Monaloca

even in the most touristed spots of central lisbon, food in portugal has been fabulous. and i’m not talking about just the yummy little pasteis de natas, or any-time-of-day pastries.

the portuguese eat late by our family-friendly standards. in evora we couldn’t find an open restaurant before 7:30 or 8pm, and here in coimbra (larger university town) things seem to open by 7. we’ve gotten into the habit of having a pre-dinner beer (my mom has coffee or water) at an outdoor cafe before following our noses, guidebook, or the crowds to a cozy spot not far from our hotel or the center of town.

tonight, joey dined on stewed kid, or goat. it has a fancier name that i can find in the guidebook later, but the gist was a deliciously wine-marinated red meat that he, my folks, and even melina gobbled up. yes, my little girl loves meat, or protein of any kind. for my part, i’ve been enjoying the succulent seafood, from perfectly salted salmon steaks to thick flakes of cod soaked in a good inch of garlic butter along with potatoes and onion. i’m not even a butter fan and i was in heaven.

in evora, we had two nights of small-town dining, meaning more or less fixed price for whatever was cooking in the house. the food was always delicious, but on our second night we suddenly realized the pork the server was referring to wasn’t the thin meat served as an appetizer but the main dish. “she doesn’t eat pork,” joey said, pointing to me. “no porco.” the server seemed immediately to understand. “aaahhh! no porco! ok!” when he disappeared i half joked that he’d return with a big slab of beef. a bottle of vinho tinto later i found out it wasn’t too far from the truth: my pork substitute was a plate of two hamburger patties (well-seasoned, according to my husband and dad, who ate them with delight), a big scoop of rice, and a pile of freshly fried potatoes. ah well. i hadn’t said “vegetarian” (which i’m not), “no meat,” or the more accurate “no mammals please” that gets me stares of confusion even in vegetarian-friendly berkeley and sf. (i’m always surprised at how many folks think chickens are mammals.) suffice it to say, between the crusty bread and soft cheese, the pateed spinach, cauliflour, and the fried potatoes, and yes the robust wine and even the light dessert (layered cake with fruit) i ate quite well. i look forward to that traditio continuing as we head to porto tomorrow. mmmm….. port…

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