Portobello Food Kitchen and Bar has been named South Australia’s best café.

In its first year of business, Portobello scooped the pool at the annual Awards for Excellence in Restaurants and Catering SA held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on Monday July 26 2010, winning the Best Café in South Australia award. Owner Gio Musolino also won the Best Employer of the Year award.

More than 1100 guests acknowledged and celebrated the high quality restaurants, caterers and hospitality professionals South Australia has to offer.

Located at Newport Quays, Portobello has panoramic views of the Port River heritage precinct and is regularly visited by local dolphins.

The menu is Mediterranean-style, with fresh and innovative dishes at very reasonable prices.

Word of mouth and recent coverage in PortWalkabout has helped business to steadily increase and staff numbers have doubled.

Gio’s personal award as Employer of the Year is reflected in the friendly and efficient service offered by his staff, creating a warm and inviting ambience.

On winning the award, Gio said “I am only as successful as the people I surround myself with.  Every morning I wake up and remind myself that failure is not an option.  

“Survival comes from supporting the industry that supports you.”

Portobello has a winning combination of waterfront location, sensational food and wine and excellent service.  It’s open for lunch and dinner six days a week and weekend breakfast.

Harts Mill by night from Portobello

Now his mill overlooks a 21st-century development along the banks of the Port River.

Born in England, Hart went to sea as a 12-year-old and in 1828 visited Hobart for the first time. 

Later he was involved in collecting seal and wallaby skins and salt from Kangaroo Island and in 1839 he became a partner in a whaling venture at Encounter Bay; he bought larger ships and was involved in many trading ventures before retiring from the sea in 1846 and settling in Adelaide where he eventually entered politics.

See the mill from Portobello — finely attuned to the laid-back “permanent holiday” lifestyle of Newport Quays in Port Adelaide, this stylish café and bar makes relaxation an art.

Newport Quays residents and visitors at a function at Portobello

The suave red and white bar offers fine wines and lavish cocktails and the interior and exterior dining spaces seat you right by the river — a calm, cool place to enjoy the suitably Mediterranean menu which includes tapas, pizza, grill and seafood delicacies, many featuring the namesake Portobello mushrooms.

Followed by fine Mediterranean food

Portobello is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday to Sunday and weekend breakfasts from 9.00 am.
 
Waterfront 1-2 Wirra Drive 
Spinnaker North Building 
New Port SA 5015
Phone: 8242 4444
Or visit the Portobello website

Eager diners at the traditional long table

Here’s just one of the dishes they were waiting for

The feast featured a variety of dishes, including pierogi, golabki and chocolate mousse prepared by restaurant owner and one of Australia’s leading chefs, Judyta Musolino, and her kitchen team.

Phore Seasons’ star chef Judyta Musolino

The SA chefs were competing in a star-studded field from Australia and Asia, with a team from Hong Kong taking out the gold.

Australian Culinary Federation president and team member Tze Khaw, of the Adelaide Convention Centre, said the award was “quite a coup” for South Australia that gave aspiring young chefs goals to aim for.

For Judyta it was a pleasant encore to winning the national Mushroom Mania Award, with the judges saying she was “a pivotal member of the team, sets a fine example for chefs and cooks throughout Australia.”

The inspiration for her restaurant’s name is a combination of a love of music, in particular Vivaldi’s ‘The Four Seasons’, and Semaphore.

Greg Seymour, Australian Mushroom Growers’ General Manager, was thrilled to announce Phore Seasons Restaurant state and national winner of this closely contested and coveted award.

Mr Seymour said he was delighted that over 1800 restaurants, pubs and clubs participated in Mushroom Mania last year, representing a dramatic increase in participation since the campaign’s inception six years ago.

“Phore Seasons Restaurant embraced Mushroom Mania whole heartedly and took the campaign to another level,” he said.

“The entire staff, from kitchen to front of house, went above and beyond our expectations in their endeavour to delight and entice their diners with taste tempting mushroom dishes.”

Husband and wife team Andrew and Dianne Sullivan

You can enjoy alfresco dining when the bi-fold doors are opened.
Opening hours are from 8am until 5pm Tuesday to Sunday; breakfast and lunch served daily.

Andrew has spent the last 13 years in the corporate world working in customer service and marketing. Dianne has worked in retail, sales and office administration.

Together they bring enthusiasm and ongoing commitment to provide top-quality meals at affordable prices.

Qualified chef Bianca has overseas experience and bakes cakes daily, while front of house staff Nic and Bec complete the package. making delicious coffee and teas supplied by Grinders and T2.

High tea (you’ll need to book) Tuesday to Friday 11am to 3pm and Saturdays 2pm to 4pm.

Sully’s is at 114a Semaphore Road, Semaphore. Phone 8242 7470.