O Fado

[galleygirl]

So, imagine this meal if you will...The epitome of peasantry, but every bite perfectly balanced...Six, fresh, plump sardines, grilled so they were seared crisp on the outside, so juicy inside each fillet just fell away from the bone, and the liver inside was still moist as well...The fish weer drizzled with a little mojo crudo, chopped parsley and vinegar, with very finely minced purple onion...The EVOO and salt brought out the rich flavor of the fish, the acid cut it, and the onion seemed almost sweet... The fish heads? So well-grilled that I tore each one off and ate it before I even began the fish. Crispy crunches of bone that melted in your mouth, around those lovely mouthfuls of tangy bits.

Black eyed peas were on the side, and these were crowned with chopped *white* onion...Again, genius...And next to all this was my favorite, the boiled white potatoes that always seem to taste different in Portuguese restaurants....

Mom had the Pork Alentejana; cubes of pork with clams, cooked in a salty wine and pepper sauce..She didn't need a knife for the pork, but couldn't finish the mound of fried potatoes on top of it..

Where? As if ya didn't know...O Fado. The blackmail that my parents use to lure me to Peabody....They only have the sardines at lunch, and the restaurant was empty, so we ate in the bar....

My last visit to O Fado was on a Monday night...

FYI, only the bar area is open on Mondays, and I'm talking 'bar' here, in the old sense, with plywood half-way up the walls, Keno game going on, and pool table...Regulars were chowing at said bar, one bellied up right to a caldeirada, so we knew the food was the usual home-cooking...Luckily, I was with such a peripatetic pair of eaters, that they felt right at home in the milieu, despite the fact that it was smoke-free(g)..

Our host gracuously spread fresh paper over one of the tables for us, and we were off...I don't know much about Portugese wine (except I usually don't care for it) so I put in an order for a carafe of the house white...The waiter said he had a bottle of Vinho Verde for the same price, which did nothing to excite me, because I detest the sweet fizz of Vinho Verde, too...But this, this was excellent!!! A producer called Alianca(cedilla? under the c) served up a bottle of absolutely dry, crisp effervescence, that brought to mind nothing but an excellent, dry cava...At $11 a bottle, who knows how reasonable this stuff is in one's neighborhood wine store?

We had to order right away, because the cook was leaving for the night, but not before he produced my favorite plate of stewed octopus, bathed in a slightly thicker sauce than normal, still mostly red wine, some green peppers for depth, tho not noticeable in the finished product, some tomato, lots of garlic, and that fatty richness that only octopus protein cooking down can give...Lacking salt, for some reason, but that was easily remedied...My only quibble was we were too late for boiled potatoes, my favorite accompaniment with this dish...Their chewy rice made up for that.

My companions indulged me in my need to try the Bacalhao a Braz here as well...Chunks of salt cod (strips in other places), tossed with strips of sauteed potato, strips of onion so carmelized that they looked like bacon, and parsley, all tossed with scrambled eggs. In other places, it had been toossed with strips of hard-boiled egg. No matter, this is Portugese comfort food, and a big plate of it (and it's only served in big plates!) would do wonders on a Sunday morning, if ya know what I mean...;) Made me think of a great batch of lox and eggs and onions...

The Porkadelphians also shared the Pork and Clams Alentejana, chunks of pork, and some clams in a salty, winey, spicy sauce, topped with so many Portugese potatoes another plate was required...

The leftover pork went home with the friends, the leftover bacalhao was my breakfast this morning...The bill? $67, including TWO bottles of the excellent Vinho Verde....

[johnnyd]

Omigawd!!!

That was delicious GGirl, thanks! I'll have to drive down and eat there soon. Is there real fado sung there at night sometimes?

[galleygirl]

They used to have a Fado singer on Friday and Saturday nites, but I'm not sure if they still do...I'll have to ask next time....

There was also a rabbit stew special on the menu that I tried to coerce Mom into ordering, but she had that Bugs Bunny issue...

Edited April 26, 2004 by galleygirl (log)

[WHS]

What's the address--I warming up the car!

[galleygirl]

Here's their website......

O Fado Homepage

[David Leite]

galleygirl,

Be still my heart. Being Portuguese I grew up on this stuff, and it's always wonderful to hear other liking our food. Can't say I love octopus stew much, but I swoon at the thought of bacalhau à Braz. When I was in Lisbon last year, I had some of the best I ever ate at Bota Alta in Bairro Alto. The restaurant, which means "high boot", is a classic and serves only comida authentica (sp). The dish was incredible. And to think I'm having penne alla vodka for dinner tonight. Gotta buy me some bacalhau tonight to soak overnight for tomorrow.

Best,

David

[galleygirl]

Have you got a good recipe for Bacalhao a Braz? It was my intro to Portuguese food (at Cafe Carioca, in NY) and I love it!

[David Leite]

I do, but can't give it out until after it's published, which will be early May. Will keep you posted!

David

[galleygirl]

Thanks! I bookmarked your wbsite, BTW....Those Portuguese recipes are on my must-try list...

[David Leite]

Thanks.

[David Leite]

Galleygirl,

The recipe will be in the next issue (June) of Bon Appétit. I wrote a piece on Lisbon called "Going Home to Lisbon." The recipe came from one of my favorite restaurants, Bota Alta, which means "high boot." It's in a neat neighborhood called Bairro Alto.

David