Nestled in the heart of Crystal City, where the business landscape is ever-changing, one family-owned Italian restaurant remains a constant. The Portofino Restaurant has been a cornerstone of the northern Virginia area for more than half a century. There, you’ll find owner Chef Richard Micheli. Since joining forces with his father and grandfather in 1993, Chef Micheli now runs the show. Micheli has infused his family’s culinary and cultural traditions with his own unique flair. The result is a dining experience that transports guests to the northern Italian coastline.
For Chef Micheli, being Italian American is more than a label. It’s a connection to family, culture, and community. Micheli’s father is an Italian native, and his mother is Spanish. The couple met in the 1960s, when Micheli’s dad came to the United States with the Italian Navy, and his mother as a worker at the Colombian embassy. Micheli says he feels a pull to both cultures, but if Italy were to face Spain in soccer, the chef says he’s rooting for the Boot.
Micheli has embraced the D.C. Italian American community for decades. He fondly remembers attending Sunday gatherings and celebrations as a child at Holy Rosary Church. “Growing up in this area, we had Holy Rosary. That was really what I knew about the Italian heritage. You know, we always focused on the community part and getting together with Italian families and Italian friends,” says Micheli. His family ties with the Church run deep: there, his parents were married, he and his sister were baptized, and both his children and his sister’s were baptized. Since its opening in 1970, Micheli says, Portofino has welcomed scores of Italian Americans through its doors and entertained many local Italian heritage groups.
Growing up, Micheli recalls frequent visits to family in Italy, mostly in Tuscany and the Emilia-Romagna regions. Now the restaurant keeps him busy, but Micheli has returned on a few occasions. “We have a strong connection with the Italian side,” he says. During his visits, cousins and relatives welcome Micheli with open arms, even discussing the Washington Commanders.
Chef Micheli graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in 1993. Shortly after, he joined his father and grandfather in the family business. Taking over the restaurant in 1993 was a natural, yet challenging step for Micheli. As a professionally trained chef, he balances honoring tradition with infusing his own culinary creativity. Signature dishes like the Pollo Portofino, have been “a favorite since day one,” he says, along with the Omaggi di Nettuno, a seafood combination, and the Bocconcini dello Chef, a rich stuffed-veal course.
Micheli takes pride in upholding his regions’ culinary essence, using authentic recipes and time-honored techniques. The Chef still gets to channel his vision, saying, “One of the unique features of Portofino are our nightly specials that rotate seasonally. That gives me the opportunity to perform my creativity on all the dishes that I want to do.”
Over recent decades, Crystal City has blossomed from its stature as a small, intimate neighborhood. “We’ve seen a lot of changes,” says Micheli. He remembers when parking was easy and restaurants were fewer. But through it all, Portofino has remained a comforting constant for locals and visitors. And visitors there are. Over the years, Chef Micheli has welcomed repeat customers from all over the country. “When people fly into D.C., they come in, once a month, every month for 10 years. They come here every time they come to D.C. Those are my regular customers. So, it’s very special in that way, because we have customers I keep in touch with, and they’re in Houston or they’re in Cleveland.” They come to Portofino from all over the country to dine like family.
When asked about the restaurant’s future, Micheli’s vision remains clear: stay true to family traditions while adapting to the evolving community. This year, the Portofino Restaurant celebrates 55 years in the business. For years to come, the Micheli family intends to continue to bring guests together, one plate of Pollo Portofino at a time.
*By Bianca Abbate – Bianca Abbate is a George Washington University law student and a recipient of a Robert
A. Facchina Italian Legacy Grant, administered by the Italian American Museum of Washington DC.
As published in the June 2025 issue of Voce Italiana
