Our love for food with a Portuguese edge spans continents. Whether it’s straight from Portugal or the Southern Cone, we love the savory cooking that creates such an array of exciting flavors and dishes we would never otherwise find in our town. The varieties of foods may only be linked by a language, but who doesn’t love a plantain when its prepared correctly? Or maybe some of you have just never had one done right. When we’re cruising around town for the best food with a Portuguese flare, these are our picks.
At Portugalia, while the decor may not be much to take in (aside from the standard assortment of roosters guarding the welfare of the place), the food is. Start with the Sangria, try the paella, and make sure you save room for bifanas sandwiches, even if just to sample the one your friend ordered. Portuguese fries are also worth grabbing as a side dish - sort of like giant potato chips, only better. And flan for dessert makes every meal a little better, right?
Atasca, another spot for Portuguese delicacies, specializes in fish, including their incredible salt cod, or bacalhau. The medley fish dinner option is a great place to being sampling, and the cheese plate offers some of the finest choices for beginners. Add great steaks and Portuguese wine to the mix, with friendly owners to boot, and you’ve got one hell of a great date lined up. Come back in the spring for the patio. Where else in greater Boston can you pick grapes right off the trees while you eat?
And then skipping back to the Americas, we’d be remiss to not mention Southeastern Brazilian cuisine powerhouse Muqueca. This place too is a fish-heavy choice, but in a perhaps more exciting way. The seafood stew mixes up shrimp and squid with yummy veggies and coconut milk, making it one of the best dishes on the menu. The fried yucca is also worth splitting between friends, as you aren’t going to find it very many other places around town. And the plantain lasagna…there’s a reason the Brazilians have figured out how to use these fruits and vegetables in the best things they make: they’re some of the best, unexpected flavors you can add! Call ahead - their small space can only allow a few reservations.
Portugalia [Official Site]
Atasca Hampshire [Official Site]
Muqueca [Official Site]
[Photo: stu_spivak/Flickr]
