Portabella’s In Foley Reopens Under New Management

Portabella’s in Foley quietly closed in March, and now, Rich and Pam Lee are the new owners of the restaurant, which reopened at the end of June, Gulf Coast Media reports. Rich Lee has been cooking for the past 40 years, recently serving as the executive chef for New Orleans’ oldest restaurant, Antoine’s Restaurant, and Dickie Brennan & Co., also in New Orleans. During his tenure with Dickie Brennan & Co., Rich Lee served as the catering chef for all the groups’ restaurants before taking the position of chef de cuisine of the company’s flagship restaurant, Palace Café. Little has changed on Portabella’s menu, but Rich Lee experiments with the specials. He also added gluten-free pasta and pizza. The purchase also included a second restaurant just behind Portabella’s that was once known as The Oar House. It has been closed for many years and used as storage. The plan is for this space, which will be known as Bella’s Too, to be used for parties, business luncheons and group dinners. Rich Lee also hopes to eventually offer monthly cooking classes.