mmm-yoso!!!

Paragon Deli Cafe (Point Loma)

mmm-yoso!!! will be written by Cathy over this Independence Day weekend; Kirk is doing things with His Missus.

It was three years ago when Kirk first posted about Paragon Deli Cafe.   I had commented about something on the menu.
Recently, I had a craving for tomato stuffed with tuna salad, an old fashioned menu item rarely seen (and very missed), I checked out the menu at Paragon.   First, it was great to see they were still in business.  Second- the tuna stuffed tomato ($10.95) was still on the menu! A wonderful, refreshing, flavor filled version of this simple diner classic.  Served on top of a bed of lettuce with a house made dressing, this is a great lunch.
There is a chalkboard next to the cash register. A bowl ($5.75) of the Soup du Jour (from scratch mushroom)
 as well as a cup ($5) (vegetarian pea) were enjoyed on visits.  The 'everyday' soups (tomato basil and chicken noodle) are priced $4 and $5.25.
 Of course, we wanted to try the Portuguese Francesinha ($15.95), which Kirk had written about in his post.  Wow! Linguica, ham, roast beef, cheese, topped with a runny fried egg and sauce covering it all-including the fries.  The sauce-you can taste the beer as well as the whiskey.  Magical and it makes me understand why Kirk craved (then raved) about this wonderful sandwich.

You will notice on the menu the namesake Pacific Paragon Sandwich ($12.95), which originated at Marston's Tea Room.  Marston's was a downtown San Diego Department Store before being sold to The Broadway in 1961.  This sandwich won a 1960 American Restaurant Magazine award for "Best Sandwich".

 Fresh roast turkey (as in roasted here, today), crispy thick quality bacon, shredded lettuce, house made Blue cheese dressing (excellent) served open faced on rye.  This- THIS sandwich is fancy as well as wonderful.  A similar item (in that there are crossover ingredients) is the California Cobb Salad ($12.95).  Freshly roasted turkey (remarkably good), bacon, crumbled blue cheese, avocado, tomato and pickled egg.
 There is quite an interest in eggs here; deviled egg dishes are used in the refrigerator and there is a collection on the wall above the kitchen.  

Speaking of eggs, Paragon opens at 7 a.m., so there is breakfast.
 The Croque Madame ($13.95) is made with French ham, gruyere and a house made béchamel.  Very tasty and filling.  

 The Eggs Benedict ($12.95) served on an English muffin with ham and a very proper (unbroken) Hollandaise along with fruit and a hash brown patty is also filling and flavorful. 

Paragon Deli Cafe serves quality food and has the friendliest people working here; most are family. 

Paragon Deli Cafe 2724 Shelter Island Drive San Diego 92106 (619) 888-4997 Website Open Mon-Sat 7 a.m.-3 p.m. Closed Sunday

Speaking of Department store restaurants, you might remember this post  or this post or this one, this one or even this different type of Department store with a restaurant inside.

Sonoma: La Salette and Walt and Plaza Park

mmm-yoso!!! is a food and travel blog centered in San Diego. Most often Kirk posts here, and Cathy also posts alot, but since they are busy with other things, today you get to read something by Ed (from Yuma) who wants to let you know that he borrowed some of the photos from Tina.

The day before attending her family's annual cookout in Cotati, Tina and I found ourselves in the center of the old town of Sonoma, California. Some buildings date from Mexican colonial times:

That one reminds me of several structures in Monterey, a city that also preserves a lot of mid-19th century buildings.

From a different era, here's the old theater from 1933 which has a strangely familiar name:

And in the middle of this district of historic buildings, shops, tasting rooms, and restaurants is a beautiful park, Sonoma Plaza, including a nice fountain:

Lots of shady places to sit and picnic on a warm summer afternoon:

But we were hungry when we got to town, so our first goal was to find La Salette, a restaurant specializing in modern Portuguese cuisine. It's kind of hidden at the end of the walkway at 452 1st St. East:

Though there was a nice indoor area, we opted for one of the outdoor tables under an umbrella on the patio:

Soon we were given two elegant little glasses that held perfectly clear tomato water, lightly accented with the smoky touch of ham. A drop of extra-virgin olive oil lay on the top and a small cube of ham and a couple of corn kernels rested at the bottom:

Looks like grappa, but it tastes like the essence of a garden ripe tomato. A true amuse bouche, a fantastic start to the meal.

We soon received lightly crusted bread rolls that had a nice firm soft crumb, whipped butter, and a bottle of Pellegrino:

For our first course we chose three items from the Tasca tasting plates list, all served on a wooden cutting board. This photo shows off the tremoco-lupini beans, the slices of Serrano ham, and the rustic nutbread:

The ham was disappointingly ordinary and maybe a little dried out, but the beans were perfectly prepared, al dente – firm with a distinctive mouth feel.

This pic gives a close-up of the boquerones (white anchovies) and the almonds dusted with spicy piri piri:

The almonds were fine, but the white anchovies were the highlight on the board– concentrated ocean fish flavor with a rich creamy texture.

The gazpacho came next:

In contrast to standard California gazpachos, usually a seasoned fresh tomato vegetable purée, the kitchen at La Salette roasted tomatoes and vegetables in their wood oven before puréeing, giving their cold soup a smooth and lightly smoky sophistication.

To accompany our meals, Tina and I each had a flight of three Portuguese white wines, partly because we thought they would match the cuisine but also because we are largely unfamiliar with the white wines of Portugal:

The lightest, and most common in the US, is the fresh tasting vinho verde (on the left). In the middle is a Pomares from the Duoro Valley, a little richer with a nice floral nose. And on the right was the full flavored Esporao Reserva from Alentejo, having a higher alcohol level and a long smooth finish. In general, the wines complemented the food, and it was interesting to compare different wines with different dishes.

Our main courses were the highlights of the meal. Tina chose Sardinhas Asadas, Monterey Bay sardines flash baked in their wood oven. Each of the fish was nearly the size of a small trout, and they were lying crossways across a mound of very tasty warm sweet onion cebolada:

The preparation was remarkable. The fish were fully cooked, yet incredibly moist and flaky tender, sliding easily off the bones. Simple and exquisite, these little fish were also accompanied by a couple slices of hard-boiled egg, roasted black olives, and micro greens:

I opted for the wild caught Bluenose Sea Bass Filet lightly breaded and served on a bed of collard greens and roasted yellow corn:

The fish was excellent – fresh and perfectly cooked, and I was blown away by the collards and corn. The greens were cooked to tender crunchy and had a light touch of bitterness that balanced perfectly the roasted sweet flavor of the corn. The mouth feel of the vegetables also balanced and contrasted with the sea bass, just as the colors on the plate contrasted/balanced each other and made the dish visually appealing as well.

We came, we saw, and we ate:

The meal ended with two little balls covered with toasted coconut. It was certainly enough dessert:

We left La Salette feeling happy – and that wasn't just because of the wine. Considering the quality of the food, the excellence of the service, the tastiness of the wines, and the relaxed ambiance of the location, the price tag seemed quite reasonable:

Speaking of wines, our visit to the town of Sonoma concluded with a stop at Walt Winery:

Owned by the Hall family of Napa Valley, Walt specializes in Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs grown in cool coastal influenced vineyards in California and Oregon.

Tastings are done at tables, not standing at a bar, which allowed Tina and I to talk about the wines, our plans for the rest of the day, and anything else. That day the tastings were $30 apiece and included six different wines. First came generous pours of two Chardonnays, one a single vineyard Dutton Ranch Chardonnay and one blended from several Sonoma Vineyards. Notice also the excellent stemware:

The four Pinot Noirs were likewise served two at a time, allowing Tina and I to try one and then the other and notice their similarities and differences. We enjoyed all of the wines. Here is the tasting menu at the time of our visit:

We sat around Walt slowly sipping and then walked around the Plaza for a considerable time, really enjoying Sonoma and the warm afternoon and our leisurely pace. Contentment.

COMC- Portugal: Sintra

I know, you're asking...."what, Portugal again?" Yes, I'm always behind on our travel posts it seems.

I just needed to do this last COMC (Clearing Out the Memory Card) post to finish up our trip to Portugal. (Believe it or not, I still have stuff on Belgium and Japan yet to finish) Instead of staying in Lisbon proper on our return trip from Rome, we took the train into Rossio Station and headed out for the 40 minute trip to Sintra, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

We spent our last two nights in this wonderfully atmospheric town. And while our experience with the cuisine wasn't that great, the town is beautiful.

From what we saw on our walk from the train station......

To the view from our hotel room......

To wandering the side streets......

Walking though the little streets in search of a snack or a meal was fun. everything just seemed to be tourist oriented food; even what was recommended by our hotel as being "really Portuguese".

To be perfectly honest, I kind of knew this. But I wanted the Missus to really enjoy Sintra after all the day-trippers had left, when the town was at its romantic best. Which meant staying in the town. It was a nice little break before our return.

Our dinner the first night was at Tacho Real. It was nice, but really nothing special.

Though walking around Sintra after the tourists are gone was wonderful.

The next morning we awoke and had a hefty breakfast and headed on our way.

Up the hill. Where the avenue became a smaller street......

Which gave way to a gate (where admission is paid), then trails, past an ancient Moorish Castle......

And finally to our destination; Pena National Palace.

Originally the site of a monastery, Ferdinand II commissioned the building of a Palace in the Romanticist style.

 

It is one of those places that is vividly unforgettable.

From the colors, to the restored rooms, to the view.

And yet, you never quite get the romantic beauty of it all until you climb up the neighboring hill.

It's quite an easy task....to let your mind wander; imagining the comings and goings, the intrigue, the stories that this structure could tell. Of how Amelia, the last Queen of Portugal, spent her last night before being sent into exile at the Palace.

The views are stunning and there are many trails on the park grounds.

We were glad we visited and stayed. We got to visit the palace and the park grounds before the buses of tour groups arrived.

We spent our last evening in Portugal walking around Sintra, picking out a little Wine Bar/Tapas place off the usual tourist trail.

A couple of glasses of wine, some small bites....it was a nice relaxed way to spend our last night....

We had started this trip with a pastel de nata and a pork sandwich, so it was probably appropriate to just end it with a low-keyed and laid back meal.

Thanks for reading!

Porto: Matosinhos and Tito 2

Ah yes, Sunday in Porto. Joao had told us when he gave us a short orientation to the apartment; many local restaurants are closed, of course tourist restaurants are open, but you don't want to eat in those, right?

Getting out early on Sunday, it was pretty obvious that things were going to be very quiet.....

The only place that seemed alive and kickin' at this hour was the corner coffee shop and bakery.......you still needed your morning "cafe express" even on Sunday! Strangely, after having their morning caffeine boost and pastry, there's no dallying around, folks just seemed to walk out of the shop and disappear, like a scene from Dr Who.......

We headed up the street.....empty except for just a few folks....stragglers it seemed...waiting to fall victim to the Sunday Zombie Apocalypse...

We headed off to the Minipreco Supermarket next to the Mercado do Bolhao.....which we knew was open, to grab a few items for dinner. Our cab was set to pick us up at 5am in the morning for our flight to Rome, so we decided to just have something light for dinner.

After a nice walk back to the apartment, dropping things off, we headed back up.....

Joao told us that on special Sundays, he takes his family to Matosinhos, a town located to the west of Porto....this is where the docks are....and where we were told, the fish come in and where locals go to eat it. So we headed off on the Metro, getting off at the Matosihnos Sul stop and finding ourselves in Matosihnos.....

We headed down a bit, turning on Rua Herois de Franca and after a couple of blocks things started perking up a bit. We hit a restaurant row. Each restaurant had what looked like makeshift dining areas set-up in front, which seemed to be built on wooden pallets.

You could tell that there was a bit of partying going on here on Saturday night....

There were restaurants all lined up in a row, simple looking tascas next to some pretty nice white tablecloth looking places. Most of them had a grill being primed in from of the shop.....

But which one to choose? Well Joao had told us to "walk past all the restaurants on the street, don't worry, do not get discouraged.....do not stop until you come to Tito 2." And so we did that, even passing Tito 1 on the way.

So this was the place, huh? It looked just like every other place on the street....but heck, Joao hadn't let us down yet!

We looked over and a very nice young man smiled, greeted and seated us, then proceeded to call another studious looking young man...who spoke perfect English....

You know, the pallet seating looked pretty nice, don't you think?

While we waited for our menus to arrive, I peeked around the corner where the grill action was just starting up.

The menu arrived....it was sardine season, so that was a no-brainer....I then saw something that was on my food "bucket list"....something that I just had to try.....I just knew this was going to be a great meal.

Meanwhile, the Missus had snuck off to use the restroom, coming back to tell me to check out the interior of the brick and mortar restaurant....which looked pretty nice.

Just next to the doorway were the "fresh catches"...fish you could select for your meal if you so desired.

Soon our appetizer arrived, something that I'd been waiting to eat for several years....I never thought I'd be getting it in Portugal......

These were percebes, goose barnacles, you know, the stuff you scrape off the hull of boats. Yes, they may be pests to some; but to the Spanish and the Portuguese these are delicacies...rather expensive delicacies. Our Server kindly suggested .2 kilos as being enough.

So the deal is you twist off the head of this, squirting water on yourself is mandatory......you then eat the flesh.

The flavor is intensely briney, like taking in a chewy piece of the ocean...I really liked the texture. It was a bit too briney for the Missus, but I loved the intense flavor.

The Missus wanted to give Sopa de Peixe, fish soup another try......this was really thick and a bit too fishy for our taste...like fishy glue. Not our thing.

The sardines on the other hand were fantastic.

So simply done, no messing around with a fresh product....rubbed in salt, a bit of acid, so nice. The finish was that rich oil that coats your tongue, but also very clean, without that lingering and somewhat off-putting bitter fishiness that often accompanies sardines. This was one of our favorite dishes during our trip.

The potatoes were very nice....so much flavor, so simply done; olive oil, salt, garlic, parsley....

The salad broke things up nicely....also simple.

I also ordered the Lulas Grelhadas - grilled squid with lemon and olive oil.

Perhaps not the best I've had, but nicely prepared.

What was really strange was that two parties came in after us; both spoke Portuguese...both looked at what we were eating and ended up ordering exactly the same thing (we'd already finished the percebes...), which I thought was kind of strange.

The price was amazing, all this, plus a carafe of wine and water for 36 Euros!

The service was very nice, the food very good.....if we're ever in Porto again, we're headed back to Tito 2.

Tito 2 
Rua Herois de Franca 321
Matosinhos, Portugal

We stopped for some espresso before going to the metro stop. At the stop a metro police officer headed up to us. In some countries this is not a good sign...not here. He stopped to ask if we needed some help, but we already had our tickets. He smiled and look at us and asked, "how is you time here? Are you enjoying it....having any problems?" What could we say? We loved our time here....

Dinner for us was a simple deal......the Missus new "specialty", some head cheese, bread....a decent drinkable wine (and a beer to follow for me).

We had a nice night's sleep. We woke at 4am, got our act together, and our ride to airport was prompt. The way to the airport was interesting as we got to see what a sprawling city Porto was.......a city we were going to miss.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Porto: Clérigos Church and Tower and Restaurante Antunes

After dropping off our provisions at the apartment, we headed up to Clérigos Church and Tower.

The tower, which you can see from almost every vantage point in Porto and the church took over 30 years to build and has become one of the enduring symbols of the city. The tower stands at 250 feet tall and since it stands on a hill, the views are outstanding.

The entire structure is built in the baroque style, designed by Italian architect Nicolai Nasoni. The facade of the church is quite imposing as it stands against the clear blue sky of Porto.

The tower stand behind the church and is the main site along with the famous Lello and Irmoa Bookstore (which we didn't visit) are the two main sights in the area.

Instead of heading right in, we took a walk around the tower. We saw folks having their morning coffee, the produce stand, which also conveniently sold postcards and other knickknacks was doing a nice business. I always wonder what it's like living in the shadows of a fairly busy monument....all those tourists like us wandering around....

There are 225 stairs to the top of the tower, which start fairly innocently, but soon things start getting kind of cramped. There's room only for one at certain points....you'll have to stop and let other pass you. One woman seemed to be having a bit of a claustrophobic attack.

Looking down from above provides a view that's almost Hitchcockian, or depending on your point of view, perhaps MeL Brooksian. Either way, I'm not a big fan of heights........

There are portals....hey Porto portals, has a nice ring to it....along the way, which you can use to see the views and how high you're going. These too get smaller as you get higher.

One more thing, when you reach the top; you see that bell? Well, it does ring on the hour....it went off, quite loudly, and I almost jumped out of my shoes. It's very, very loud.

The payoff is a wonderful view of the red rooftops of Porto. Very nice on one seemed a typical, clear day in Porto.

And even if you're not a big fan of red rooftops, the others views aren't too shabby either.

The interior of the church is small, but very ornate. You'll find the tomb of Nocolai Nasoni in the church as well, as he asked to be buried here.

We wandered around a bit,  then decided on grabbing lunch.

Along the way, we passed Ingreja do Carmo...Carmo Church which had some beautiful tile work (Azulejos) which depicts the founding of the Carmelite Order.

I had a place picked out for lunch, but the Missus really made me work for it......we headed up Rua Martires Liberadade, down another, and yet another street, until we hit Rua do Bonjardim and eventually Restaurante Antunes.

Noon is early for lunch on a weekend, so the rather small, but elongated restaurant belonged totally to us.

About 15 or so minutes later, the place started filling up, mostly with older, very properly dressed locals...for a nice weekend lunch I assume.

This restaurant is well known for their pernil.....pork leg, which, of course we got. It was a bargain at 15 Euros.....

This of course, was a load of food as it came with a ton of roasted potatoes and spinach which was much like esparregado. In terms of "pork pump", it was a decent dish, but a bit on the tougher side and it could have used more flavor.

The one dish that blew both of us away was the classic Porto dish Tripas à moda do Porto (8 Euros). This was so good.....

The smoked pork and chicken were basically garnishes; this was a hearty stew, thick and rich, with amazing flavor, the beans, cilantro, oh my..... The tendon was nice and tender, the tripe perfectly prepared. The Missus declared this one of Her "desert island dishes" and wants to go back to Porto just to find the best version. It is, without a doubt one of the best things we ate on this trip.

What was really funny is; our Server spoke no English, but it's obvious they push the pernil (pork leg) here. When we ordered this, he immediately protested, "no....no!" But we persisted; heck we had a kitchen, leftovers were welcome! Truly, they should be pushing this instead of the pork leg....but I guess folks are afraid of tripe, tendon, and a gooey stew. The supposed history of this dish is also quite interesting. According to legend, during the Conquest of Ceuta in 1415, Henry the Navigator commandeered all of the best provisions of Porto; which included all the best cuts of beef. All that was left was offal to feed the residents of Porto. The rest as they say, is history.

We left....fat and happy....

Antunes
Rua Bonjardim 525
Porto, Portugal

Knowing that we didn't have to eat all the food (we wiped out the tripas), made things so easy for us as we headed back to the apartment to drop things off.

The downtown area of Porto, away from all the shops was very quiet except for the occasional student excursion group.

The Missus decided that it was time to cross the river and have a taste of Port wine!

Stay tuned!  

Porto: Avenida dos Aliados, Imperial McDonalds, and Confeitaria do Bolhao

We'd had a pretty busy first day in Porto and I really slept soundly. As is typical for us, we awoke pretty early in the morning to stretch our legs and do some exploring. We'd found that mornings are almost always the best times to see things......you'll be in less of a rush and, especially in Portugal the streets are quiet and empty.

We headed up to the area that seems to be the heart of Porto; the Avenida dos Aliados, the "Avenue of the Allies". The street commemorates the marriage of King John (Joao)I and Philippa of Lancaster, creating an alliance between Portugal and England.

The avenue and promenade is lined with some nice examples of Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings. A statue of King Pedro IV on a horse stands at the lower end of the street and City Hall the top.

I'm sure everything here has a story. It's a nice place to stroll on a cool morning, all the grand buildings around. I wondered about the statue to the right. I could find very little, at least in English on "The Naked Girl - Youth" by Henrique Moreira, sculpted in 1929.

This is also the location of McDonald's....yep, McDonald's. What's the big deal? Well, they call this location, "Imperial McDonald's" and it's supposedly the most ornate and beautiful McDonald's in the world. In case you're wondering....it's not Imperial by declaration. I was told that this was the former site of Imperial Cafe, which became derilict and run down. McDonald's took over the space in 1995.

Man, talk about fancy-schmancy.....I'd feel down right uncomfortable getting my McNuggets on here!

Still, this was just a McDonald's, so we headed back up to the area near Rua Catarina and the large Mercado do Bolhão. Before heading in, we decided on getting breakfast at Confeitaria do Bolhao right across the street.

A large case of pastries, both sweet and savory, a large area to have you espresso and a pastry, this was very "tipico" of what we encountered everywhere in Portugal.

We were mainly after some espresso, but also had a few other items, which were decent, but rather non-descript. The prices were very good....if I recall, two espressos and pastries for like 5 Euros.

We also picked up a Broa de Avintes for later on.....

Confeitaria do Bolhao
Rua Formosa 339
Porto, Portugal

A cup of espresso, carbs in our belly....we were ready for the world, or at least a visit to the Mercado do Bolhão.

Thanks for reading!

 

 

Porto: The Ribeira and dinner at O Caracas

After stuffing my self with a Francesinha at Cafe Santiago, the Missus decided that I needed a walk....a rather lengthy walk. So we walked back down to the Ribeira....the "riverbank".

One quick look at the Ribeira and you instantly understand the importance of this location on the Douro River estuary. The Romans obviously understood the importance of the location, establishing the town of Portus. Though the focus has shifted from commerce to tourism, seeing the "Barcos Rabelos", traditional Portuguese boats used to transport goods, bobbing in the water, it's quite easy imagining that long ago time.

And while the waterfront is full of tourists, it's quite laid back and relaxing..... We didn't encounter various touts doing the "hard sell". It was a very low stress area, with dozens of little alleyways and arcades, lovely, colorful buildings......a very nice place for a stroll.

Across the river is Vila Nova de Gaia, home of all the Port Wine "Lodges".

You can read the signs from this side of the river....beckoning you to come on over and have a taste...Sandeman, Calem, Vasconcellos....

At the east end of the Ribeira towering over the Ribeira is the Ponte Dom Luis I, a metal arch bridge. When it was built in 1881, it was the longest of its type in the world.

The upper deck carries the metro and there's a pedestrian walkway; the bottom is for automobiles, with a pedestrian sidewalk.

The City Centre of Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, so there are undoubtedly hundreds of stories, like the one memorialized in the plaque to the right....The Ponte das Bracas disaster. This occurred when Porto was surrounded by the French during the Napoleonic Wars. Citizens attempted to cross the Douro on a pontoon bridge, the Ponte das Bracas. The bridge collapsed under the weight and some say up to 6,000 lost their lives. More on the disaster can be found here.

We enjoyed spending the "golden hour" at the Ribeira, but soon enough it started getting dark. We were looking for a place to have dinner; not too much after all, I'd had the Francesinha earlier in the day. I opened up the tourist map....don't you love these? We usually don't even give them a glance, but João had indicated a handful of places, some of them touristy, some places he takes his family on occasion. I'm glad I didn't lose it....it's a nice memento from our time in Porto:

 

 One of these was a places noted on the map was called O Caracas.

So we wound our way up one of the side streets and ended up on a residential square. We had no idea where we were....I went and asked one of the women for directions, but she waved me off....she spoke no English, until I said "O Caracas"....she started laughing and pointed to the window right behind us....there was no sign, but a menu. O Caracas serves but two dishes and evening.

We entered, and ne of the owners, who are twin sisters told us they had no tables. So we turned to leave....she said there was one table, in the corner, away from everyone, next to the beer cooler....which was perfect for us, quiet, intimate....just perfect!

We enjoyed watching folks entering and leaving....most of them looked like locals. When one of the twins had to change the beer keg....she is tiny, like under five feet tall, I had a blast helping her change the beer keg. The place just kind of embraced us.

We mentioned that we'd be sharing.....which was no problem. We were told to come and take a look in the kitchen to see what "Mama" was cooking. And there mom is really cooking here......no kidding.

For me, the most fascinating item during the meal was that very dense, moist, dark brown bread. It was quite substantial, but I loved the flavor, which had rye tones. I later learned it is called Broa de Avintes and we sought it out for self catered meals.

This dinner was like many of the homestyle meals we had in Portugal, soulful and hearty.

The acorda au arroz primavera, basically a bean-vegetable stew thickened with bread and rice, was hearty and far from bland.....a very "stick to your ribs" dish.

The fried fish was simple, but very clean tasting and also quite filling. I was told we were given extra as an "offering"......for helping them with the beer keg. An offering......it still brings a smile to my face.

This is typical of the hearty food we came to enjoy in Portugal...plus it was truly made by "mom". You can't beat that. I'm glad we shared; there was no way I could have finished this myself. The price was right, under 15 euros for dinner and drinks. I'd gladly return.....

O Caracas
Rua das Taipas 27
Porto, Portugal

We walked back down the winding street to our apartment, warm and happy. It had been a fun first day in Porto. 

 

 

 

Porto: Sé do Porto and meeting a "Little Frenchie" (Francesinha) at Cafe Santiago

After lunch at A Grade, the Missus decided that we should take a walk along the Ribeira, the scenic waterfront....though She didn't quite have the usual walk in mind.

I really loved the vibe that Porto gave off......

There was a no nonsense feel to things, a wholesomeness, hard working, honest, "from the gut", in that way, it strangely reminded me of QingDao. 

Anyway, instead of the usual walk along the waterfront, the Missus decided we should head up to the the Porto Cathedral....but not in the usual manner....nooooo. Instead, we headed to the end of Rua Infante Dom Henrique and through the tunnel...

Ending up under the iconic Dom Luís Bridge.

Here the Missus ordered me up stairs.....after marching up and down the hills of Coimbra, my walking legs had gotten into shape. Still, I had on idea where we were exactly, but we kept heading up those steps, under windows with hanging laundry and some buildings that had been....well...modified to accommodate the bridge.

I'm wondering when this "modification" was done since the bridge opened in 1886......surely when the brisge was perhaps retrofitted?

Eventually....after "heading to the light" we made it top side, and found our way to the Porto Cathedral.

Much like the Cathedrals (Sé) in Lisbon and Coimbra, the Cathedral of Porto was an imposing Romanesque structure, almost fortress like in appearance. Like its counterpart in Lisbon, construction of the structure began in the 12th century and features the classic "Rose Window".

As intimidating as this building might be, for some reason I really took to it...perhaps because there was a wedding ceremony taking place at the time of our visit. I really wanted to leave....because who wants their wedding ceremony viewed by a bunch of uninvited tourists?

We quickly made for the ticket station, paid, and headed to the cloister. Like much of Porto, there's so much wonderful Azulejo work. I was told that much of it depicted the "Song of Solomon".

This is worth the price of admission.

In many ways. the medium is binary....blue and white. and yet, the textures, the shading, the expression, never ceases to amaze me.

The Sacristy was a sudden shift to what seemed an almost baroque theme, but no less impressive.

If you needed any other reason for heading to the Sé in Porto, how about the view?

And then there was the wedding....I'm not sure how I'd feel about having my vows done in front of an audience of perhaps a hundred tourists, but this couple didn't seem to mind.

And the Missus took these adorable shots.......

As we walked away from the Cathedral, I saw São Bento Station and suddenly realized....Porto was now getting a bit smaller for us.

Within the area Northeast of São Bento Station is Rua Catarina, the main shopping area in Porto...pedestrian only streets; with iconic locales like Cafe Majestic.

Fairly close to this area was the shop that João told us would make a good Francesinha, the local specialty sandwich. It seemed to me that Portugal was full of these wonderful "sandes" from the Bifana in Lisbon to the Leitao Sandes it just seemed that there was a knack for pork based sandwiches.

So we ended up at this shop called Cafe Santiago....which looked more like some fast-casual restaurant. The place was empty except for a couple of "old-timers" having espresso in the corner, watching the television.

I'd read a bit about the history of the Francesinha; which is based on the Croque-monsieur. There are three versions at Cafe Santiago; I went with the basic version.

Not much more to say......until you see what this thing looks like.

It almost looks artificial......I was told that many people judge the sandwich on the sauce, which in this case was a light, thin, tomato-beer based, with mild spice. I thought it tasted like tomato soup....the Missus hated it.

Cutting the samdwich in half reveals the true evil that is the Francesinha, in the meat department; salsicha fresca - a hot dog like sausage, linguica, bife - sliced roasted beef, mortadela, and fiambre - ham.Two types of cheese were used , melted inside and melted over the thing.

I kinda liked it in a "calorie-bomb" kind of way. The Missus was totally disgusted, She wouldn't let me have another during out time in Porto...even though I wanted one. I should have ordered the "Francesinha a Santiago", which had fries and was topped with an easy-over egg!

The service was kind of gruff, but the place was clean, and I don't recall ever having a sandwich quite like this....this is definitely not a Croque-monsieur!

Cafe Santiago
Rua Passos Manuel 226
Porto, Portugal

Well, here's another dish to cross off my list! 

Porto: We arrive, São Bento Station, our apartment, and lunch at A Grade

There was something about Porto that really drew me in. It was quite subtle, I really didn't notice it, I wasn't that impressed at the beginning, but as the days......check that, the hours went by, it seemed that things just got better and better......

We enjoyed the train ride from Coimbra, it was comfortable, free WiFi, nothing to complain about. We arrived at Campanhã Station, the main train station which is about 2 kilometers from the city centre. We then got on the train to São Bento Station. It was an easy transfer, one of the gentlemen who got off with us at Campanhã took an interest in us and walked us to the correct platform. São Bento is translated as Saint Benedict and the spot on which the station is built was a Benedictine Monastery from the 16th to 19th century. Why am I going on and on about a train station? Well, within the station are some beautiful Azulejo tile work, which makes for quite a welcome to Porto.

The tile work was done between 1905 - 1916 by Jorge Colaço who was the most renown azulejo painter during that period. The tiles depict various scenes like the Battle of Ceuta to the right. It's quite a stunning welcome to Porto.

Porto itself is fairly compact and yet sprawling. The city itself has a population of 300,000, but there's a population of over 2.5 million within the Porto Metropolitan area.

Walking out of São Bento and taking a look around was a treat for me. Whenever I plan our trips, I study maps and read what I need to, I usually don't look at too many photos, there's a certain part of me that wants to be surprised. However, one can't help but have that mental picture inside your head.

As I looked around, I told the Missus, "this is what I thought Portugal would look like."

As we walked down Rua Mouzinho da Silveira toward the Ribeira (the River) I was charmed by the architecture, even with all the construction going on.

We headed down the street and met up with João, who was one of the "two João's" who took us to our apartment which located in a building a couple of hundred years old and basically located two blocks from the Douro and the waterfront.

While a bit on the dark side since it was on the lower floor, the apartment itself was huge! Full kitchen.......there was a small outdoor area since we were on the lower level....funny, there was even a bathroom located outside, a remnant from when there was no indoor plumbing.

João was fantastic; we told him our priority was, well, food, he brought out a map and quickly made a dozen recommendations, places he and his family ate at. He also gave us a bottle of wine and ticked off where the local market was; where to get a cup of espresso and other things.

We were literally steps from Praça Infante Dom Henrique.

In this park, the statue of Henry the Navigator is pointing off into the far horizon, a symbol of Portugal's Age of Discovery.

Hungry, we headed off to lunch. Located in one of the small side street right above the Douro is a tiny restaurant with four indoor tables, a couple of outdoor tables, and laundry hanging above it named A Grade.

So, we found out something quite quickly, the closer to the Douro, the higher the prices. We'd stick to other recommendations after this.

The guy serving was very friendly and there weren't serious complaints about our meal which was simple, basic stuff which we love.

It was sardine season, the Missus loves them, so ordering it was a no-brainer (10 Euros).

Which were simple and fine, though we'd have really great sardines - actually 8 really fresh sardines for 7 Euros a couple of days later.

The Octopus was quite good (17.5 Euros), though not quite up to, say Vasiliko in texture and prep. Still, it was tender and suited me well.

The rice, as with all previous meals just wasn't to our taste in terms of texture.

We also had a bottle of regional wine (not Port), which we really enjoyed. It was light and fruity, not too tannic, with a clean finish, overall a decent table wine.

Overall, a decent meal at tourist prices. At least they do serve a decent product. The dining room is quaint and cozy and the folks here are really friendly.

A Grade
Rua de S. Nicolau 9
Porto, Portugal

After lunch the Missus was rarin' to go......no post lunch nap for me on this day. It would turn out to be a fun afternoon!

 

 

 

Coimbra: Across Ponte Santa Clara, Fado ao Centro, and a return to Ze Manel dos Ossos

The area down Rua Visconde da Luz which turns to Rua Ferreira Borges is a pedestrian only area, full of little shops, bakeries, and other businesses. Yes, it's touristy, but there are also a lot of students and locals milling about. We saw students walking along, on what appeared to be a architectural tour, stopping at various buildings taking notes.

Heading toward the Mondego River, Rua Ferreira Borges ends at a square named Largo da Portagem. Like most of Rua Ferreira Borges, it's a nice place to have a seat and people watch.

The statue in the square is of Joaquim António de Aguiar, three time Prime Minister of Portugal who was born in Coimbra. He's obviously much beloved, right? I mean there's a statue of him overlooking the Mondego River......well ask any local who's statue this is and they'll say it's  "Mata Frades", aka the "Friar Killer.” Apparently "Mata Frades" was the Minister of Justice during the reign of Peter IV and issued a law in 1834 which shut down all religious orders and took over their assets.

The views from across the Ponte Santa Clara are the things postcards are made of.

There are also sites to see on this side of the river as well.

After a short nap we headed back up Rua Ferreira Borges and through one of the many gateways of what was once the city walls. The most well known is the Arco de Almedina. See the square hole in the ceiling? This was used a part of the defense system; soldiers would pour hot oil through the holes on enemies who tried to breach the gate.

We headed up the hill to Fado ao Centro, which celebrates Coimbra's unique version of Fado, which I call the soul music of Portugal. Every evening there's a 50 minute show, which we loved. Each number and the history is presented in both Portuguese and English, there's about 40-50 seats, no food, it's about Fado. The folks are very laid back; they let some folks actually videotape the show!

In contrast to the Lisbon melancholic "saudade" Fado sung almost exclusively by women; Coimbra's version is sung by men and tell of social issues, college life, and the such......

The show is well worth it. Instead of grabbing some of the gratis wine after the performance we decided to get dinner. We didn't have anything in mind and just wandered around.....

And no, we didn't eat here....though it was super cheap. We found the specials sign entertaining, "Arroz Chau-Chau" anyone?

I know that diária means daily, but it sounds too much like another word to me.....

It's not surprising that we ended up back here.....

Yep, Ze Manel dos Ossos. We stood in line and waited for the place to open. The guy seated here had dinner here the night before as well.....not sure, but I think he might be a local. He also had the same thing the night before as well which is what we ended up with.

Of course, we started with the gnawingly wonderful "Ossos", simmered pork bones.

We had originally wanted the stew pork with mushrooms, but the had run out, so we went with the classic "Feijao", basically beans, in this case Stewed beans and rice....

Loved the beany flavor, didn't care much for the rice. A nice, hearty, soulful dish. This came with bread (of course) and pork cutlets that had been grilled over hardwood charcoal (I saw the bags of charcoal). I expected this to be tough, but though it was chewy, the flavor was just perfect, nice salt, good garlic flavor, smokiness form the charcoal, doused in olive oil. Simple, but so nice.

Ze Manel dos Ossos
Beco do Forno 12
Coimbra, Portugal

We slept well......

The next morning we arose, walked over to Pastelaria Palmeira and had some espresso and pastries.

We went back to the hotel, packed, checked out, walked the one block to Train Station A to catch the short train to Train Station B....what seemed a bit confusing two days ago made perfect sense now! While waiting for our train to Porto, we went and had a nice cup of espresso....standing up of course!

Soon enough we were ensconced in our seats and headed to our next stop....the land of Port Wine, Porto!

Thanks for reading!

In case you wanted a bit more Fado; the late Amália Rodrigues is known as the "Queen of Fado" - you can see why here:

 

Here's a short video with some performers of Fado ao Centro: