Portuguese Perfection

I’m going to depart from the usual sharing of my favorite recipes and my own table settings to take you on a snap journey to Portugal, the wonderland of good food, people and wine. A great deal of the charm of this magical far corner of Europe is due to the genuineness of the people, unspoiled and sincerely welcoming.

This table setting at the charming Hotel Dom Vasco in Sines is the perfect example of the Portuguese genius of mixing exuberant colors that never clash and are always tasteful, happy and inviting.

Words poorly describe their impeccable taste both in food and décor, a kind of earthy perfection combining flavors and fresh ingredients with flamboyant colors that never clash in a measured symphony that always hits the right note. Artisan baking, farm-to-table freshness and tasty fish, fowl and hoof are benchmarks of a cuisine that makes you feel each meal is made especially for you. And it most likely is.

The classic Portuguese couvert that starts the main meal comes in many shapes, sizes and flavors but must include bread, olives and some type of dip, sauce or spread.

Sardines are a national pastime. Served from the tin with fresh-baked loaves of country bread or grilled whole and plated with boiled potatoes, they redefine any experience you’ve ever had with this fish of varying sizes, full of good oils and low in cholesterol. Shops abound with colorful tins with artistic wrappings. Sardines have become, in fact, an art form in themselves in a country that displays public art in every corner, on every wall and accenting each roundabout.

Dinner in a tiny bistro in Braga with robust Douro Valley red wine, a small bowl of fish soup and a plate of tinned sardines dressed in olives and red peppers and served with slices of fresh baked country bread.

Dinner starts off with bread, olives and dips known as a couvert and tends to be served automatically and is automatically added to your bill. You can decline, but why would you? Prices in Portugal are very reasonable, both for food and drink. A glass of house wine—red, white or rosé—is usually priced at 3 Euros ($3.30) at any restaurant or café. Gin and tonics are marvelously served in big wine goblets. The Portuguese make a delicious gin as well as their own brandy called aguadente. And then there is port, that unique Portuguese fortified wine created centuries ago by combining brandy and wine to prevent spoilage in shipment to England. Port comes not only in several reds, from ruby to tawny, but also white, served slightly chilled, and rosé.

Portuguese food is renowned as among the best in the world. Believe it. I’d say to dine in Portugal, in the city, by the coast, in the mountains, anywhere at all is as close to perfection as you will find.

We pampered ourselves one morning and ordered up room service instead of grazing the breakfast buffet. Fresh fruit, cheeses, cold cuts, breads, cake and rich coffee served with steaming milk gives you just a small taste of the delights we would have savored at the spread in the dining room.

Do not despair if you are not a big fan of fish and seafood, Portugal’s most famous specialties. You’ll find an array of delicious poultry and meat dishes such as these ribs from Évora—the most tender and tasty you could ever imagine. And the sauce! A divine new definition of bar-b-que, sweet and spicy with an aroma of cinnamon that drifts in the velvety night air.

This article originally appeared in the Autumn 2019 issue of CHOICES Magazine