A Cevicheria | Principe Real

We are moving right along through our day in Lisbon, we've wandered from Baixa + Rossio Square crossing Avenida de Liberdade into an upscale trendy neighborhood called Principe Real. Principe Real is home to 19th century mansions, fashionable shops, art galleries, and nightlife. We found ourselves at Atalho Real on a whim. A gorgeous glass of vinho verde hits the spot every time. Have I proclaimed my love for Portuguese green wine in every post? I think yes. The wine was actually preceded by a round of cocktails. Ryder is napping and please note Camden's 'Texas BBQ' Pringles in the photo below. Favorite snacks acquired at a mini mercado prior to happy hour = hunger meltdowns avoided.

Mom and Dad snacks = Pica-Pau! 

Tiras de carne grelhadas e servidas com bolo do caco, pickles e molhos. 

Tiras de carne are strips of steak. 

Grelhadas means grilled. 

Bolo do Caco is the bread. 

Pickles e molhos are the two sauces.

We took the boys to play in a nearby park, Jardim do Principe Real. There are a few children running around plus convivial groups enjoying dinner and wine on the picnic tables nearby. There were also some neat sculptures in the garden. 

The sun dips below the hill in the distance and we head just around the corner to dinner at A Cevicheria on a recommendation of Bob's co-worker. 

A Cevicheria features the Peruvian dish of ceviche with a touch of Portuguese influence. We have been eating lots of traditional food and this is a refreshing change of pace. Pisco Sours in slender champagne flutes prelude the meal; a traditional South American cocktail shaken with Peruvian Brandy, lime, frothy egg white and angostura bitters. Piscos top every table at the restaurant, so definitely order a round! I'm also fairly certain the bar window that fronts the street is famous in the neighborhood for Pisco Sours to-go.

We are seated at a high top outside, and it is a cooler and slightly windy evening! Inside the restaurant it is so chic and cozy. If we didn't have a stroller and two kids we would have snagged seats at the polished bar backed by shellac white subway tiles under a giant octopus sculpture. That is merely a recommendation to the wise, not a complaint about our seats. 

Taco de Tártaro de Lombo de Atum (€18,70) Tortilha de Trigo, Atun, Soja, Sésamo, Gengibre, Togarashi e Tobiko

Tuna Tartare Taco: Wheat Tortilla, Tuna, Soy, Sesame, Ginger, Togarashi and Tobiko

Ceviche de Atum e Foie Gras (€19,70) Beterraba, Framboesa, Líchia e Avelã

Tuna + Foie Gras Ceviche: Beets, Raspberries, Hazelnuts

Ceviche de Salmão e Pitaia (€18,60) Tapioca, Coco, Ananás e Caju

Salmon + Dragon Fruit Ceviche: Tapioca, Coconut, Pineapple and Cashew

This is certainly some of the most inventive and delicious ceviche we will ever eat; I am so glad we took the recommend.

So this was our last night in Lisbon! Three nights here flew by. We did so much, yet so much remains undiscovered. I am pretty sure we missed a few popular spots and squares, we somehow did not set foot in a cathedral or a church, and we did not make it out to Belem! I could have spent a couple more days exploring this city for sure. 

The boys on our last morning, ready to hit the road. We are headed south to Lagos on the Algarve Coast.

Atalho Real

Calçada da Patriarcal 40, 1250-182 

Lisboa, Portugal

A Cevicheria

R. Dom Pedro V 129, 1250-096 

Lisboa, Portugal

Down Island | Martha's Vineyard

Presenting my latest guide for where to eat and drink in the down island towns of Oak Bluffs and Edgartown!! We have been backpacking around the island via the Vineyard Transit Authority bus system which is such a fun way to explore. Fast forward post Menemsha and Aquinnah days to Oak Bluffs where we stayed at our favorite harbor-front hotel The Dockside. (You can read my review here.)I will go ahead and say the chicken wings at Coup de Ville (12 Circuit Ave Extension) are not to be missed when in Oak Bluffs. We started our evening at the casual open air waterfront shack with a couple beers - they have an extensive selection on draft - and ended up devouring a basket of their "World Famous Wings" ($12) on a whim. There are a ton of sauces to choose from such as: dragon fire, suicide, Jamaican Jerk, Cajun, New Orleans Voodoo and Maryland. 

We wandered the lively streets and happened upon a new whiskey bar 20byNine (16 Kennebec Ave) where we mingled with locals over cocktails and small plates. We loved the Smoked Bluefish Mason Jar ($10) with bacon jam and blistered tomatoes and enjoyed a unique take on Tuna Tartare as it meshed with bites of watermelon. Both dishes come served on handsome slate boards. The Johnny Cakes ($10) with strawberry rhubarb prove rather bland and insubstantial. 

The bartender shakes up exquisite cocktails; from a perfect Old Fashioned to creations like the Down Island ($12) with rye, lillet rouge, lillet blanc, maraschino liqueur + rhubarb bitters and the Paper Plane ($12) - bourbon, citrus, amaro nonino, aperol + hopped grapefruit. 

 The next day: South Beach (Katama) with a six pack of Rolling Rock. 

The next night: Dinner in Edgartown at Rockfish (11 N Water Street). We really like both The Port Hunter and Alchemy but wanted to try somewhere new-to-us. Our hotel's virtual concierge named Loomis (you text him, he's a real person who lives on island!) recommended Rockfish and he did not steer us wrong. We started with terrific barrel aged whiskey cocktails - a Boulevardier for her and a Manhattan for him. 

The Wood Oven Charred Brussels Sprouts appetizer was on another level. I know, when are charred brussels sprouts not lust worthy? But - this dish has applewood smoked bacon, mashed potatoes and a ROQUEFORT FONDU. As far as entrees go, the Linguine alle Vongole and the Roasted Half Chicken were delicious.

Our final day on island was gloomy and rainy. We went for a run around Oak Bluffs Harbor and by all the whimsical, colorful gingerbread houses and throughout their respective little neighborhoods before the downpour. 

After checking out of The Dockside we put our name in for a coveted table at Biscuits (26 Lake Avenue). This is the only place in Oak Bluffs that does a sit down breakfast on weekdays and their food is worth the wait. We had the Biscuits Benedict ($9.25), the South Beach Scramble ($7.25) and a side of Biscuits and Gravy ($3.25). Next we decided to visit to Bad Martha Brewery which turned into an all out Edgartown / Oak Bluffs bar crawl. 

If you encounter a rainy day while down island and happen to be in a similar drinking mood, here's a look at all the fun: >> bus from Oak Bluffs to the stop just before Edgartown Post Office >>
Bad Martha Farmers Brewery (270 Upper Main Street) for beer flights followed by mason jars of your favorite brew; their flagship Martha's Vineyard Ale happens to be mine. 
Sharky's Cantina (266 Upper Main Street) - just next door from the brewery for a thirst quenching Sharkarita! Add a fruit puree to any marg - from watermelon, mango and strawberry, to ginger and pineapple-mint.
The Wharf (3 Main Street) - meander by picturesque and historic houses on a 10-15 minute stroll into the main section of town to this cozy pub. We made lots of likeminded drinking friends here!
Atlantic Fish & Chop House (2 Main Street) - just across the cobblestone street for their signature bar side bacon and a big glass of rosé. The sun is starting to peek out and a stroll around the wharf is in order. 
>> bus from Edgartown Post Office back to Oak Bluffs >>
Sand Bar & Grille (6 Circuit Avenue Extension) - It is full on gorgeous sunshine at this point so Painkillers on the dock front sand bar it is! 
The Lookout (8 Seaview Ave) - Sushi time! We scored two seats at the tiny sushi bar nestled among this rowdy tavern. Special thanks to our waitress for not judging us at this point in our crawl ;) But we're still going strong with cute little jars of cold Gekkeikan Sake. Soon its time to grab our bags and catch the last Friday evening ferry home to the mainland.

Thank you for making it through this long food and drink crawl filled post! I hope these recaps can serve as a solid guide if you visit Martha's Vineyard. And if you've been, let me know if you have a favorite spot that I missed! 

Ocean Prime

I want to say this was one of the most indulgent meals I've had in along time - but that would only be half true. Last week was a whirlwind of spontaneity out and about the city. First came the sushi bar at Super Fusion in Watertown - one of our favorites which never fails to impress. We had double toro maki and a caterpillar maki, alongside carafes of hot sake, edamame and more. Second, after a night at Hotel Envoy's Lookout (the new see and be seen rooftop bar) a visit to Dumpling Cafe in Chinatown where we enjoyed crab rangoon, a heaping plate of mango chicken, ice cold Sapporo, and loads of the pork and vegetable dumplings that made them a citywide craze. So So GOOD.

And third this week came Ocean Prime, the Seaports newest upscale chain. This Steakhouse is swanky and sophisticated with an extensive wine room. We go all out, I'm talking east and west coast Oysters on the half shell ($19) followed by an exceptional Ahi Tuna Tartare ($18) and a ridiculous Point Judith Calamari ($16) tossed with sweet chili sauce and cashews - for no other reason than it's Thursday and we've had a great week, why stop now! 

Traditional cocktails accompany our indulgent first courses - a Dirty Martini with bleu cheese stuffed olives and their own Manhattan ($15) that adds Rosemary Grapefruit Peppercorn bitters! 

My 8 oz Filet Mignon ($41) and Bob's 12 oz Bone in Filet ($50) are executed medium rare with a warm, pink center. Both are expertly seasoned, tender and juicy. To accessorize our steaks we order Black Truffle Butter ($6) which is a very good call. Our a la carte sides of Whipped Mashed Potatoes ($9) and Asparagus with Hollandaise ($11) are flawless. We perused the lengthy wine list for quite sometime and decided on an Argyle Pinot Noir ($65) from Willamette Valley, Oregon. (We visited their tasting room last October - it's always fun to pick a wine that brings back good memories!) Finally, there was Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie ($11) with fluffy peanut butter mouse and decadent bittersweet chocolate ganache . You definitely can't end a meal like this without dessert.

Ocean Prime

140 Seaport Boulevard

Boston, MA 02210

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

Sausalito

Sausalito is a dreamy little coastal town on the San Francisco Bay. Strolling along the quaint waterfront with trendy restaurants, coffee shops + art galleries and taking in picturesque views of the sprawling San Fran cityscape makes for a really nice afternoon. 

We scored the perfect waterfront deck table at The Trident and had a fantastic lunch. There was tuna tartare, truffle fries and a crab Caesar salad, complimented by a bottle of Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc.

The Trident

 558 Bridgeway

Sausalito, CA 94965

~~~

A glimpse at our night out in San Fran for good measure. We are at Smuggler's Cove an exotic nautical bar devoted to tiki craft cocktails featuring over 700 types of Rum.

Smuggler's Cove

650 Gough St

San Francisco, CA 94102