Chef Alfred Portale, after 34 years at the helm of the landmark Gotham Bar & Grill, set off to open his own restaurant in Chelsea. The menu at Portale explores classic Italian cuisine, taking inspiration from the country’s seasonally driven approach to ingredients, while intending to delight, restore, and evoke a sense of the modern Italian flare. The restaurant's interior design reflects a sleek metropolitan feel with homespun comfort.

The visual identity takes inspiration from mid-century Italian design, and is flourished by fundamental geometric forms to create a sense of comfort in modernity. After the branding was established, modest signage was installed on the landmarked Chelsea building, the collateral was sent to print, and the menu designs were finalized just in time for Portale's two-star review from the New York Times.