go. 

The summer season's over, even though it's Colunbus Day weekend. The crowds are gone and this was not a very busy night.  Our waitress started out strong, but the service faded as she moved on to other diners when the meal was finishing up. Otherwise she was friendly and knowledgable.

Atmosphere  The dining room is urbane; understated, clean lines with rich colors and cool lighting; simple decor, with lots of windows on a busy street corner on the main street of Harwichport.  Interesting clientel but not very interesting background music. Couples and friends and a couple of bar flies enjoying just the right setting for conversation.

We liked The Port. The food is good . The service is good. The atmosphere is good. The Port is good.

We give it 2** to go with 3$$$.  The Port is  just what Harwichport, and every Cape village needs.  Consistant fine dining conveniently located near where people live at 541 Route 28, Harwich Port, 508.430.5410. On the web at ThePortRestaurant.com.