Eric_Malson

Most of the ones I miss are hole-in-the-wall types...I definitely couldn't afford the fancier places until, well, relatively recently. I'll always have a soft place in my heart for Szechwan Cuisine at 40 East Broadway (or was it 30 East Broadway?). In the early '80's they were serving something much closer to actual Szechwan food than all those Empire Szechwans then popping up everywhere else in Manhattan. (It had kind of a cult following--it's possible this is the one used in the Woody Allen movie.) Also Say Eng Look, which I've mentioned elsewhere...they had some great Shanghai dishes that I've still never found on a restaurant menu anywhere else. There was a lovely little restaurant on Eighth Avenue, somewhere around 23rd St. that was around for about 5 minutes sometime circa 1984 called Q. It was a small, very comfortable yet upscale-in-feel place that served very well-prepared food that was sort of American-with-a-French-accent at VERY reasonable prices. My significant other at the time and I would go there whenever we could justify it to ourselves--we were dirt poor, but it was a tremendous value. I can still remember eating their delicious snails appetizer. I, too, miss Leshko's and the old Kiev. There was a lovely Japanese restaurant on 8th Street between 5th and 6th called Gate, ca. 1990. Perhaps it was not significantly different or better than many other Japanese places around, but something about it caught my fancy and I loved it. Oh, and Mappamondo--good, simple, inexpensive Italian food down by Abingdon Square.

If it is seafood you want, I would definitely not miss Mestre Zé (up the Estrada do Guincho about 10 minutes by car from Cascais....it sounds like you'll have a car). Their cataplana do marisco is probably my favorite restaurant dish in Portugal, and this from someone who feels deprived if his meal doesn't include a sizable slab of something almost bleeding! I really love Ginginha Transmontana, but their seafood offerings are very mainstream....the preparation is memorably good. Restaurante Pereira is very much an every-day, family kind of a place, and the food is high quality. So it depends, I suppose, on what you're in the mood for. In four years of living in the area, I never heard a thing about Beira Mar, which I find quite suggestive. I would just drive up the coast a few kilometers instead!

I just realized I lied in one of my posts above....my favorite restaurant in Caiscais is not, in fact, Restaurante Pereira, but Ginginha Transmontana. I don't how it slipped my mind before--perhaps because it's not in the center of Caiscais or near the water, but inland in a residential section called Alvide (Rua de Alvide, 366). It's a rather long, uphill walk from the center of Cascais, so it's best to take a cab (they're cheap)....if there is any question about the address, direct the cab driver to the Largo das Fontainhas. It's a tiny place (best to call ahead and reserve--214 832 655), with décor best described as "funky" (more like someone's garage sale or junk-filled basement). When you sit down, they will automatically bring you their house white wine and the house appetizer, mussels that have been steamed with white wine, onions, garlic, chouriço, and bacon. Accept them. They specialize in meats and seafood "grelhado na telha", or grilled on a roofing tile. They set up a piece of terra cotta roofing tile on a salver on which to grill filet mignons the size of softballs, lobster, squid, shrimp, fish, etc. over flaming aguardente (brandy). When it is brought to the table, garlic butter is liberally applied, and, in the case of seafood, lemon, to douse the flames. They also do a killer chanfana (kid goat stewed with red wine, onions, chouriço). It'll run you about 35-40 Euros a head, and well worth it. Closed Sundays. johnnyd is absolutely right--Sintra IS truly magical. I think the glowing phrases Lord Byron wrote about it are still true almost two centuries later. The obligatory food experience in Sintra is the pastry shop Casa da Piriquita (R. Padarias 1, right across the street from the Paço Real with its huge, conical chimneys). It's famous for its queijadas--small, sweet, cheese-and-egg tarts, but my favorite offering there is the travesseiros--a variation on the perpetual pastry-with-sweetened-egg theme, but this has a lighter, flakier pastry and lighter hand with the sweetened eggs than most. They're baked with a dusting of cinnamon and granulated sugar....warm from the oven, they are heavenly. If you want a real meal in Sintra, just a couple of doors up the from Piriquita is an excellent and reasonably priced restaurant, Alcobaça. As always with such places, I say peruse the pratos do dia--they usually ain't the daily specials for nothing!

There's a cart on the SE corner of 67th and Broadway that makes just about the best chicken pita sandwiches I've ever tried. The other stuff looks good, too (especially the falafel) but I always get that chicken sandwich. He's only there weekdays until 4 or 4:30. I love those meat- and vegetable-filled emapanada-like things sold on tables outside Russian restaurants, bakeries and delis along Brighton Beach Ave. under the elevated tracks. A good cheburek really kicks ass!

As I write this, I'm in a hotel in Cleveland (somewhat of a cultural shock for now-pretty-firmly-transplanted New Yorker me), and thought I recalled posting something about favorite Cleveland restaurants. I feel compelled to update, because I finally made it back to one of my old-time favorites last evening. After several attempts on various trips to Cleveland, I finally managed to have a meal at Ali-Baba, and I'm happy--thrilled, even--to report that nothing has changed. They still serve the best Middle Eastern food I have ever tasted, and it is still dirt cheap. Every time I try any new Middle Eastern place, I always hope that it will be as good as Ali-Baba, and every time, without exception, I am disappointed. One should definitely call ahead to be sure they're open: 216-251-2040. As for the other places mentioned in my post above, I've been back to some in recent years. In brief: Balaton: Doing just fine at the new Shaker Square location. The prices went up a bit, but it is still a bargain considering the high quality of the cooking and the huge portions. The food is every bit as sensational as ever. I hear Presti's donuts has changed name (and ownership) but is still doing things the same way. I went to Bo Loong last year and it's not NEARLY as good as it used to be 15 years ago... huge disappointment. Although I still lament the demise of Miller's Dining Room and the original George's Diner, it's good to know that at least some great things are still around to enjoy! Edited to add: Watch out for capricious closing times at Balaton! I just tried to go here tonight, and despite a posted closing time of 8:00 p.m., was greeted upon our 7:15 arrival with the information that the kitchen closed at 7:00 (!--who the hell eats dinner at 6:30, besides people trying to make shows or senior citizens in Florida?). I just hate that, and despite the fact I know TWO different ways to say "f*ck your mother!" in Hungarian, I thought I showed admirable restraint in managing not to utter either one of them. It appears that becsi szelet will have to wait for a future trip to Cleveland, preferably the far distant future. Instead, my friend and I repaired to a restaurant on the opposite side of Shaker Square, a relative newcomer called Fire. The gimmick here--but it's a good one--is the use of a tandoor oven to cook most of the main dishes. This produced a wonderful "roasted" rib-eye, and a truly spectacular pork chop--the second-best I have ever tasted (the first place one is pretty much untouchable, consumed in A Coruña about 10 years ago). High-quality (of course) organic pork, brined in apple cider and spices, then a mustard dry-rub and roasted in the tandoor...unbelievably good. Well worth checking out if you're in the area--especially if Balaton screws you over.

*Sigh*...undoubtedly. I just ran across this thread (I've been far too pre-occupied with other crap to pay much attention to eGullet for far too long...)--I somehow hadn't heard about this place before this moment, and I have to try it NOW!! So the spontaneous decision has been made to go tonight. Edited, a few hours later: I went, with Pan who graciously agreed to accompany me, even though he wasn't particularly hungry. Stuck to recommendations from elsewhere on this thread--halim (delicious, and I've never had anything quite like it) and chicken dopeaja (also quite tasty, if extremely tame in the spice department). Pan got a vegetable kurma that I would give about a B-plus...nicely prepared, but I've had much better and more interesting kurmas elsewhere. The paratha bread was way above average, second only to Mitali's a few doors away, in my experience. In fact, I thought the food was generally on about the same level as Mitali's, with Angon having the advantage of many more unusual and interesting dishes (kurma excepted).

Hmmm... other favorites. Well, if you have a car, I would highly recommend driving up the Estrada do Guincho from Cascais. The road runs along the coast, so the drive is beautiful, and there are loads of restaurants along the way. A mile or two before you get to Guincho, on the left, is a restaurant called Mestre Zé. Naturally, it specializes in seafood, but the cataplana de marisco is really spectacular... one of my favorite dishes in all of Portugal (theirs, not cataplana de marisco in general). Well worth the trip, and the high price tag--it is expensive. If you want to reserve (not absolutely necessary, but a good idea on weekends), telephone is 214 870 275. Speaking of cataplana, that calls to mind another restaurant I have enjoyed very much....it's not the most spectacular cooking in the city, but it's very good. What's special about it is the setting, and you'll be going at the perfect time of year for it. It's tucked in a quiet praça in the Alfama district, and if you're eating at an outside table, it feels like you and your companions are in your very own time and space--it's difficult to explain, but at least the night I was there, it felt like its own reality somehow. They've put fairy lights around, which adds to the atmosphere. Now, normally I would roll my eyes at something like that, but here it's utterly charming. And the food is good....the cataplana de borrego (lamb stew cooked in a cataplana) I had was better than good. It's called Lautasco, Beco do Azinhal, 7. Tel: 218 860 173 (it's a good idea to reserve). My best suggestion for finding wonderful things to enjoy while you're in Portugal, however, is the following (I don't know how well you know the workings of the site, so forgive me if I'm stating the obvious): 1) find a post by Miguel Cardoso 2) click on his name to view his Member Profile 3) click on the "Find member's posts" link, and 4) read every post of his having to do with Portugal. His posts are crammed with wonderful insights, recommendations, and just great tidbits of information I would have never learned any other way. I have never even heard of Santini, which only means that it did not exist before 1997, which is the year I moved back to the States from Lisbon. And since I've only been back 4 or 5 times since then, I've never run across it....somehow it never occurred to me to go looking for gelato in Portugal!

Ask and ye shall receive.... In Cascais: Restaurante Beira-Mar (<-- link) -- Rua das Flores, No. 6. From the Cascais train station building, turn left as you exit, and continue across the traffic circle onto the street that will take you in the direction closest to a straight line as possible, one more block and left on Rua Frederico Arouca....Rua das Flores will be to the left. Tel: 214 827 380. Closed Tuesdays. I never ate here, but I'm pretty sure it's on the expensive side. Restaurante Pereira -- Rua da Bela Vista, No. 92. From the Cascais train station, head out straight ahead, and continue as straight ahead as possible, through the (different from above) traffic circle and still straight through the Jardim Visconde da Luz, hang a right and head up the hill on Rua da Bela Vista. Tel: 214 831 215. Closed Thursdays. This was my favorite restaurant in Cascais (my favorite Portuguese restaurants tended to be the ones closest in spirit to dining with a family), and I can't tell you how many times I would forget and try to go there on a Thursday! If I were you I would try to go on a Friday or Saturday....in places like this (indeed, most Portuguese restaurants) your first consideration should be the pratos do dia (daily specials). Here, Friday's are entrecosto assado no forno (oven-roasted pork ribs) and feijoada à transmontana (a hearty stew of red beans and various pork products). Saturday they have my favorite Portuguese dish, galinha de cabidela (chicken stewed with giblets, then rice cooked in the stewing liquid, finished with chicken blood). The house specialty is arroz de pato (baked duck rice). Cheap. In Lisbon, I'll stick to the ones I actually know: Restaurante A Coutada -- Rua de Bempostinha, No. 18. Tel: 218 852 054. Closed Sundays. I've written about this place in about as much detail as I can at the moment on another eGullet thread, which can be found here (post #7). I seriously used to eat here at least once, and often twice, a week when I lived there, and it has the best quality/price ratio of any restaurant I know of in Lisbon. I also found out the English name of the fish used in the wonderful arroz de corvina: croaker, or meagre fish (that means exactly nothing to me....never encountered it here). It certainly is delicious as prepared by the Portuguese; I've also had it baked (or roasted) with vegetables. O Coreto de Carnide -- Rua Neves Costa, No. 57 (in Carnide, near the metro station). Tel: 217 152 372. Closed Sunday. See the same thread as above. Restuarante A Cabrita -- Rua Cândido dos Reis, 87. Tel: 212 751 780. According to the latest on-line Portuguese yellow pages listing, they are now closed on Wednesdays. For the rest, see the same thread as above. You'll be there at a good time to have sardinhas assadas....I'm envious. If you still need more info about the others, a couple of good on-line sources of bare-bones data are a) Google, and b) Yellow Pages - Portugal. b) can be a little tricky to use, but generally the less information typed into the search fields, the better off you'll be getting results. The "English version" actually works pretty well (link at the bottom of the page). Go to "Advanced Search", pick one word in the restaurant name for "name", put "Restaurants" in "Activity", and "Lisbon" for "Location".

Shun Hop Sing? I love that place! Sun Hop Sing happens to be my favorite place for dim sum, but not because I've tried all that many (I used to love that place on Doyers--forget the name, but it's got loads of Old New York character, and I'm told moviemakers, such as Woody Allen, shoot in there frequently--but the last time I was there the food I was served was pretty lousy), but because one day I happened across it, and three salient features were enough to win me over: 1) Their stuff just LOOKED good...it didn't apear to have been sitting around forever, and luckily this was borne out in the eating of it--quite tasty! 2) It wasn't ridiculously crowded, and was quite comfortable for perpetually-solo, crowd-hating old me. I've tried to go to Golden Unicorn and Oriental Palace (both of which I hear are quite good) in the past, and just couldn't deal with the teeming hordes of the unwashed masses. 3) It contains in its name the name of the Chinese cook from Gunsmoke (Hop Sing).

Have you written about this place in Badalona, Eric, or is it a secret you must be tortured to disclose? :-) I finally got around to posting about this place on this thread here. Sorry it took so long, but life got in the way BIG time. Asola, if you end up trying (or perhaps you already know the place), I'd love to know your thoughts on it!

Inspired by Asola's mention of "grandmother food", this seems like as good a thread as any to mention the restaurant where, during my last trip to Spain, I had my best meal(s) by far: La Llar de l'all i oli, in Badalona. In its way, this place is a monument to good ingredients. The cooking is simple and, from what little I know about Catalan cooking, utterly traditional. The obvious care that goes into the preparation results in food that is much greater than the sum of its parts. Standard on every table are a slice or two of toasted bread, some ripe tomatoes (probably from a nearby--or on site--garden) and a cruet of olive oil to make one of the most inspired snacks on earth, pa amb tomàquet. This is accompanied by a little pot of all i oli (palpably homemade, as is everything here, and stupendous). I began my first meal with a sopa caselona, which turned out to be a rich chicken broth with fideus (noodles). I don't know how they did it, but it was the most delicious soup of that sort I think I've ever had. This was followed by a paletilla de Huesca, which was a whole leg of baby lamb that had been coated with chopped fresh herbs and finely diced vegetables and baked in the oven. It's difficult not to keep harping on the high quality and freshness of the ingredients--the accompanying potatoes HAD to be from someone's garden there...simply done, and unbelievably delicious. I couldn't resist trying crema catalana in such a place and it was, predictably, the best I have ever tried. I went back the very next night and had another equally wonderful meal, this time beginning with a simple grilled chorizo, but naturally of the highest quality, accompanied by more of those marvelous potatoes. Somehow, this truly transcended the sum of its parts, don't ask me how. This was followed by galtes a la brasa, or grilled pork cheeks. The only adjective for this is "wonderful"...I'm at a loss to describe them--they just need to be experienced. The house wine is, fortunately, just fine (and often the only sensible option for the perpetually solo diner like myself). Badalona is an easy 15-minute train ride (on the number 1 cercanía line) from the center of Barcelona. As you exit the front of the Badalona train station, turn left and go 4 or 5 blocks until you reach carrer Conquesta, and turn right. The restaurant is about 3 blocks up, on the left (No. 87) Closed Sunday nights and Mondays, it's a good idea to call ahead and reserve, especially on the weekends: 93 383 53 07.

Interesting. I've ridden past the sign for La Casona on the main road countless times and always wondered about it, but my Asturiano friend/food maven wasn't acquainted with it. Casa Pili's fame may not have spread much beyond Laviana, but it is definitely known there among the locals. If anyone reading this thread ever does try El Cañal, I would love a report!

If you like sleepy little towns and lamb, have I got the place for you.... I'm a huge fan of the mountain food of Asturias, and while it's certainly not the best place in Spain for roast baby lamb, there's still some pretty great lamb, and, especially, kid goat (cabrito), there. One of my favorite corners of the province for this sort of thing is the concejo of Laviana. If you go to the capital of the concejo, Pola de Laviana, follow AS-17 a bit farther east, then turn south on AS-252 to Villoria (just a few kilometers). Follow signs to the little village of La Redondina, then park the car. The hot spot in town is a restaurant called Casa Pili. On weekends, they make cordero a la estaca (spit-roasted lamb). As I recall (it's been several years), it's not baby lamb, but it's pretty kick-ass anyway. The whole place is a real scene....a lively bar and a huge, noisy bustling comedor. The night I was there, there was a band which included, if memory serves, both an Asturian bagpiper AND an accordion! The food was great (although I've heard a rumor that it's gone a bit downhill in recent years....still, it's almost inconceivable to me that it has slipped so much that it wouldn't still be well worth a visit), and definitely a setting like no other. I would absolutely call ahead, if I were you, to be sure that you go on a night that they have cordero a la estaca: 985 615 445. This is an extremely beautiful part of Spain, and a little investigation will more than repay the effort. 3 or 4 more kilometers to the east of Pola de Laviana on AS-17 are Lorio and Soto de Lorio (almost more like "rural neighborhoods" than villages). I was told by a very reliable source that there was a restaurant in Lorio or Soto de Lorio where one could eat very well...my source, unfortunately, could not remember the name of this restaurant, but I believe it to be El Cañal in Soto de Lorio (or in some listings, El Condado--they're very near neighbors). The day I was exploring the area it was, naturally, closed, but it did look quite promising. It specializes in both cabrito and cordero al horno (oven-roasted kid goat and lamb). Tel: 985 614 051. There is some great hiking right around here, too, if long walks along streams and through lush, green hills are your idea of a good way to spend the afternoon. The locally famous Ruta del Alba begins in the neighboring concejo of Sobrescobio, in the pueblo Soto de Agües. There's webpage with a description, and some enticing photographs here. Another page with other rutas in Laviana can be found here. Personally, if I could, I would make every effort possible to be in the concejo of Quirós on the first Sunday of July for the Fiesta del Cordero, in Prau Llagüezos, situated on the Alto de La Cobertoria, on the border of the concejo de Lena. Some more info on that can be found here.

Paco, You probably know about the Guías Azules series of Spanish guidebooks already. I find the one for Asturias to be especially good for restaurants--I have rarely been steered wrong by their information, and most of the really good places to eat are mentioned by them. El Molín de la Pedrera sounds like just my kind of place, and sure enough, there's a nice little mention in the Guía Azul... I definitely plan to try it next time I'm in Cangas. Cangas is actually a pretty good town for restaurants... the main drag, Avda. Covadonga has quite a few of them lined up there. I had a plate of lentejas at Los Arcos once that was so good I still remember it 10 years later. And Paco, if you decide that your driving itinerary will include the concejo of Caso, PM me and I'll tell you about a restaurant there that is, I think, exactly what you are looking for, and one of my most treasured finds.

I spent a couple of days in Villaviciosa in June and found a couple of most excellent restaurants there. I posted about them, but since I can't quite figure out how to link to it here, I'll just copy and paste the relevant paragraphs here: And since you're going to be in the general area, I think you absolutely should not miss Casa Morán (in Puente Nuevo, south of Llanes on AS-115 between Posada and Robellada Tel: 985 844 006). The specialty of the house is fabada con pantruque--the traditional Asturian bean stew with the unusual twist of adding pantruque, a kind of bulk sausage-like substance made from corn flour, onion, bacon, parsley, paprika, and egg, typical of that particular 15-km. or so radius--something you definitely won’t eat anywhere else in the world! The gracious hostess and proprietor makes a killer arroz con leche for dessert. And not at all expensive! If you're going to be driving toward the Picos de Europa, I would recommend continuing past Arenas de Cabrales another 13 km. or so on AS-114 to eat at Casa Julián. An excellent, moderately-priced restaurant in an incredibly beautiful part of Asturias, it's difficult to go wrong here (if in doubt, ask Julián), but don't miss the patatas rellenas de carne.

I feel compelled to put in my $.02 here and second the Matosinhos recommendation....my favorite is the Marisqeuira Mauritânia (Rua Brito e Cunha, 119. Tel. 22 938 06 35). I was first taken there by the extremely cultured and gracious man that ran the concert series I was playing on in Matosinhos. It was the first of many wonderful meals I had in that establishment: the food was so good I simply couldn't work up enough interest to go anywhere else. Interestingly, although the seafood is excellent, their meat dishes are extraordinary. You can't go wrong with the pratos do dia here....they're listed, day by day, here, and I tell you reading it is enough to give me some serious saudades.

One of my favorite ways to enjoy chorizos is in patatas a la riojana, a simple of stew of, basically, potatoes and chorizo. (From another Penelope Casas recipe) Peel about 4 pounds of new potatoes and "break" them into about 2-inch pieces by pulling them apart with a partially-inserted knife (NOT slicing them, and yes, it makes a difference). In a big pot, saute 2 medium onions, 2 red bell peppers, and 2 green bell peppers and 2 cloves of garlic, all finely chopped, in olive oil for 2 or 3 minutes, then cover and cook slowly for another 15 minutes (I like to add a finely chopped carrot or two toward the end of this step, but it's strictly optional). Add the potatoes and a pound of sliced chorizo and saute over a medium flame for 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of good Spanish paprika, then 3 cups of chicken broth, and a cup and a half of water, a dried red chili pepper and 10 peppercorns, bring to a boil, then cook uncovered over a medium flame for about 20 minutes. Make a paste of 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 tbsps. minced parsley and some salt, and when the 20 minutes are up, stir into the soup and continue cooking another 15 minutes (or more, or less, depending on how the potatoes are doing--they should be cooked but not mushy). Cover and let stand for another 5 minutes before serving.

I completely agree with this....I've never had a bad meal there, either. It's certainly not billing itself as any sort of "destination" restaurant. And depending on what you order and the night, the food can be far better than "pretty good". The rigatoni country-style and the Tuesday night double-rack of lamb special are pretty consistently wonderful....not haute cuisine, certainly, but damn good food. And the chocolate chip bread pudding is probably my favorite dessert in North America. As for overrated (although I don't hear too many people talking about it these days): I was never more disappointed in a restaurant, in relation to the ridiculous hype, than my meal at Ouest.

Creative? If you want creative, go to France or El Bulli or someplace like that. But it's worth hunting down good versions of the traditional Madeiran dishes which, at their best, can be very good indeed. The traditional tomato and onion soup (sopa de tomate e cebola) is a marvelous soup: a thick soup of--yes--tomatoes and onions, thickened with stale bread cubes and served with a poached egg. It is always seasoned with fresh segurelha, or savory. It's surprisingly difficult to find a really good version of this soup, but it's worth taking some trouble for. For me, the most inspired Madeiran specialty is one that couldn't be simpler--the espetada (often called espetada regional). Cubes of beef skewered on a bay laurel branch, seasoned with coarse salt, garlic and a bit of chopped bay leaf. Grilled over a wood fire, preferably one that includes dry bay laurel branches, is, at its best, much more than the sum of its separate ingredients. (Beef on a stick.....harrumph!) Definitely seek out a good bolo de caco while you're at it... round mini-loaves of a bread (often made with sweet potatoes) cooked on a hot stone (the caco in question). With all the peixe espada you were subjected to, I hope you at least tried it prepared my favorite way, de Vinha-d'Alhos. If you're going to have a car, the best meal I had by far on Madeira was in a village called Estreito, which is about 5 km above Câmara de Lobos, at a restaurant called Santo António. Really great espetada and bolo de caco. Personally, although it may not be the most amazing culinary experience on the planet, I would also not want to miss what is essentially a mountain inn called Casa de Abrigo do Poiso, above Monte on the way to the Pico de Arieiro. On a cold day, it's wonderful to sit by the fireplace and sip poncha (a sort-of Madeirense version of the caipirinha) and nosh on some traditional fare.

My curiosity finally got the better of me, so I dug up an on-line map of Évora to see if it was indeed O Antão.....since I vaguely remember the location of my mystery restaurant (not even a restaurant, more like an adega....anyway, quite informal) I can state with certainty at least that i was not O Antão. From a list of restaurants, judging by addresses, some possibilities might be A Choupana, Café Alentejo, or O Forcado. But like I said, I really don't remember. I guess a return trip is in order....

Miguel, as a former resident I find this post in particular incredibly interesting. Thank you for articulating some things about the Portuguese of which I had some vague intimations but could never completely formulate in my mind. In a way, I'm the opposite of you, I suppose. One might call me an "anti-tourist"... no matter how much I may like a place, it seems I can almost never abandon myself completely to sheer enjoyment of it like you do. When I was living in Portugal, my outlook tended to be much more akin to your father's than yours (well, minus the pain and sadness....just a lot of annoyance). It seems that only now, now that I no longer live there, can I fully appreciate (through the rosy glasses that correct ones hindsight to something close to 20/20 vision) what a wonderful place Portugal is to spend some time. And it seems I'm like that anywhere I go. (For starters, no one that knows me would ever characterize my disposition as "sunny"!) Even now living in New York--the only place I've ever lived that actually felt like "home"--the city irritates me as much as it delights me. But the second I leave--it's the best place to be on earth!

Funny....that's the thread that led me to eGullet in the first place! The member posted the same request on the Chowhound boards, and when I replied he e-mailed me and told me I was the only reply on two boards. "TWO?", I asked... at the time, I hadn't heard of any other message boards for people seriously into food. He directed me here, and the rest, as they say.... (I completely stopped hanging out on the Chowhound boards shortly after that) In my response, I suggested he check out El Mosquito (which you now already know about thanks to vserna), Sibaris (Av. Garcia Barbón, 122; tel. 986 221 526--I'm assuming it's still there), which I've never been to but has a good reputation, and, if you can at least get out to a nearby beach, Cíes, on the Canido beach (tel. 986 490 101). It used to be one of the best seafood options in Vigo.... I'm assuming it still is, but vserna would know better--I haven't been to Vigo in almost 8 years. Near Cíes, Kremlin is also well-known. Near El Mosquito are also Neptuno (Av. Montero Ríos, 40) and Carballeira (good parrillada de mariscos, or mixed seafood grill, here--Av. Montero Ríos, 36; tel. 986 222 189). The poster in question ended up going to Carballeira (he was there for only one day), and loved it.

Miguel is, of course, right about O Fialho in Évora--if you're going to be there, you must try it, no question. Although, I must admit that I was not completely enchanted.... in fact, I enjoyed much more a meal I had in a more typical, working-class joint off the main square. Naturally, I can't remember the name of the place. This is not to detract from the very high quality that O Fialho is known for--it's more a reflection of my taste in restaurants. I'm so glad you're going to Viana do Castelo--I find that place utterly charming. The last time I was there, the consensus was that one of the best bets in town for a good meal was Os Três Potes (it's pretty easy to find in the old part of town--Beco dos Fornos, 7, closed Mondays). I had some really spectacular rojões there, along with, if memory serves, excellent papas de sarrabulho (for you pig's-blood lovers out there!).

Um, the braised beef with chili sauce at the 9th Ave./51st St. location is pretty consistently about the spiciest thing on the menu, so I wouldn't say it's the dish itself--just that location's version!

I'll check in with the Portuguese terms I remember. These apply to the Lisbon area... some of these terms are different in the north. Um café: an espresso-style coffee, served in a small espresso cup. In Lisbon, this is called, as often as not, uma bica. A café duplo, or bica dupla, is a double shot Um café curto: a short shot (ristretto). Also called uma italiana. Uma bica cheia, or um café cheio: a long shot of espresso. Uma carioca: a bica with hot water. I seem to remember this is also called an americano (it's not something I ever ordered). Um garoto: a bica with hot milk. This is a normal shot (which fills about half the espresso cup), filled the rest of the way with milk, so it ends up being about half coffee, half milk. Garoto is Portuguese slang for "kid" (as in child). Um galão: a bica with hot milk served in a glass tumbler. This is basically one shot of coffee and the rest milk, so it ends up being quite milky. Uma meia de leite: essentially a galão served in an American-style coffee cup. Um café pingado (uma bica pingada): an espresso with just a splash of milk. You may be asked if you want your leite quente or frio (hot or cold milk). My daily breakfast drink of choice was a bica dupla pingada.