Month: June 2023

After lunch we decided to explore Lisbon on their famous Tram 28. This tram goes from one end of the city to the other. This vintage tram has wooden seats and clinks and clanks along the tracks.

There are astonishing views out the windows, so get a window seat if possible. Tram 28 is popular, so it does get pretty packed. The locals will warn you about pickpocketing on Tram 28, so just watch out. We were ok but we took the necessary precautions.

There were crazy steep climbs along this tram route. There were points along the trip I really thought we would hit a wall.

We took the tram all the way to the last stop, which was at the Basilica da Estrela. This was the same area where our food tour started the day before. The basilica , that was completed in 1790, was absolutely beautiful. There is pink and black marble all over the place. It is neo-classical, with statues and artwork everywhere. It was truly awe-inspiring.

Since we were in the same area as yesterday, we decided to pop back over to O Estamine Snack Bar. I wanted to get more of that homemade ginjinha. The owner was there again and he was excited that we came back.

We sat down with some of the neighborhood gentlemen and had a few glasses of that cherry liqueur. Before we left, we made sure to get a picture with the owner. He gave me a souvenir bottle of his ginjinha.

Now, its mid-afternoon, having been in Lisbon for a few days, I was starting to get use to getting coffee and pastries at this time. Since we were in the area from our previous tour, we decided to go back to Aloma.

I could not wait to get a café latte. I really started to feel like I was getting addicted to their coffee. For my pastry, I ordered something different, Bola de Berlim com crème. This was recommended to me by the bartender at the hotel. He said this was his favorite dessert. I knew I wanted to try it.

It is a Portuguese donut that is cut in half and filled with crème pasteleiro. It is a sweet, thick custard that is very similar to the filling in the pastel de nata. The rich vanilla flavor shined though each bite. The fluffy dough of the donut was tossed in sugar that not only added more sweetness but added a little crunch. It paired perfectly with the café latte.

Once we were finished with our afternoon snack, we were able to hop back onto Tram 28 and head back to the hotel.

Enjoy!

T

After all the morning walking and shopping we worked up an appetite for some lunch. We came across an Italian restaurant Momma Donna and the menu looked pretty good. We thought it would be interesting to see the Portuguese take on Italian food.

We started out with a pitcher of white sangria. It was a great fruity flavor.

The pizza we ordered was a pineapple pizza with ham. Now that certainly is not really Italian and that was not the pizza we wanted. We really wanted an anchovy pizza and we thought that was what we ordered. Obviously, we ordered incorrectly. It made us laugh and we made sure to eat it, I certainly do not like wasting food. It was pretty good. The ham added saltiness and the pineapple added a nice sweetness. Not your traditional pizza but worth trying if you like something different.

I also ordered gnocchi. It came tossed in a nice tangy sauce. The gnocchi were fluffy. It was a very generous portion. They were tender and I could not stop eating them.

The staff was so friendly and attentive. I am glad we stopped in. I would recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for some good Italian food.

Enjoy!

T

If walking over 25,000 steps wasn’t enough the day before, we decided to get up and do even more walking to see what we had not visited yet.

However, you cannot start off all that walking without a good breakfast. Not far from our hotel was a little café called Fabrico Proprio. I could not wait to get another café latte. The coffee in Lisbon is fantastic and I really got addicted.

I also had to try their pastel de nata. Breakfast would not be complete without one of these treats. With a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top, this one was just as good as all the others. You really cannot go wrong wherever you get one.

We also got a ham and cheese sandwich. It was on a bread that was almost like a croissant.  

It was another crisp, cool morning, perfect for walking around. We walked some side streets, exploring a few different neighborhoods. There were little shops and neighborhood restaurants up and down the narrow streets. It was nice to be off the main tourist drag.

Out of nowhere I noticed a small sign for Aldi, the award-winning grocery store chain that is found all over the world. I was curious what they offered in a store in Portugal verses the United States.

Walking up and down the aisle I came across a bottle of that piri piri hot chili sauce that we had been enjoying at the restaurants. It was only 35 Euros. At those prices I bought two bottles to bring home. There were also some interesting looking cookies that I figured would be a great snack for the airplane.

The important aisle I walked down was the wine aisle. I was curious what their offering would look like compared to back home. The entire assortment was Portuguese wines and ports. They came from all across the country and the prices were extremely reasonable. I was impressed by the price of the ports, so I grabbed a bottle of Tawny Port and a bottle of Ruby Port. I was excited to try these when I got home.

Enjoy!

T

It was Sunday night in Lisbon but it was Sunday morning back in the States. This meant it was time to watch football. We started walking around all the bars and restaurants to see who might have the football games on tv. Luckily for us we found Cervejaria do Bairro. We knew this was where we would be hanging out for a few hours.

They were having a football special, a beer with a basket of French fries and cheesy garlic bread. It was a good little snack. The fries had garlic on them too, which made them even better. They used freshly made bread that can be found all around the city. This bread is perfect for garlic bread, soft on the inside and crispy on the outside.

Since we were there for a while, we ended up ordering a few more things. I ordered the grilled ham and cheese sandwich. This was the perfect comfort food even in Lisbon.

We tried the cheeseburger. To our surprise it was pretty tasty. They had great seasoning on the patty, but it was the bread that made it all the better.

It was strange watching football so late at night, but it is a good thing the parties don’t start until 10:00pm in Portugal.

Enjoy!

T

A food and wine tour in Lisbon would not be complete without having some ginjinha, that famous cherry liqueur. A lot like their pastel de nata, ginjinha can be found all over the city. And everyone makes their own version. We got to try one of those homemade versions at O Estamine Snack Bar.

The owner did not speak any English but Kika was able to help translate for us. He was excited to welcome us to his little shop and serve us his homemade ginjinha.

It was not as sweet as the previous version I tried. This one was smoother going down. The cherry was just as strong, having been soaking in the alcohol for a while.

He seemed really excited to get a picture with our group.

Our tour was almost coming to an end. Kika took us to a market called Mercado de Campode Ourique. It had multiple stands that offered a variety of food.

We visited a homemade gelato & sorbet stand called Artisani.

We each were able to get two scoops. I went for the Limao com Manjericao (lemon and basil) and Chocolate com Oreo. It was the perfect combination of sweet and tart. This was the perfect ending to the tour.

We discussed with the group what our favorite parts of the tour were. Kika gave us other suggestions of places to visit during our time in Lisbon. She even gave us her email address so we could reach out with any questions. She was wonderful and one of the best tour guides I have ever had. I would highly recommend Culinary Backstreets to anyone visiting Lisbon. I also learned that they have other tours in places around the world.

Enjoy!

T

We continued to explore the area of Estrela. We went to a café that has been there since 1943 called Aloma. They offered a variety of pastries, including the famous pastel de nata and bolos de coco (coconut cake). The coconut cake was Kika’s favorite. We were lucky to get to try both.

The coconut cake was moist and fluffy. The toasted coconut on top added a little crunch. It would be great with an espresso or café latte.

The pastel de nata was similar to the other ones I had already enjoyed. The cream filling was cool, and the crust was crispy. With 2 bites I devoured this treat.

Continuing our walk through the neighborhoods of Estrela. The architecture of the buildings is amazing. There was a combination of classic and contemporary.

Soon we approached the building where we were going to enjoy our second lunch. The restaurant A Padaria do Povo was located in a building that also serves as a community center. This meal was going to center around the Indian influence from Goa that was a Portuguese colony until 1961.

Here we got to enjoy a different wine from the Douro Region of Portugal called Esteva. This red wine was bold but was smooth to taste. The lack of sulfites in the wine made it all that more enjoyable.

Our guide Kika also explained the different wine regions and drew us an extremely easy to understand map.

The appetizer that came out for us to enjoy with the wine was the Chamuca, which is the Portuguese equivalent of a Samosa. The shell was crispy. The inside filling of chickpeas had amazing flavor. It was salty and savory, but not overpowering.

The main dish was Pork Vindaloo. This Goan dish was intensely flavored with Indian spices including curry, garlic, and chilies. The pork pulled apart as soon as the fork touched it. It is almost like a stew because there are a few potatoes in the sauce.  

They also served a yellow rice that had a hint of curry in it as well. The rice was good on it’s own however, I enjoyed putting the extra Vindaloo sauce on top. It made the dish very filling.

At this point of the tour you would think the group would be pretty full. But no way, we were ready for more. We headed to another café called Botica do Café.

This time we were not getting anything sweet. We were going for a savory snack, an Empada de Frango. This was a little chicken pie, very much like empanadas you would find in the Caribbean. It was the perfect little bite. The shell was slightly crispy, and the filling was flavorful. It went well with the café latte I ordered.

The cafe was cute inside. I could tell it was a neighborhood hang out, where the ladies go to share stories of the day.

Enjoy!

T

When on vacation eating and drinking in a new city is extremely important. When it is a city, I have never been to before, I want to make sure that I experience the true city, not the tourist areas. This is why I was excited to take a tour with the Culinary Backstreets (www.culinarybackstreets.com). They were going to help me experience the history of food and wine in Portugal.

We met our tour guide Kika at the entrance of Jardim de Estrela (Estrela Gardens). This is a green space that was created in 1852. It is loaded with palm trees, flowers, cacti, and at the center a giant banyan tree. What Kiki explained to the group is that all these trees and plants located in the park are from all over the world. As the Portugues traveled the world, they always brought something back with them.

This kicked off our lesion about the Age of Discoveries in Portuguese history. What better way to have the discussion than over coffee at a café located in the park, Café Banana.

The most helpful thing we were taught was the types of coffee that can be ordered at one of the many cafes and pastry shops around the city.  I ordered a Bica (espresso). I enjoyed the coffee a lot on this trip. It was smooth and had a rich flavor.

While I enjoyed my Bica, Kika explained how the Portugues explored the world, setting up colonies and bringing food and spices back to the country. From Brazil, Africa, India, Japan, and even China, the Portugues fell in love with sugar, pepper cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and star anise, just to name a few.

These ingredients added to their abundance of eggs, olive oil, wine, grains, and vegetables. With a combination of all these components, these created some of the signature dishes that still exist today. Even the salted cod that is a staple in the diet, is imported from Norway. It was these ingredients that we were going to be experiencing on our tour today.

Our first lunch brought us to O Lavrador. This traditional neighborhood restaurant has expanded over the years to three different buildings because it is so popular.

We were greeted by the owner and brought some freshly made bread, olive oil, and a cheese called Queijo de Serpa. The olive oil was mild and had a creamy taste. It was an amazing accompaniment to the bread. I kept dipping every bite of bread. The cheese was made from sheep’s milk. The rind has a brunt orange color to it because of the paprika that is brushed on during the aging process. The paprika gives the cheese a slightly spicy taste, but nothing overwhelming.

While we were enjoying this snack, we learned about some Portuguese wines, specifically the Verde Wine. This is a green wine that really does have a green tint to it. This wine is produced in the Northern region of Portugal. The wine has a low alcohol content (around 7% for what we tried) because the wines are bottle and released shortly after the grapes are harvested. The wine we got to enjoy was called Bico Amarelo (Esporao). This wine was so smooth and went down so easily I had to be careful not to drink the whole bottle myself. It was really refreshing.

The fresh salad came out, along with the Salted Cod. The cod was sauteed with onions and had homemade potato chips on the side. The flavor of the fish was savory. The fish was flakey, every now and then you had to watch out for a bone, but other than that it was delicious. The sauteed onions were tender and sweet.  It washed down wonderfully with the Verde wine.

If the fish wasn’t enough, we also got some rotisserie chicken. This was similar to what I enjoyed the previous day. The seasoning on this chicken was a little different, but I could taste the fresh salt and pepper that was sprinkled on top. Simple ingredients but full of flavor.

Now came dessert. I was not going to pass this up. The dessert was a Custard with cinnamon on top. It was very similar to crème brulee just without the crispy sugar topping. The custard was very sweet with a hint of vanilla. It was the perfect complement to the salty, savory dishes we enjoyed previously.

I enjoyed my meal at this restaurant, and I could not believe that we were about to walk around Lisbon to try even more goodies.

Enjoy!

T