Arrivederci, Porta Bella!

Years ago, I had a memorable first date at Porta Bella, the campus-area Italian restaurant. One reason I remember the date so well: the overripe romantic ambiance.

Stepping through the archway at 425 N. Frances Street was like entering another world — one set apart from the chain restaurants on nearby State Street. Porta Bella offered an enchanted realm of stained glass, classical statues, mirrored walls and ceilings, dark wood paneling, brass chandeliers, and private booths. Each of the three dimly lit dining rooms had its own character, and an enclosed garden courtyard promised old-world charm. It was a welcome contrast to the utilitarian parking ramp across the street.

Stepping through the archway at 425 N. Frances Street was like entering another world.

Unfortunately, enchanted realms don’t last forever. After 58 years, Porta Bella closed last February to make way for a high-rise apartment building. Well, they can take away our manicotti, but they can’t take our memories.

Porta Bella opened as an upscale spinoff of Paisan’s, the campus favorite that lasted almost as long — it closed in 2022. Ed Shinnick, who worked at the restaurant when it opened in 1968 and became a co-owner in 1974, lovingly preserved some of the original recipes. The Porta Salad, with a choice of seven dressings, was the stuff of UW legend. And no one ever left hungry after ordering the Garibaldi Sandwich, an original concoction featuring layers of ham, salami, pepper jack cheese, tomatoes, and peppers.

Shinnick also updated the menu based on his regular trips to Mantova, Italy. In the banquet room, an eight-panel mural of Mantova beckoned to dreamers with its towers and turrets.

The enclosed garden courtyard promised old-world charm.

Porta Bella’s customers and staff were primarily UW students. And as UW alumni, they continued flocking to their favorite tables on return trips to campus. No one ever forgot the distinctive atmosphere.

“The upholstered booths made it feel like you were in your own quiet space,” says Shinnick, who felt ready to retire after nearly six decades. “It was a romantic place where you could go on your first date or your anniversary.”

As for my own first date at the restaurant, there’s another reason it sticks in my memory. My companion that night — who wisely ordered the fettucine alfredo — is now my wife. I doubt things would have turned out quite so well if we’d dined at a chain restaurant on State Street instead of the ever-magical Porta Bella.