Alfred Portale

Chef, Restaurateur, Cookbook Author

Early Years

Leaving behind a career as a jewelry maker, in 1981 Portale graduated first in his class at the Culinary Institute of America, and then went to France where he worked with renowned French masters Michel Geurard and the Troisgros brothers.

Originally from Buffalo, New York, Portale returned to the U.S. and in 1985 opened his James Beard award-winning restaurant, Gotham Bar & Grill, in the heart of Manhattan. The casually elegant restaurant is considered a mecca of fine dining, and is one of a handful of top Manhattan restaurants that offer an affordable prix fix luncheon daily. Chef Alfred Portale can be counted among the many chefs and culinary experts who were inspired by Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Current Projects

The Gotham Bar & Grill Cookbook (Bantam Doubleday Dell) was published in November 1997 and offers readers and aspiring chefs easy yet comprehensive instructions on creating Chef Portale's beautifully presented and intensely flavored restaurant creations at home. Believing there are really twelve seasons when it comes to cooking, each month distinguished by special occasions and/or ingredients that are at their peak and most delicious, Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook was published in 2000. Dubbing the month of May "The Big Bang of the Culinary Year", Portale spotlights and honors the abundance of vegetables that he enthusiastically features at center plate, including asparagus, morel mushrooms, and fava beans.

Restaurant Location:
Gotham Bar and Grill
12 East 12th Street
New York, NY 10003

For reservations and information please call (212) 620-4020, or visit their website at www.gothambarandgrill.com.

Recognition

In 1993, Portale was named Best Chef in New York, and in 1994, Gotham Bar & Grill was nominated as Restaurant of the Year by the James Beard Foundation. Admired by critics and respected by peers, Portale was a pioneer of the "New American Cuisine" which celebrates the classical with modern, innovative twists. He is credited with creating the vertical dinner, known for its architectural presentation, clearly merging his artistic training and aesthetic sensibilities. With a distinct sense of style, and the instincts of a master craftsman, Portale literally raises food to new, greater heights.