7 - Alentejo - Grândola
"A Lanterna" shines
Alentejo is a region with many great culinary offerings to share with its visitors. After visiting quite a few, "A Lanterna" standouts as one of their best traditional restaurants. Once seated, a selection of appetizers just seem to land on the table before you’ve even had the time to think about what to order.
"A Lanterna" shines
The aged cheese is delicious, the octopus salad a must-have, the pataniscas de bacalhau are awesome, the wild mushrooms exquisite, the chouriço and morcela will drive your palate to heaven, and don’t get us started on the olives. These starter offerings may change depending on the season, but the quality and freshness never disappoint.
It can be hard to choose the wine (we had a nice white) because their selection is extensive and mostly from the local region. The prices are reasonable and if you just can’t decide what to have, ask for advice, you won’t regret it. The next step is selecting the main dishes. You’ll get a generous serving of food no matter what you choose, so be prepared to share with your tablemates.
Beyond the Arroz de Feijão com Bacalhau e Espinafres, there’s a lot of other tasty local specialities on their menu. There are also the desserts, many of them traditional, on the off chance you still have room. Their selection of Aguardentes (a Portuguese distilled drink) helps you finish the meal with class. Find yourself a good designated driver and make a stop in Grândola on your way out west to the beach.
6 - Algarve - Cabanas de Tavira and Cacela Velha
Marisco Meridional
3.1 - Cheese Delight
We ended up choosing the Camembert, the Triple Brie and a Petit Déjeuner, a small and delicious cow cheese. With a lovely setting, great cheese and a friendly relaxed atmosphere, it is a must-visit. Their is evidence of the numerous awards they have won all over the store, and we bet there are more to come.
2 - Lisboa, Portugal.
6 - Algarve - Cabanas de Tavira and Cacela Velha
Marisco Meridional
After the Algarve region experienced a chaotic tourist boom starting in the 80’s, it became hard to find good places to eat without having to wait in line for hours for quickly cooked mediocre food. Thankfully though, you can still find good places with lovingly prepared traditional food, most of them far from the cities and big hotel resorts.
On this visit, we were in the eastern part of Algarve and stayed in Cabanas de Tavira, in the Ria Formosa natural park. Being an environmentally protected area didn’t stop some resorts from being built right by the water, but the difficulty of access to this part of Algarve helped both to maintain its identity and to keep the seafood and fish prices reasonable.
Cacela Velha is a small town in the eastern part of the Ria facing the Island of Cabanas. Like other parts of Algarve, this location used to be famous for Tuna fishing and canning. Lucky for us, a small community of traditional fishermen still bring fresh fish to the local markets. They continue to farm oysters and other shellfish in the warm and clean waters of the Ria which has helped put Cacela Velha on the culinary map. A few miles from Cacela Velha, you can find the town of Fábrica, which was named for an old fish factory. Once here, you must go straight to O Costa, a restaurant with a huge patio and lots of good fish and fresh local seafood.
We started with a montanheira salad which included small pieces of tomato, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, garlic and oregano all tossed in olive oil. It’s served on ice and is perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day.
Along with that we enjoyed “arroz de lingueirão” and oysters so fresh that were still alive. No Algarvian meal is complete without a healthy serving of their traditional bread and amazing olives, and they didn’t disappoint. The wine menu is good, the fish fresh and the prices reasonable. After your meal you can walk to the beach just in front of you, feel the warm water of the Ria and watch some of the rare birds, crabs and fish that frolick there.
We started with a montanheira salad which included small pieces of tomato, bell pepper, onion, cucumber, garlic and oregano all tossed in olive oil. It’s served on ice and is perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day.
5 - Santa Rosa and Marshall, California
5.1- From Russian with Love
If you find the time to research beer online, you’ll learn that there are a lot of people with a lot of opinions about it. When you google BEER the first result after Wikipedia is beeradvocate site where you can find all sorts of beer ratings. You can also get a lot more information on the site ratebeer. Apparently, there are a lot of people that like to spend their time writing about and reviewing beer. We have to admit that our curiosity was peaked about a Brewery that seemed to be on almost every best beer list.
The Russian River Brewing Company is in Santa Rosa, north from San Francisco and near to the wine country. We where hoping for the Pliny the Younger, a 11% IPA that scores very well in several rating and it’s number one on beeradvocate. Unfortunately, they finished it the week prior and we were left with Pliny the Elder, a 8% IPA which was a great addition to a nice afternoon and some great eats. The tastings could be dangerous and we definitely recommend sharing.
There’s 19 beers to taste, from the watery pilsen to the terribly sour barrel aged ones that after 5 minutes at room temperature get close to being undrinkable. We don’t claim to be experts, but we know what we like and this brewery’s wide range of offerings will please just about any palate.
The food was a step above typical pub-style fare and they also had some great pizza options. With live music, good food, and tasty beer it’s a win-win for everyone. Go there, it’s worth the wait. Ours included 15 minutes outside and about 45 more to get a table. The good news is you can taste while you wait, and before you know it’s table time.
5.2 - Love Shuck
The drive to Marshall alone is worth all the wonderful green-hilled views you’ll enjoy, and just when you think it can’t get any better you come upon the bay and The Hog Island Oyster Company.
The concept is simple, The Hog Island Oysters Co. is a oyster farm that has a small boat-shaped bar and a picnic table area where you can enjoy the freshest oysters you will ever get. You’ll need to make a reservation as there are only a couple of tables for first come first serve basis.
You can reserve your table and the grill along side for a period of 3 hours and it’s best to plan ahead since you can tell that the place is starting to be popular. Amazing oysters and wonderful bay views are clearly attracting more and more oyster lovers.
The day we visited you could choose between the 4 or 5 different varieties that they usually have. They are offered by the dozen or fifty at a time. The oysters come on a plastic tray covered in ice with an attached oyster knife, safety glove, some lemons and you’re ready to go. You can learn how to shuck them pretty quickly but be careful not to hurt yourself with the knife. We watched a youtube tutorial ahead of time, which helped.
We brought along a full picnic spread and it seemed everyone else there did as well. In case you forgot your beer your wine, you can get them at the “boat” bar along with a small offering of picnic supplies. If you don’t want to try your luck opening the oysters you can also get them pre-shucked at the bar, but you’ll pay a bit more for those. We ended up not grilling them, they were so fresh that no more than lemon, and an occasional bit of spicy sauce (tapatio, sriracha etc.) was used. In time we will surely experiment with more oyster sauces and our own recipes but for now all we needed was some lemons.
The views of Lairds Landing and the Tomales Bay, the sea breeze and all the birds make it a perfect scenario for an extremely enjoyable day. The quality of the oysters, the price and service makes it a mandatory stop for any oyster lover. After the first time you won’t be able to stay away.
4 - Sonoma, California
Be my Valentine: Gloria Ferrer and her neighbor the Jacuzzi Family
Like almost all important things, the first sparkling wine in Champagne was created by fluke. As bottles exploded and corks flew across the room, the Benedictine monks started to call it Le vin du diable (The devils wine). Today, five centuries later and ten thousands miles away in the Californian Carneros region, we can sit in the sun overlooking the vineyards of Gloria Ferrer and be grateful for happy accidents.
We were enjoying a sunny Saturday drive down Highway 121 and once we realized what was on our path we had to make a stop. The patio was buzzing with activity, but were still able to find a great spot to enjoy the view. Surrounded by lovely flowers and an amazing view of the grapes below, it would be easy to enjoy the scene for hours.
So far we’ve only tried the Brut and the Blanc de Noirs, both of which are a mix of around 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Chardonnay, but we hope to taste more from their selection soon. It’s moderately priced and the quality and flavour far exceed expectations. They kindly offered us some tasty roasted almonds to enjoy with our bottle.
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| Jacuzzi Cellars |
If your in need of a snack afterwards, head across the street to Jacuzzi Family vineyards for an olive oil tasting. The inventors of the bubbling tub produce nice olive oils and wines at reasonable prices. We enjoyed the Merlot Rosso Di Sette Fratelli so much that we had to bring a bottle with us.
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| Jacuzzi Courtyard |
Even if you can’t make it over to the Carneros region you can bring home a bottle of Gloria Ferrer to enjoy with your loved one. It’s the perfect choice for Valentine’s day or any old day of the year.
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3 - Petaluma, California
3.1 - Cheese Delight
The map told us to turn right and took us to a beautiful narrow road where a true Mediterranean landscape surrounded us in cheerful tones of greens capped off with a blue January sky. Farms, sheep, horses and cows gave more color to the hills, transforming each curve into a new masterpiece. Around the next corner, a little valley appeared and a tiny factory and a little lake welcomed us to the Marin French Cheese Company.
Near the parking lot you can find tables and plenty of shade for a picnic. Trees surround the lake while ducks wander close by. We could of easily spent a couple hours just admiring the water and the oak covered hills around us, but there was cheese to taste.
The store is small but the extensive selection makes the trip worth it. They had numerous sales specials going with many of their cheeses available to sample, but it was still hard choose to choose only a few. You can find everything you might need for your picnic; a huge collection of gourmet jams, chutneys, salsas, bread, wine and even cold beer.
3.2 - Beer Bliss
Near the old downtown of Petaluma you can find one of the best springs of Californian IPA’s flowing. We’d been hearing about the place for awhile from a couple of friends, and since it was one of their birthdays, it was the perfect excuse. The scent of malt in the air and the huge trucks everywhere holding hops are proof that you’re in the right place.
On the weekends, there are guided tours through the Lagunitas brewery at 1, 3 and 5pm. We ended up delaying the tour for next time so that we could focus on the tastings. A transparent tent covers the beer garden where long wooden tables welcome the visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. Inside there is a large bar with an extensive selection of beers on tap, a seating area and a small stage.
On the weekends, there are guided tours through the Lagunitas brewery at 1, 3 and 5pm. We ended up delaying the tour for next time so that we could focus on the tastings. A transparent tent covers the beer garden where long wooden tables welcome the visitors on a first-come, first-served basis. Inside there is a large bar with an extensive selection of beers on tap, a seating area and a small stage.
Their fare includes sandwiches, soups, salads and the all-familiar appetizers, but the most important part of the menu, is the beer list. They carry several beers that can only be found at the brewery as well as many seasonal and special offerings. The tastings are a bargain at USD$5 and include 4 tastes of your choice from their entire spread of beers.
Suddenly, the table was covered by a large spectrum of colors, from the light yellow of the Pils to the dark black of the Cappuccino Stout. The Maximus got some good reviews amongst the tasters and the Imperial Red was also a favorite. They have a beer for every palate from the light and sweet, to the dark and nutty, and all the way across to the hoppy max. The worst part of our visit was having to leave the Lagunitas wonderland. We will definitely be back for our very next un-birthday.
Suddenly, the table was covered by a large spectrum of colors, from the light yellow of the Pils to the dark black of the Cappuccino Stout. The Maximus got some good reviews amongst the tasters and the Imperial Red was also a favorite. They have a beer for every palate from the light and sweet, to the dark and nutty, and all the way across to the hoppy max. The worst part of our visit was having to leave the Lagunitas wonderland. We will definitely be back for our very next un-birthday.
2 - Lisboa, Portugal.
In this area you can find dozens of restaurants full of seafood in the windows, but don’t be derailed from your mission. It’s worth the search for Rua da Triste-Feia to find Tasca do Esteves. The food is fresh, carefully cooked and kindly served.
The restaurant seats about 20 people and you can easily see that it is a family business. You can find the son serving the tables, the father - Senhor Esteves - behind the bar and the two ladies in the kitchen making the magic happen. Besides the typical lunch and dinner offerings, you can choose from a great selection of petiscos (appetizers). The petiscos range from the traditional ones from Trás-os-Montes, the region in the extreme north of Portugal where Mr. Esteves originally came from, to fresh seafood like sapateira, octopus and clams.
The clams they serve are called Ameijoas à Bolhão Pato. They are cooked in sea water and garlic what creates an amazingly light sauce. The Moelas and Pica-Pau are grilled instead of fried which make them tastier and even a bit healthier.
The octopus salad is fresh, delicious and seemingly simple. It can be hard to cook octopus properly, but at Esteves, they know their stuff. The combination of the olive oil along with the raw onions and garlic gives the octopus a well-suited strong flavour. The good bread they serve with it helps to complete the delicious package. The cheeses are also good, as is the Presunto. Don’t leave without trying Pataniscas, a fried potato and cod fish puff that arrives to welcomes you right after you are seated. You’ll see that there’s a lot of Petiscos to choose from and always good wine to enjoy them with.
It’s open until late which is somehow rare in Lisboa. As the night goes on you can find local fado singers, port workers, and construction workers dining here. It’s a well kept secret in Lisboa, so keep it quiet.
1 - Moss Landing, CA.
We love to travel. One of the best things about seeing new places is adding new flavors to our foodcabulary. You never know about the great places you may find. Granted, sometimes you find total crap, but there are also jewels out there just waiting to be discovered. This jewel needed no discovering. I'd been hearing about it from my big sister for years. We realized that it must be good, but had no clue just how great it actually is. If ever in California, you must visit Phil's Fish Market.
We've been twice and have had artichokes two different ways. The region is known for their artichokes and Phil's does a great job of highlighting them on their menu. The Sicilian style and Fire Roasted artichokes were both amazing! On our next visit Artichoke Provencal will definitely be in order. We also enjoyed the lobster roll, clam chowder and oysters, all were tasty.
Let's not forget that they have a great selection of beers on tap. There are great beach views from the back patio and walking access nearby. Seriously, go. Monterey is right next door and there is lots of touristy fun to be had. Or just go to Phil's. It's worth it.
