A Gaúcha | Lisboa

Upon arrival to Lisbon we had a seamless check-in at our pristine, well appointed, chicly furnished Airbnb and were off in search of dinner!

Our first night's dinner at A Gaúcha followed in smooth fashion. This was a whim destination and one of our best family dinners yet. The polished vibe felt more in line with being an adult; the brightly lit space nodded to upscale and the boys were well behaved. I felt something in me really relax after our long travel day with a crisp glass of vinho verde in hand. To think we started the morning in Porto, spent time in Nazare and have now made it to Lisbon. Everyone is thriving!

 While the staff prepared our table, the welcoming manager grabbed us wine and chatted, he told me they own the three restaurants in a row on this pedestrian only street. Historically it was a row of warehouses dedicated to salting, processing and selling the coveted Cod fish. R. dos Bacalhoeiros translates to "Cod-Fishing". Fun! 

The food felt much like the restaurant itself: a little more upscale yet unfussy and comforting at the same time. PicaPau de Vaca (€12) offered tender cubes of fillet sautéed in olive oil, garlic, bay leaves, mustard and white wine. This was a super flavorful and filling appetizer. My grilled octopus entrée Polvo na grelha (€18) with batata, grelos, azeite e alho (potato, greens, olive oil and garlic) was excellent. As was Bob's Sea Bass - Robalo (€18) con molho de açafrão das índias (with indian saffron sauce). Ryder ate everything, including the octopus. Camden ate French Fries and perfected his WikkiStix art. Dessert was a glorious Pudim de Doce de Leite (€5). The hospitality felt throughout was top notch; our waitress was very sweet and attentive.

 I've been posting little videos here and there - capturing the scene and hanging onto those vacation vibes. Plus, proof that Ryder loves octopus!

For a perfectly wonderful meal in Lisbon on a historical and charming street, A Gaúcha was the epitome of hospitality to our traveling family. 

A GAUCHA

R. dos Bacalhoeiros 26D

1100-389 Lisboa, Portugal

(interior photo source)

Fajardo Dinnertime Eats

 
May I recommend the red snapper at Sal + Pimienta By The Sea. We ate here on our first night in Fajardo and were replete with delicious seafood meals after a fun but long road trip from the west coast. 

Since we were staying at the well known El Conquistador Resort via airbnb we were not allowed to access their restaurants. It felt like a bummer but in the end it made us get out and explore! 

Fajardo truly is a sleepy town at night. We felt a little off at times; there just isn't a ton going on! Everything closes pretty early and there is not a main section of town. Sal + Pimienta and La Estacion are on the main road but there's no foot traffic, no sidewalks, no street lights, nothing is a destination except the restaurants themselves I suppose.

La Estacion is apparently sort of famous! Housed in an abandoned Esso gas station serving Nuyorican BBQ; Fodor's and Conde Nast have it on best-of-lists for not only Puerto Rico but the Caribbean as a whole. Bob found it on a whim, it sits just down the road from La Conquistadors pearly, exclusive gates. I sipped a juicy Guanabana mojito, we shared tangy Caribbean chicken wings and a terrific BBQ tray. 

They are open Friday through Sunday only. 

Mon/Fri @ 4 pm and Sat/Sun @ 2 pm.

On our last night in town we decided to give Las Croabas neighborhood another go. This is what you might consider the "main area" in and around Seven Seas Beach. 

We explored Las Croabas on a couple different occasions for lunch and it was very quiet; the only restaurant open was Costa Mia right at Seven Seas. (We ate lunch here - it was fine - I did not take photos!) A lot of restaurants have odd hours (La Estacion as noted above), close for 2 days in a row, or simply did not exist! We could not trust google for anything factual. 

Is this Fajardo still emerging from a pandemic?

 A quiet time of year? 

Business as usual?

On our last night we discovered El Pescador, a charming seafood enclave on the small circular strip surrounding Parque Pasvio. Camden slept in the stroller. Ryder was well rested and could hang. They serve martinis in frosted sea blue glasses and bright, fresh fish dishes with rice + salads.

We were delighted.

Our 6 month old! Kind as could be with long brown curls, shiny blue eyes, taking everything in and enjoying the world around him!

Pineapple Flan was a sweet ending to an enlightened stay in a unique part of Puerto Rico!

If you visit:

Sal + Pimienta by the Sea

 Road 987 Km 2.7, 

Fajardo, 00738

La Estacion

Carr. 987 Km 4.20 

Las Croabas, Fajardo, 00738

El Pescadore

Carr. 987 Km 7.2 

Parque Pasivo, Fajardo, 00738

itadaki izakaya

Honestly. When is the last time I wrote about a restaurant in Boston? Where have I been eating lately?!? 

On one of the first bone chillingly cold evenings of the year we ducked into Itadaki on Newbury Street, a Japanese Izakaya specializing in small plates, sushi and most notably, ramen noodles. The deeply flavorful Itadaki Ramen ($14) broth is simmered for 24 hours (chose from soy or miso base), loaded with fresh noodles, sweet corn kernels, and topped with the chef's signature chashu -  a delicate pork belly, as well as a soft boiled egg, nori (dried seaweed), a dusting of negi (scallions) and moyashi (bean sprouts). This ramen was soul warming and pure comfort. 

An order of Japanese Spring Rolls ($8) were a deep fried crispy bite where minced pork mingles with cabbage, bamboo shoots and carrots. The Itadaki Spicy Tuna Roll ($9) goes above and beyond as it is topped with the chefs special spicy mayo - choose if you want it suicidal, hot, medium or mild. We went with hot and WOW. Hot it was in a very good way. The Tempura Udon ($14) are a winter special in a rich Bonito broth served with naruto (fish cake), scallions, carrots, radish, tempura bits and two shrimp tempura on the side. Itadaki offers an extensive selection of sake, Japanese whiskey and unique Japanese beers. I drank a Shirayuki ($6) sake from Hyogo, hot. Finally, the Japanese Pudding ($6) proves to be a delightful ending to this comfy, cozy, well executed and reasonably priced meal. 

Itadaki 

269 Newbury St

Boston, MA 02116

*this meal was complimentary - all opinions are my own*

Casa Banana | Tulum

I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving. I always post thanksgiving photos but this year I didn't take any. There were so many memorable festivities with friends and family the entire week.

I really do have so much to be thankful for, and here, it is for you dear readers. Thank you for another year of reading Indulge Inspire Imbibe. I am so glad this little hobby is still going after all these (almost 5!!) years. 

Now what I did take an endless amount of photos of was my vacation in Tulum. Those posts shall continue!

We ate at Casa Banana on our first night in town and it was definitely one of my favorites. It is a tough margin with so many great spots nearby, but overall I would rate this meal second after Hartwood. 

We started with refreshing but not overly impressive cocktails, a Grapefruit Negroni for her and a Whiskey Miel for him. They have an excellent and fairly robust wine list that saves the day. We had an Argentinian red wine that paired beautifully with the food. 

The grilled octopus salad with asparagus, potato and balsamic was sensational. Man, there really is something about fresh octopus + a wood fired oven! It was a spot on preparation with flavors that were dramatic and exciting. Then there was a fresh caught, wood-fired red snapper with a parsley-ginger marinade, cauliflower, roasted zucchini, carrots and local squash. It was flaky and tender, another perfectly executed dish. Lastly, a slice of soft flan with heaps of sweet, creamy dulche de leche. 

Our waiter was great, too. His vibe of genuine happiness and refined hospitality made him one of my favorites and our visit memorable.