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)

The Red Inn | Provincetown

This summer has been a whirlwind in the best way possible! We just got back from a week on Martha's Vineyard and the Cape, and it's hard to get back into the swing of things simultaneously with work and the blog. I have had pictures of this meal ready to go for awhile now and just needed to get it together with a nice little blurb on The Red Inn! We didn't stay here (although I looked, it's $$$) however, we had booked a very last minute room down the street at the more affordable and available Provincetown Inn. (This was back in June after the lighthouse kicked us out!!) Anyways, on our way through town we passed by this historic inn and the eye catching bright red with white trim exterior made an impression. Turns out they do a fantastic dinner in their cozy and comfortable, dimly lit, nautical inspired waterfront dining room. If you're looking for a romantic meal on the outer cape, with plenty of beautifully cooked fish and the finest local seafood, this ones a charmer!

Entrees Pictured:

Fresh Local Scallops | orzo, citrus beurre blanc, haricots verts

Blackened Rainbow Trout | crawfish creole sauce, mascarpone grits

Pan Roasted Local Cod | lemon garlic confit, applewood bacon, rosemary potatoes

The Red Inn
15 Commercial Street 
Provincetown, MA 02657

The Gallows | Low Country Boil

The Gallows has long been one of my favorite Boston restaurants. So when the invite came in to attend their first Low Country Boil paired with Long Trail and Otter Creek Beers, I happily accepted. The night was a crab-claw smashing success; we started with soft cornbread and creamy cinnamon honey butter, plus cans of boiled peanuts. These were followed by buckets of crawfish, mussels, clams, sausages, corn, potatoes and the aforementioned crab claws. The Long Trail and Otter Creek beer selections included some of my favorites - like Long Trail's Green Blaze IPA - their newest release featuring big pine, tropical fruit and resin hop notes. We continued to devour crawfish and drink all 6 beers (10 oz pours though - a smart way to sample but still feel like you're getting a solid taste) well into the evening. Thanks to everyone at The Gallows for having us in and hosting such a fun Monday night dinner!! 

Tiger Mama

A couple Fridays ago after the usual post work drinks and debating where to have dinner, I remembered that Tiffani Faison recently opened Tiger Mama. We arrived to a two hour wait for a table but lucky us, snagged seats at the crowded bar where service was convivial and on point. 

Our cities beloved Top Chef Alum has done it again. Tiger Mama is a GEM. Tiffani's playful take on Southeast Asian food is terrific. Dishes are spicy, crispy, bold, adventurous and inspired. The space transports you - décor is funky and exotic, it gives a vibe in line with the food. 

After some bracingly good cocktails that included an Indo Fizz ($11) old monk 7 year, turmeric-coconut milk, lime, ginger honey syrup, whole egg and the Flushing/Main St ($13) white oak, Dolin blanc, chartreuse, cacao, angostura - I made friends with their disco-ball elephant hostess. 

We ate Crispy Chili Potatoes ($6) with a sneaky spicy mayo, Hamachi Crudo ($15) with crispy dosa, Viet herbs and a sesame mushroom aioli, and a Crispy Green Papaya Salad ($7) with mint and tomato chili vinaigrette. I was highly impressed with all three! We were planning to order more food but these generous portions filled us right up. I can't wait to visit again. 

Tiger Mama

1363 Boylston St.

Boston, MA 02215

whole garden dinner | Alden & Harlow

The ladies and I planned our August get together at Alden & Harlow for a Whole Garden Dinner; a summer dinner series which featured a produce-centric menu from a different local farm each Tuesday. The chef's preparations on this evening beautifully showcased the bounty of fruits and vegetables from The Food Project farms. 

Seated comfortably in a gray booth and thick leather chairs set against the restaurants leafy green live wall, we opted in for the wine pairings starting with pink bubbly from France: NV Cote Mas Cremant de Limoux a Brut Rose chardonnay/pinot noir blend. (See the rest of the wines, below)

 To begin the feast: Pickles! Then, plates of Fried Shishitos with anchovy and grated egg yolk and a gorgeous Vegetable Crudite with Bagna Cauda (a garlic and anchovy infused olive oil for dipping.) The Bagna Cauda was a sensational compliment to the french radishes, snap peas, heirloom tomatoes and slivers of summer squash and zucchini. We had so many vegetables between the ten of us, I got to take a large portion of that plate home and I made an incredible salad with it the next evening. Vegetables that beautiful could not be wasted.

Next arrives heaping vegetarian plates of Stewed Pole Beans and Seared Japanese Eggplant which is insanely good with crumbles of sheeps milk cheese, basil, fregola and garlic. The pole beans proved flavorful and hearty with cherry tomatoes and torn crouton hunks. 

After we polished off the second course a platter of Grilled Potatoes smothered in Za'atar aioli with a pickled pepper and corn relish and a Kale Creste de Gallo with egg and fresh milled tomato grace us. The grilled potatoes were tasty but the Kale pasta overcooked and soggy. The latter plates outshined these. 

For the finale a dreamy Apricot Parfait with cardamom cream. It was perfect!  

Alden & Harlow brilliantly showcased the freshness of the farms produce, inventively dressing them up and incorporating flavors that shined. They expertly paired them with delicious wines. Bravo! 

See my first Alden & Harlow post here.