The Portofino Grill, located in the Edgewater Shopping Center at 929 Edgewater Blvd. in Foster City, is one of the few places one can dine outdoors in warm weather. The restaurant sits at the end of the pier with water views. Ive been there for lunches when we have sat outside and enjoyed the warm weather, and the views of the water while observing the birds and boaters passing by. The food is consistently good.  The menu  has some nice variety and  service is good.  It’s close to Oracle and the other Redwood Shores corporations as well as Visa and Frankline-Templeton.

Alex and I decided to have dinner at the Grill this past week. We shared a Cabana salad that features mixed greens, blue cheese, tomatoes and a roasted pear all with a lovely sherry vinaigrette dressing. What made this salad so special is that we each got a pear when they split the salad.

Our selection of entrees were quite different. Alex chose their Jambalaya Linguini, which was full of great sea foods but a little light on the spice for his taste, and mine, too. We do like spicy foods but the flavors were nice and the next time he will ask for more spice to kick it up. I was in the mood for the fresh Mahi Mahi and it was quite tasty. What I especially loved is they substituted additional veggies for the potates on the menu, and the vegies were actually steamed, not sautéed. My diet thanked them.  Besides it was a beautiful presentation of food!

Although we didnt partake in dessert we watched another table that had a beautiful fresh strawberry and chocolate dish that looked great and I heard the responses from that table as they ooed and awed over the dish. By the way, nothing was left on the plate once theyd left the restaurant.  The other deserts were pretty standard.

Portofino Grill has been in Foster City for a long time and is well known for their wonderful pizzas. They offer some original combinations as well giving you the opportunity to do your own thing. Every time we have had a pizza from them it has been just great.

They have a good wine list, a full bar, and live jazz many evenings.  If you live in Foster City and own a boat, you can sail there, dock your boat, dine and return home via water. Definitely politically correct! Prices are reasonable and the food is fresh and good.  We  recommend them as a great place to dine if you live in Foster City or well worth the drive if you don’t live here.  They are kid friendly with a nice children’s menu, too.  Come for lunch or dinner and outside dining in the summer months.

Other places to dine in Foster City:

Chevy’s