Time Out Market | Lisboa

 

Time Out Market is a blast. From Chiado neighborhood we meandered down Pink Street (where the umbrellas are) to reach the original all-star line up of Lisbon fare in Cais do Sodre neighborhood. Time Out Bar is situated at the entrance, and cocktails are immediately flowing from the bustling line up of bartenders. The boys have wild energy right now so Bob and I are balancing sipping drinks with making sure they are behaving! Bird Macumba (€12) with rum, Aperol, vanilla, passion fruit, pineapple juice, lime and raspberry syrup helps with this task. It's a beautifully crafted drink. 

Time Out is so much fun and crowded, the energy is sparked by an excitement to enjoy the best of Lisbon food under one roof. We casually strolled with cocktails in hand to check out the menu at each five star restaurant turned high end market stall.

Sea Me Peixaria Moderna has a huge fan in me! Their brick and mortar is in Chiado serving Portuguese Japanese Fusion. I had black tempura fried cuttlefish, gorgeous oysters, and seared scallops with mango tartare. Bob picked one of the chef named stalls and his beef cheek meal was perfectly executed, undeniably comforting. Time Out Market begs of you to linger. We enjoyed good food and glasses of crisp vinho verde with no sense of urgency. We chatted with our dining companions in close proximity. The girls across from us have been here two nights in a row and are impressed Ryder is eating cuttlefish dredged in black tempura. Bob, the boys and I shared Crush Doughnuts for dessert before we embarked on a relaxing walk home, passing through Praca do Municipo. 

Once we're home to our clean and contemporary Baixa Airbnb it feels nice to be welcomed back. My little city adventurers took a warm shower while Bob and I drank some of the vinho tinto our hosts left. I love a choose your own adventure day to discover a new city. Lisbon is a spectacular one for which to do just that. 

Time Out Market

Mercado da Ribeira

Avenida 24 de Julho

1200-479 Lisboa, Portugal

weekend in provincetown

Why does it feel like there has been so much RAIN! My last two cape visits, it was all stormy weather with random hints of sunshine. First it was mother's day weekend in Ptown, then memorial day weekend on Nantucket. Didn't matter though, I'll still take the quiet beaches (and vacation weekends however they come!) in the wind and rain any day.

P.S.

Our lovely, retro, beachfront accommodations | Harbor Hotel

Our amazing lunch of Oysters Rockefeller and Lobster Avocado Cocktail w mango, sweet pepper vinaigrette and tarragon mayo | The Lobster Pot

Playa Jacó

Nestled deep in tropical Centro America, bordered by Nicaragua to the North and Panama to the South lies the exquisite country of Costa Rica, which meaningfully translates to "Rich Coast". The unofficial national slogan Pura Vida or Pure Life embodies the nature of its gorgeous landscape and kind-hearted people to a tee. A funky little Pacific surf town with a wide stretching volcanic black sand beach called Jacó (pronounced haco, rhymes with taco) is where we spent most of our days: outsmarting the waves, exploring the shores and hunting down the shaved ice cart. 

The ocean defies expectations - swells are fierce yet the temperature is incredibly warm; swimming (and our water sport of choice: boogie boarding) is an adrenaline rush and a comfort at the same time. Flanked by intense lime green palm trees and beachfront bars, dotted with rocks and driftwood; daily beach walks lend treasures abound, while venturing to the outer edges leads to hiking through strong current inlets and around fascinating volcanic rock formations. Colorful iguanas and lizards also make an appearance at the beach!

The main strip of downtown Jacó located just a block off the beach is a mecca of kitschy tourist huts meets laid back surf shops. Fantastic restaurants and plenty of tour-guide agencies are here at your disposal. Downtown at night makes no apologies (prostitution is legal, someone might offer to sell you drugs), yes, Jacó has a well deserved reputation as a party town. Don't mistake that for lack of charm, as common sense will dictate, that type of scene isn't hard to avoid despite its presence. Oh and speaking of nighttime, the sunsets are incredible. 

The food in Jacó was always delicious and incredibly inexpensive. From the eclectic must-visit TacoBar, to authentic lunches at Soda Jaco Rustico, to dinners at Tsunami Sushi and Mono Verde, every type of restaurant stands to impress. We even had a traditional Thanksgiving feast at Lemon Zest. Fish is abundant and fresh caught - from Corvina (Sea Bass) and Dorado (Mahi Mahi) to Atun (Tuna), you will find ceviche offered on almost every menu, along with hearty grilled or fried entrée portions. The country offers a wealth of tropical fruits - impeccably ripe and juicy mangoes, pineapple and bananas were the best I've had. Starfruit is also common, mostly as a drink garnish! Guacamole was prepared with large, ripe aguacate (avocado) at our condo on a regular basis, usually consumed alongside an Imperial, the official beer of Costa Rica. 

As to be expected, lots more on the adventures and restaurants to come! 

Let Freedom Ring

Happy 4th of July! 

Flashback: It is Sunday, July 4th on Cape Cod.

I'm happy as can be on a 7 mile bike ride from 

Yarmouthport to West Dennis Beach.

The last time Adam and I took a bike ride together was about 10 months ago. 

I was here.

I'll basically use any excuse I can to reminisce on time spent in Europe. In September 2009 we visited Paris. The Palace of Versailles and the bike tour through the gardens were magical.
Our bike ride on Cape was pretty magical, too. We rode past the house I grew up in, the woods I explored as a child, the houses I partied at in high school, the pond I used to ice skate at, even my old pre-school (in that order). Smack dab in the middle of all that we stopped here for breakfast.

Can you tell the owners have a sense of humor?

Iced Coffee was very necessary to begin.

Often The Red Cottage has a wait, however today we were seated in record time. The service is always speedy so no matter the crowd I'd stick around. It is worth the wait! I got 2 eggs over medium, home fries, white toast and one (monster) apple sausage ($6.99).

Breakfast never tasted so rewarding.

The Red Cottage is cash only and breakfast here is easy on the wallet.
Located at 36 Old Bass River Rd in South Dennis, The Red Cottage is another quality spot if you are visiting the mid-cape.

All fueled up - it was back on the bikes and our destination was reached in no time.

Welcome to the beach.

There was beers, bocce tournaments, plenty of swimming and the second best thing about having a house on the beach (first being the fact that you wake up and don't have to go anywhere, ever) is leftovers. But not just any leftovers my friends....
As in, not the kind that you can pack in a cooler. It's Gretchen's Cioppino.
And her Blueberry Crumble topped with Sundae School homemade vanilla ice cream.

We are so lucky for these friends!

Back at my Mom's house we whipped up a mango salsa with sautéed red pepper, jalapenos, onion, cilantro and lime juice.

Which would be topping our grilled haddock over cauliflower garlic mashed potatoes.

Served with whole grain toast, a tomato avocado salad and steamed organic broccoli from Mom's garden.

Oh and a crisp refreshing glass of Sea Ridge Chardonnay.

Everything came together really well, the meal was summery and delicious! We ate outside on the back deck.

I am so appreciative to have people in my life like Gretchen and my Mom who are always experimenting in the kitchen and coming up with seasonally inspired, noteworthy meals.

How was your 4th of July?