I landed in Lisbon, Portugal, where I picked up my rental car at the airport, and headed north along the west coast to my first stop: the city of Porto. It was my northernmost stop, which included a tour of the Douro wine valley. (See my previous blogs for those posts.)
I then headed south, stopping Aveiro for a night, and then onto Nazaré for a night.
My longest drive would be when I left Nazaré to head all the way down to the Mediterranean coast for 2 nights, where a 2-Michelin star fine dining experience awaited. (But that’s coming in a later blog post.)
To break my trip up heading south, I drove through the quaint town of Alcobaça, where I briefly stopped to check out the famous monastery founded in 1153, a UNESCO heritage site.
The monastery in Alcobaça
I then continued to the most bizarre portion of my trip: a stop in the town of Évora to see the famous Chapel of Bones (Capela dos Ossos.)
It was built by 16th century Franciscan monks to free up the over 40 overcrowded cemeteries in Évora.
It was not only built out of necessity. The monks wanted to send a message that life on earth is fleeting, and death unites all of us, regardless of wealth, status, or power.
The 152nd running of the Kentucky Derby is this Saturday, May 2nd, and although I’m not a big horse racing fan, I am a huge fan of the official drink: the Mint Julep!
The Mint Julep is such a perfect, classic and historic bourbon drink, it seems silly to wait until Derby Day to have one. Of course, as any aficionado of spirits will tell you, there are as many right ways as wrong ways of making one.
The first step in my Mint Julep is making the simple syrup. Learning from one of my old radio buddies, my pal Rick O’B, I infuse mint into my simple syrup to take my cocktail to the next level. I use the standard ratio of 1 cup of clean, filtered water to 1 cup of sugar. I place the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat until just boiling. I’ve found that it needs to reach this stage for the sugar to really dissolve.
Waiting for the sugar to dissolve.
As soon as it starts to boil, I remove the saucepan from the heat, and throw in a handful of freshly picked mint leaves, stirring to make sure the mint gets in there, and then I leave the saucepan to cool to room temperature.
Once it’s at room temp, I strain the simple syrup into a squeeze bottle, and place it in the refrigerator to cool. It will keep for about a week.
An equally important ingredient for a perfect Mint Julep is the ice: specifically, crushed ice from clean, filtered water. Don’t even think of using tap water for any cocktail much less this one. Why ruin a good bottle of bourbon by going cheap on the ice? I make my own ice cubes, then put them in an untreated canvas ice bag and bash them with a mallet to the perfect crushed size. But if you don’t want to go through all the trouble, just buy a bag of good ice. Untreated canvas bags for crushing ice can be purchased online from bar supply companies for about $30. I got an untreated canvas tool bag (the exact same shape and size) at Home Depot for 3 bucks.
Da bag.
The next step is a little tougher: which bourbon to choose. The explosion of choices on the bourbon market has made it all but impossible for the average imbiber to know which bourbon is best for their tastes. If you’re a beginner, I suggest you go to a trusted bartender and explain that you’re new to the bourbon world, and could you have the tiniest of tastes and sniffs of what he’s got at his bar. Chances are, you’ll get a sampling of some of the better known brands: Maker’s Mark, Woodford Reserve, perhaps Buffalo Trace or Bulleit, and the standard Jim Beam. This is a very good start. (Also, hinting to your spouse and friends that “I’m trying new bourbons” around your birthday or Father’s Day inevitably gets you a few bottles as well!)
My go-to bourbon for Mint Juleps used to be Eagle Rare 10-year-old when it was around $32.99 a bottle. Now it can be as high $100! (Although the bourbon craze has calmed quite a bit recently, and prices are slowly going down.) My latest go-to bourbon is 1792 Small Batch. At $29, it’s almost unbelievable, like someone made a mistake in the stock room! Very tasty on its own and great for mixing. Others that work well and are around the same price range include Buffalo Trace, and Larceny. I’m actually not a fan of the official bourbon of the Derby: Woodford Reserve.
Finally, a Mint Julep needs a metal–not glass– Julep cup. Made of pewter, it frosts on the outside as you stir your drink, keeping your beverage ice-cold on even the hottest of days.
3 oz. bourbon 1 oz. mint-infused simple syrup crushed ice Julep cup Fresh mint for garnish
Crush the ice and pack it into the Julep cup, even letting it dome slightly over the top. Don’t worry…the alcohol will melt it.
I like to add 1.5 ounces of bourbon, then the ounce of simple syrup, another 1.5 ounces of bourbon on top, and then a quick squirt of simple syrup to top it off. Break off a few mint leaves from the stem and push them into the ice. A beautiful layer of frost will form on the outside of the cup. Add more ice, if necessary, and garnish with a sprig of mint.
A nice selection of bourbons. This is an old photo: that Pappy Van Winkle is long gone…but I saved the bottle!
You’ve probably seen on You Tube those videos of the crazy 100-foot waves that surfers try to conquer every year. Well, that happens during the winter months at Nazaré, Portugal. The primary factor in making those massive waves is an enormous underwater canyon, the Nazaré Canyon, that stretches for about 220 kilometers, running perpendicular to the shoreline. The deep-sea trench ends just a few meters off the shore of Praia do Norte, where the water depth is till about 20 meters. The drastic transition from deep to shallower water causes the enormous waves.
In the summer, Nazaré and Praia de Norte are quite a bit calmer! Almost hard to believe those waves actually can happen here.
That red lighthouse is where fans watch those crazy surfers do their thing!
I found Nazaré to be one of my favorite stops on my trip through Portugal…a sleepy surfer town with lots of restaurants and shops, and a great beach to walk.
Later in the day, the local soccer players come out and play until the sun goes down.The view from my room balcony at Hotel Praia, where I stayed. A great little hotel with underground parking (a rarity) and excellent location for walking.You can even do your laundry right on the street!
Of course, there’s the most casual meal to fantastic seafood available in Nazaré. The tiger prawns are the size of a lobster!
And they grow some really big oysters here, too!
And, being on the west coast of Portugal, you get great sunsets!
Plaia do Norte when the waves aren’t crazy! You can actually drive onto the beach. (The view is from the north side of the red lighthouse, whereas the town of Nazaré is south of it.)
When you’ve got 20 people showing up at your house for breakfast the morning after hosting a 165-person party the night before, you want to make it all as easy as possible for yourself. Sheet pan eggs are the answer!
I pre-cook everything but the eggs the day before…I caramelized some onions, cooked sausage patties and cut them into small cubes, and wilted a couple of handfuls of spinach…then kept them in the fridge, ready to use. Grating or crumbling some cheese–cheddar or feta–is also a good idea.
2 dozen eggs, scrambled
12 sausage patties, pre-cooked
2 large handfuls of spinach, wilted in a pan with some olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced, and sautéed until caramelized in a little olive oil
cheddar cheese or feta, optional
milk or cream, optional
butter
olive oil
The next morning, I get a large bowl out and scramble 2 dozen eggs. A touch of milk or cream is optional. Then I add all the pre-cooked ingredients, stirring well.
The secret to successful sheet pan eggs is to make sure the pan is greased really well. Using a cube of butter, I cover every inch of the sheet pan thoroughly. Then, I pour a small amount of extra virgin olive oil in the pan, and spread that around with my fingers.
Once the pan is nicely greased, I carefully pour the contents of the bowl into the sheet pan and place in a pre-heated 300-degree oven.
Let the sheet pan eggs bake at this temperature, resisting to hurry the process by cranking the heat up. Higher temperatures will burn the bottom before the top is properly cooked. Eventually, you’ll see the bottom of the pan solidify while the top is still a bit runny. Be patient! When the top is cooked to your liking, remove it from the oven and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before slicing it into squares.
To serve, either go the sandwich route by toasting some fresh slider buns. Or simply serve a square on a plate, garnishing as you like, a little Tabasco on the side.
I drove over 1000 miles on my trip through Portugal, and one of my stops was the town of Aveiro, just south of Porto. The tourism marketers call Aveiro the “Venice of Portugal.” I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration. Sure, they’ve got a couple of canals, and some gondolas, but they’re surrounded by shopping malls and restaurants. A bit cheesy. But it was a fun town to visit, with a Michelin-listed restaurant called Salpoente, where I had a wonderful dining experience.
I stayed at the Turim Aveiro Palace Hotel, centrally located, with convenient parking right across the street at the underground lot of the shopping mall. (Parking is always a challenge in Portugal.)
I had a delicious salt cod lunch in Aveiro. Gotta have at least one salt cod meal while in Portugal, right? After all, that’s what they’re famous for.
Well, it would surprise most people to know that NONE of the cod served comes from waters around Portugal. The country imports ALL of its cod from Norway, Iceland and other cold water countries.
Salt cod with a corn meal and chourico crust
Dinner at Salpoente was wonderful…
Beef tartare tacoSmoked eel with a hazelnut sauceLambDessert
When my daughter hangs out with me, I always ask her what she wants me to cook for her, and there are a few “Dad” recipes that are her favorites. This is one of them, especially when fresh asparagus is available. And as any parent will tell you, if your kid is craving a dish that has vegetables in it, count yourself lucky–and make it!!
Prepping asparagus is easy, and you don’t need a knife to cut off the woody bottoms of the stalks. Simply bend the stalks at the bottom and they will naturally snap off at the right point.
4 mild Italian sausages, sliced into pieces 1/2″ thick 1 lb. penne pasta 1/2 onion, finely chopped 1 cup chopped fresh trumpet mushrooms (white button mushrooms work, too), optional 2 cups fresh asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces 1 clove garlic, passed through a garlic press 1 cup homemade chicken broth 6 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper
Have the pasta water salted and boiling, and add the pasta, cooking until just a bit more undercooked than al dente.
Heat a large pan, and drizzle in some olive oil. Sauté the sausage pieces until browned and cooked through, but not overcooked. Remove the sausages from the pan and place them in a separate bowl. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the fat left behind in the pan.
Place the pan back on stove and sauté the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, and sauté for 10 seconds. Add the sage, and saute for 10 seconds, stirring. Add the chopped mushrooms and saute for a few minutes, then add the chicken broth, and simmer until almost all the liquid has evaporated. Pour the contents of the pan into the bowl with the sausages.
Return the pan to the stove, add a little more olive oil, and on medium heat, sauté the asparagus pieces. Cook them until they are al dente, not too soft. Once the asparagus has reached this stage, return all the contents of the sausage/mushroom bowl to the pan to heat through. Drain the pasta, and add it to the pan as well, combining all the ingredients. If it looks too dry, add a little pasta water to the pan. Season with salt and pepper.
Make sure you serve this hot, with grated Parmigiano Reggiano on top, and drizzle lightly over the top with extra virgin olive oil.
I spent my first two nights of my vacation in Porto, Portugal, driving up from the airport in Lisbon along the West Coast, fortifying myself with double espressos, as I had been on the overnight flight from Boston just a few hours earlier.
The streets of Porto were extremely busy, partly due to the regular traffic there, and partly due to the fact that there’s an awful lot of construction going on in that city. I was told that they were putting in new subway lines, and the construction had been going on since Covid. It made getting to my hotel a bit difficult, but once I was there and the valet took my car away, it was nothing but comfort.
Nice to not only have a beautiful room to crash in at the end of the day, but a great bar for that last drink of the night. Breakfast the next day was at the hotel and in typical European style, it was an excellent buffet with many choices.
I was surprised to find that Portugal has a wonderful selection of gins. I tried several of them on my trip.Breakfast
When I travel, I do like to go off the beaten path and eat like a local. But I’ve also got a nerdy American tourist side to me, and I try to go to every Hard Rock Cafe I can find on my journeys. Portugal has two of them: one in Porto, and one in Lisbon.
My rule for visiting Hard Rock Cafes is simple: have a drink at the bar, then get the shot glass. My trip to Portugal brought my total up to 24!
Hard Rock Cafe in PortoThat’s an actual car hanging from the ceiling at the Hard Rock Cafe in Lisbon.
The Hard Rock Cafes I’ve been to, as far as I can remember: New York (the original on W 57th St. and the current in Times Square), Boston (now closed), Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, Phoenix (now closed), Orlando, Miami, Maui, New Orleans, Cabo San Lucas, Cancun, Cayman Islands, St. Thomas (now closed), Bangkok, Paris (now closed), Rome, London (the original), Warsaw, Athens, Porto, and Lisbon.
My second night’s dinner, after my day-long tour of the Douro Valley, did not disappoint!
Elemento is a live-fire restaurant, just a stone’s throw from the Hard Rock Cafe in Porto, and it was fun to sit at the bar where you could watch all the chefs work to create some very unique dishes.
A series of starters for the tasting menu. They bring you a wooden box with all the utensils you’ll need throughout your meal.A beautiful piece of beef after a couple of seafood dishes. And it was hiding an ingredient I haven’t seen in a long time…Crosnes! (Also known as Chinese artichokes.) Found mostly in Asian and French cooking, my first taste of them was at a high-end French restaurant in Quebec City many years ago. They look like little caterpillars, but it’s a root veg that is really tasty and crunchy. (A relative of mint.) I grew some in my garden for several years. You don’t see them in the US very often. Two desserts, because one’s never enough!
No matter where you drive in Portugal, you’ll see grapevines and olive trees. But the Douro Valley is special, and I wanted to really enjoy it all: the food, the wine, the scenery—without any hassles. So I signed up for an all-day tour. Our guide knew all the back roads, had tons of great information, and took our small group around in a comfortable van, allowing us not only to enjoy the incredible UNESCO heritage site scenery, but also drink some great wine from small family vineyards without worrying about driving. And I made a few new friends along the way.
Our first sip of Vinho Verde was at this wonderful tavern in Amarante.A boat trip on the Douro River made this scenery look even more spectacular.
It was great to experience the roads of the Douro Valley without having to drive! I highly recommend signing up with one of the many tours, but pay a little extra and go with the small vans that hold a maximum of eight or 10 people. It’s a much better experience, and you just might make a few friends along the way.
Live the Live ™ 