Louisiana recently lost three longtime restaurants with more than 150 combined years of history. The latest goodbyes include a 30-year Baton Rouge favorite, an award-winning New Orleans restaurant and an ambitious concept created by Emeril Lagasse and his son.
Portobello’s Grill in Baton Rouge
Portobello’s Grill served its final brunch Sunday, July 26, ending nearly 30 years in the Baton Rouge area. The owners announced the closure of the George O’Neal Road restaurant the following morning.
Kiva Guidroz opened the first Portobello’s in 1996 after growing up around two of the city’s prominent Italian restaurants. Chef Peter Sclafani, who had been consulting for the company, bought a 50% stake with his wife in 2020 and joined Guidroz as co-owner, and the new team revamped the brand’s identity, dining rooms and menus.
Portobello’s occupied a comfortable space between a casual neighborhood restaurant and a formal special-occasion destination. Its menu combined Louisiana flavors with Italian-American food, including pasta, steaks, seafood, salads and weekend brunch dishes…