mmm-yoso – Page 340 – As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.

Jus Wings

October 7, 2013 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings

***** Jus Wings has closed

Several months ago I was up in the Rolando area for an appointment. Feeling a bit peckish, I searched around a bit for something to eat. I noticed this place, which seemed to have just opened in the huge University Square Marketplace.

The interior looked clean and new……

The young lady at the counter was also very nice, there was no order board or formal menu. What was offered were a printed and handwritten sheet taped to the counter, which really took away from the decor. You can select from different combo's or jus(t) wings with a variety of sauces.

I decided to go with an 8 piece combo, $7.99, which includes a side and a drink, very reasonable in my mind. Of course I had to get some straight up Buffalo wings for half my order, but was curious about what to get for the other 4 wings. The nice young lady gave me some of the sweet chili sauce, which totally tasted like the bottled stuff and wasn't very spicy. She told me that the spiciest wings were the "Jerk" wings, so I went with that.

The wings were fried nicely, quite crisp, but that sauce was really more of a topping, and nothing like any "jerk" seasoning/sauce I'd ever seen. It was like some pseudo green chili salsa that wasn't particularly hot and very one dimensional.

The Buffalo wings were by the book and the sauce was that usual Louisiana Hot sauce – vinegar based sauce that everyone knows. The wings were on the smaller side, something which I kind of like; it increases the skin-to-meat ration. They were nicely fried; not overdone and dry, but decent. Wish they had some blue cheese dressing…..

Man, I could not believe how much fries they gave me…..

The place had a chain-like feel to it, the wings were cooked to order and took about 15 minutes. There looked to be only 4 fryers, so I could imagine if the place got busy.

I thought this would be a one-and-done, but I happened to be back in the area about a month later and decided to give the place another try.

Things looked the same, but the menu, though it was still "81/2" x "11", stained and curling around the edges, and taped to th counter had changed a bit. Specifically the sauces, the "jerk" was (thankfully) gone. This time around I was told that the garlic buffalo was nice and spicy, so I ordered that, along with the Chili-lime-pepper. It was a bit of a longer wait this time around, almost 25 minutes and they weren't even busy……

I went with the coleslaw this time around and it was very blah….bland.

The Chili-lime-pepper was also not to my liking. Too sour and artificial tasting, I a hard time getting past that. The wings were fried too long and were on the dry side as well.

In terms of flavor, the garlic Buffalo was much better.

The heat level on this was nice, it brought a nice sheen of sweat to my brow. The vinegar heightened the whole experience. Didn't taste much garlic as these also edged on the salty side. Still it was the better of the two.

After two visits, I think I'll make the effort to drive to Crispy Fried Chicken if I'm in the area. Nice folks and all that, but it's nothing I'd want to go out of my way for.

Jus Wings
5801 University Ave (in the University Square Marketplace)
San Diego, CA 92115

Sunday Stuffs: Hinotez 2 replacing La Playita, Bristol Farms discounts, and what’s fermenting in our hallway

October 6, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Markets & Grocers, yoso-silly

Just some odds and ends for an "atsui" Sunday.

Hinotez 2 to open in the former La Playita location:

Cathy originally noticed the sad news that La Playita had closed.

This week she followed that up by telling me that Hinotez 2 was opening in that location. So I went over and sure enough, that's what it says.

I kinda find this a bit odd…..I've been to Hinotez a good dozen times and the place has never been what I'd call busy, but maybe I'm going during the wrong time. It'll be interesting to see what this tiny shop will be doing…..perhaps take-out only?

5185 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92117

Bristol Farms discount:

I know, it's already pricey, so what's 10% gonna do? Well, we do shop here about once a week, the Missus enjoys the sausages, and I like the meat department, especially when there are good sales, like baby back ribs for $3.99. So anyway, I saw this on my last trip and though some folks might be able to take advantage of the discount…it's for both students and faculty, which is nice.

Bristol Farms
8510 Genessee Ave
San Diego, CA 92122

What that fermenting in our hallway:

Well, the Missus decided She wanted to make Her own sauerkraut, go figure. So after doing some checking online She decided to go with the 10 liter Harsch Gairtropf Fermenting Crock Pot. So we've got a bunch of purple cabbage fermenting away……this type of crock uses a water seal, so every so often gas is released through the water with a fairly loud "blooop". It can throw you off a bit. You'll be sleeping then hear "blooop"……

As for the smell? I just blame that on Da' Boyz…..

Evora: Capela dos Ossos (Chapel of the Bones), The Public Market, and the University of Evora

October 4, 2013 mmm-yoso Desserts, Markets & Grocers, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

Breakfast at Albergaria do Calvario is no joke.

It is locally sourced, organic, and most of all, well prepared. There's a nice variety of items available; they cram a lot into a tiny space.

You can also have eggs done any way you wish and even bacon if you desire. The Missus had Hers poached. We decided on getting a good sized breakfast since we had reservations for dinner that I was certain (it was) was going to be huge amount of food.

This was to be the day we'd just explore the walled city, stretch our legs, but do things at a relaxed pace. We always identify the one or two things we want to see and leave the rest to fate; it's not important to see everything, rather, we like to take in the atmosphere, people watch, and see how folks live. That's why we just can't do tours, get on the bus, get off the bus, take a bunch of photos just to prove you were there, get back on the bus, rinse…repeat….

There was one place I wanted to visit in Evora…..

Near the Southwest corner of the walled city lies the Igreja de São Francisco, the Church of St Francis.

Now the church is quite grand and beautiful…..

But what really drew me here is in a Chapel outside and to the right of the Church entrance and is probably one of the popular sights in Evora; though there was no one there when I visited. It's called Capela dos Ossos, the "Chapel of the Bones". Ok, I'll admit, inside of me is a adolescent just waiting to burst out and see stuff like this…..

The Missus had no interest in checking this out, so she went on Her way to explore a bit and I walked down the rather peaceful and sedate entrance into the Chapel of the Bones……

Paying and admission and walking under the inscription that reads "We bones that are here, we are waiting for your's", you walk into the rather dark…there are three small windows that let light in on the left side of the structure, kind of eerie, but not particularly spooky "chapel". From what I've read, the chapel was built, with over 5,000 skeleton's by monks who were worried about the deteriorating values of wealthy Evora in the 17th century. They wanted to make people meditate on how fleeting life was and contemplate ones mortality. Oh, and in case you're wondering, the monks who built this aren't included in the collection……

On one of the pillars hangs a poem by Father António da Ascenção:

"Where are you going in such a hurry traveler?
Stop … do not proceed;
You have no greater concern,
Than this one: that on which you focus your sight.

Recall how many have passed from this world,
Reflect on your similar end,
There is good reason to reflect
If only all did the same.

Ponder, you so influenced by fate,
Among the many concerns of the world,
So little do you reflect on death;

If by chance you glance at this place,
Stop … for the sake of your journey,
The more you pause, the further on your journey you will be."

I found this to be sobering and yet beautiful at the same time……

The Missus met me right down the stairs from the church. She had been exploring and told me we should take a walk through the Public Market…which She said was small and empty, yet charming in it's own way. The building that houses the market looks very modern.

It probably wasn't the best time of the day for the market, which was empty except for a few customers…..

After visiting the public markets in Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto (which seemed the busiest), we could only wonder…..had the busy supermarkets (which we also checked out) made these a thing of the past?

We hope not……..

Even after just a day, it's hard to get lost in Evora. We headed Northeast and easily found the University of Evora. So, what's up with visiting a University? Well, this one has a long history. It was a Jesuit university established by Don Henrique in 1559. It was one of the crown jewels of Evora's time as the city of artists and intellectuals. When the city lost favor and the Jesuits expelled in 1759, the University was closed. In 1973 it became a state run University again.

Still, it's a University, right? Well, you have to realize that both the Missus' parents taught in Universities….which I've covered in posts before. I think there's a part of the Missus who feels an affinity for College life…..it is part of who She is and what She is. So why not visit an historic campus founded in the 16th century.

What I remember the most about our visit here…..the place is just welcoming and wide open to visitors, are my first really up close encounter with Azulejos, the traditional Portuguese tilework.

Each scene told a story…….

Many of which I interpreted to be of Portugal's travels to Asia……

We peeked into a classroom and were delighted to find that the tilework in the roon reflected what was being taught.

It was well worth the visit.

We left and wandered around a bit….and guess what? Just as on previous walks we ended up at Templo Romano, the Roman Temple. We really got to see how it looked different during every part of the day.

I'm thinking that this is as good a place to stop for now as any.

As always, thanks for stopping by!

Hanging with Ed from Yuma at Sushi Tadokoro

October 3, 2013 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Sushi and Sashimi

I finally got to hang out with Ed from Yuma and Tina on a recent visit to San Diego. It had been a while, so it was great to catch up on things. I thought Tadokoro would be the perfect place. Like I said before, I've posted enough on this place already so here we go with a pseudo COMC (Clearing Out the Memory Card) type of post.

Seems like Take-san is always trying a new wrinkle here and there….this time the ankimo had ponzu gelee…..

Take-san told us he had "lots of good things tonight….." he wasn't kidding.

Ed's "delici-yoso dance" even made an appearance! I hope you enjoyed dinner Ed; it was nice seeing the both of you!

Sushi Tadokoro
2244 San Diego Ave
San Diego, CA 92110

Thai Garlic Shrimp and Green Eggplant

October 2, 2013 mmm-yoso Cooking, Recipes

This is a recent favorite of the Missus. One day a couple of weeks ago I bought some of those golf ball sized green Thai eggplant. I thought we'd eat them raw with maybe a Thai Style Beef Salad, or something like that. The Missus on the other hand had a different idea….She wanted me to try and stir fry them with some shrimp, Thai style, in a sweet garlic type "sauce"….actually more of a coating as She didn't want these too wet. After making it a few times, I've finally got it down to the way the Missus enjoys it. It actually reminds me of those multi-part Chinese style stir-fries, which means it's the prep that really matters.

I found that this type of eggplant isn't the "oil sponge" that I'm used too. It really doesn't need much oil. It also stays fairly firm.

I use palm sugar for these, which, unless you know how to handle can be a pain. I first microwave the hard discs for about 20 seconds then grate it.

This looks like a lot of steps, but it is not.

Thai Garlic Shrimp and Eggplant:

For the Garlic – Palm Sugar mixture
4 Tb Palm Sugar
7-8 Cloves of Garlic minced (equal the amount of sugar)
1 Tb Fish sauce

– Combine grated palm sugar, garlic, and fish sauce – I actually grind up in a small food processor

For the eggplant
5-6 Thai EggplantSliced
2-3 Tb grapeseed oil
2 Tb Chili Paste
1 Tb Fish Sauce
1 Tb White Sugar
1 Tb Shaoxing
White Pepper

For the Shrimp
1/2 Pound Shrimp shelled and deveined
2 Tb grapeseed oil
4-8 Thai Chilies chopped
1 medium shallot minced
1 Tb Fish Sauce
3 kaffir lime leaves sliced in a thin chiffonade
1/3 cup cilantro leaves roughly chopped
3 Tb scallions sliced – green parts only

– Heat wok until smoking
– Add grapeseed oil for eggplant, quickly add chili paste, and stir till fragrant
– Add eggplant and stir fry
– Add Shaoxing, white pepper, sugar, and stir fry until eggplant is well coated
– When eggplant softens slightly add fish sauce.
– When eggplant is heated through remove to a plate and wipe down wok and bring back to temp

– Add grapeseed oil for shrimp.
– When the oil starts to shimmer add Thai Chilies, shallot, and kaffir lime leaf.
– Stir fry until fragrant
– Add shrimp and stir fry
– Add fish sauce.
– When shrimp starts turning translucent add the Garlic-Palm Sugar mixture and stir fry until it bubbles. Add eggplant back ot the wok.
– When shrimp is cooked through remove from heat and add all but 1-2 Tb of cilantro and all of the scallions and combine

– Top with the rest of the cilantro when serving

We served the shrimp on some lettuce from our garden.
And lots of rice of course

Pho Hoa Huong revisited

October 1, 2013 mmm-yoso Pho, Vietnamese Restaurants

During part of my usual weekend shopping "mission" my stomach started rumbling. It was just past 8am and my next "targets", namely Nijiya nad Marukai wouldn't be opening for a while. I hadn't been to Pho Hoa Huong in about three years so it was about time for a revisit.

Things seemed a bit different this time around….the young lady placed my menu on the table with a smile….no "dealing out" of the menu and hovering over you like in Hanoi. In the past the menu was just a formality, they either expected you to know what to order, or be a student of Evelyn Wood (how's that for showing my age).

Was this the new softer and kinder Pho Hoa? Well, I'll tell you this much, they're probably still the fastest pho in the West. Not five minutes after ordering, my plate of herbs and garnishes was on the table as well as good ol' #4.

The broth is still on the dark side here, but very clear, slightly beefy, and a bit on the "sweet" side. Not as sweet as Pho Fifth Avenue, but definitely up there. It also had a bit too much MSG on this visit as my feet started to swell pretty quickly.

The noodles were right, dead on perfect for me…..

In terms of protein; the tendon was really hard and tough, there was trace tripe, the flank was almost crunchy, but with good flavor, and the brisket was nice and tender, but flavorless.

A decent bowl.

I did notice something a bit interesting…a lot of "older" gentlemen with "wives" at least 20 years or more younger. I later asked my friend "YY" about this and she told me it was kind of a trend nowadays……

Anyway, I was out of the place in less than 20 minutes….still too early for my next stops….still the fastest pho…if not in the West, at least in San Diego.

Pho Hoa-Huong Restaurant
6921 Linda Vista Rd
San Diego, CA 92111

The Fishery in PB – One More Time

September 30, 2013 ed fromyuma Fine Dining, Seafood, What Ed Eats -You too can be like Ed!

It's Ed (from Yuma) again, this time having a dinner with Tina at The Fishery in Pacific Beach. You're invited to join them. Kirk and Cathy will happily share meals with you at the blog as well, just not today.

I have no memory of my first visit to The Fishery on Cass Street in Pacific Beach, but I know the restaurant opened back when I was a denizen of PB in the late 90s. In 2009, I posted about a couple of meals Tina and I had at the restaurant. Unfortunately we hadn't been back since.

The exterior of the restaurant has not changed as far as I can tell:

And the interior still has hard wooden tables, wooden walls, a fish counter, and very little noise abatement, making the restaurant occasionally LOUD on the busy Saturday night when we visited. Soon after we arrived, Nate, a professional and helpful server, brought us menus and a wine list. He answered our questions, and when asked for help choosing a wine, he suggested the Lagar de Cervera, Albariño, 2011, from the Rias Biaxas region of coastal Galicia in Spain.:

It was good, beginning with clean flavors of tart apple, opening up with a more generous mouth feel and depth and complexity of flavor, and concluding with a smooth and lingering finish. It also complemented the seafood we ordered .

Our meal began with some slices of good but not outstanding bread alongside a whipped lightly herbed butter:

The white bread had a nice crust but isn't especially memorable. The brown bread was in the style of a German bauernbrot, slightly nutty with a mild taste of rye flour –kindof like pumpernickel but neither as dense nor intense.

A good-sized bowl of clams cooked in a spicy white Bordeaux wine reduction showed up next.:

The clams were small and slightly chewy though they were flavorful, garlicky, and fresh. The salty and strong flavored broth was great for dipping the little clams and the crunchy slices of garlic bread.

We had each ordered a soup. The clam chowder was nothing exceptional, containing few clams or potatoes; however, it was very well balanced, smooth, and creamy:

The very fishy seafood soup was more interesting and complex.:

Throughout the soup, chunks of various fishes, large pieces of tomato, and abundant celery, onion, and green pepper slices provided texture as well as flavor. We agreed it was outstanding:

Tina's entrée was macadamia encrusted Alaskan halibut.:

The perfectly cooked piece of halibut rested on a soft fluffy bed of buttery mashed Yukon potatoes. The fish was topped with fresh frisee and slices of red pear.:

Circling the plate was a spicy purée of chilies and red stone fruit. The sweet spicy flavors were accented by the small pickled red chile slices.

I chose the fresh local sea bass – which I thought was perfectly cooked to just beyond rare:

While the same buttery mashed potatoes underlay the fresh filet, it was topped with a tart apple slaw and accompanied by grilled and charred baby brussel sprout halves and tasty mustard vinaigrette. Where Tina's fish’s flavors had been lit up by sweet spicy accents, my naturally sweet sea bass was contrasted with tangy slaw and vinaigrette. We both love our entrées.

Overall, Tina and I were delighted with the meal. Sometimes it was a little too noisy for us to easily carry on a conversation, but the service and the food and the overall experience left us feeling full and happy. Though not cheap, we felt the dinner was a reasonable value:

The Fishery, 5040 Cass St, San Diego 92109, 858-272-9985

Playing with my food – using Tapioca Maltodextrin: Sesame – Salt Powder

September 29, 2013 mmm-yoso Cookbooks, Cooking, Playing with my food, Recipes

Though I love food…both consuming and cooking; once in a while I kind of hit a rut and need a little change of pace. I don't remember where I first about Tapioca Maltodextrin and its effect as a fat stabilizer. I'm sure it wasn't in Modernist Cuisine at Home which I bought last year. And looking through it. Maltodextrin is only mentioned in two recipes and barely in passing. I do recall seeing something, perhaps on Youtube where an olive oil powder was made. Anyway, a couple of months ago I bought Modernist Cooking Made Easy, which had a short chapter on Maltodextrin. It just seemed like fun…..plus Maltodextrin is plant derived and a pretty common food starch. First I cleared things with the Missus who has a Masters in Chemistry, then I went ahead and ordered a pound.

Getting to the point; tapioca maltodextrin can turn fats and oils into pastes and powders. For my first try, I decided to use something that we have around the house and use in sparing quantities…sesame oil was an easy choice.

One of things you'll notice right away is that tapioca maltodextrin is lighter than air….so no sneezing….no heavy breathing either. You don't need anything more than a whisk for this one. Using the recipe in Modernist Cooking Made Easy as my reference, it was a simple as this:

Sesame-Salt Powder (based on the recipe in Modernist Cooking Made Easy)
50 grams sesame oil
2 grams kosher salt
25 grams tapioca maltodextrin (this was about 3/4 cup)
extra tapioca maltodextrin as needed

– Pour sesame oil into a large mixing bowl (a large mixing bowl)
– Add salt and mix
– Add 10 grams of tapioca maltordextrin…gently, unless you want clouds of the stuff all over the place
– whisk in until a paste forms. Slowly add the rest of the maltodextrin. It will begin to clump.
– Whisk until it starts to form "beads", you may need to add more maltodextrin to get the texture you want.

Other than a couple of maltodextrin clouds floating about, this was easy…..

It will stay in powder form as long as it doesn't come in contact with liquid…though it lasted a while even when on some poke I made.

There's quite an interesting sensation…ahem, "mouthfeel" when it turns back to oil in your mouth.

It was also delicious on my Hiyayakko Tofu…….

I really didn't detect much in terms of any additional flavor….by itself, there's a very faint sweetness, which I could not detect when using it with my poke or tofu.

Truffle Powdered Popcorn, caramel – salt powder, nutella, and probably duck fat or bacon powder seem around the corner. This will be great for dipping….

This was a fun experiment…..now it's on to Xanthan Gum and Lecithin!

Scenes from the first San Diego Night Market

September 28, 2013 mmm-yoso Festivals & Events

I mentioned this back in August. The Missus and I decided to go early, like five minutes after things were scheduled and the place was already packed. We parked on the street; the combination of Zion shoppers and folks checking this out made for a chaotic parking situation. The folks who put this on managed to keep a small footprint.

The area with peace and quiet was the Beer Garden. Perhaps it was too early, but it also seemed that 50% of the folks here weren't legal drinking age and the crowd was overwhelmingly Asian. I probably would have settled in here if we stuck around.

There was a decent variety of food booths, though only one really interested me. It also seemed that just about everyone else was interested in this one as well…..the grilled cuttlefish on a stick looked quite appealing….though the super long line did not.

This was at 5:15 mind you….just imagine later on?

It was nice to see some familiar faces……

Here are some of the other food booths.

Other than Pangaea, nothing I was particularly interested in.

The size of the crowd this early on in the evening shows that San Diego can really get behind this concept.

I hope they do well.

It runs tonight from 5pm – 11pm. It's about 8 right now, so you still have time to get on down there and check it out yourself.

7655 Clairemont Mesa Blvd
San Diego, CA 92111

Evora: The Agua de Prata Aqueduct, Snacks at Pastelaria Conventual, and dinner at Adega do Alentejano.

September 27, 2013 mmm-yoso Desserts, Portugal, Portuguese Food, Travel

The town of Evora is quite charming, within the preserved city walls are cobblestone lanes, charming streets, the place just oozes character. After a wonderful meal at Botequim da Mouraria, followed by a nap, we were ready to do a bit more exploring. I really wanted to see the Agua de Prata Aqueduct, the "Aqueduct of Silver Water", which stretches into Evora from the Northwest. It was literally a block from our hotel. You turned the corner and the aqueduct was in sight.

Construction on the aqueduct began in 1531 and was completed sometime in 1537 and brought water to Evora from Ribeira do Divor about 5 miles away.

What made this interesting to me was that I had read that there were houses and other structures actually using the pillars of the aqueduct as frames. Pretty amazing, no space wasted.

Of course the aqueduct works on gravity, so as the structure goes lower, so do the buildings…..

Which eventually turns to garages and sheds as it heads earthward…..

While walking along the aqueduct we heard an "hello, hello…..how are you? Would you like to have your picture taken?" We turned and saw a woman huffing and puffing, up the street….her name was Toni, from Australia, who had decided to move to Evora! Needless to say, we had a wonderful chat. I have to say, Toni is quite an interesting personality, her husband had passed away, and somehow, in her 60's she had decided to move here. Of course we had many questions; like "how's your Portuguese?" Her answer; "well, I'm starting lessons next week." Man, talk about living an adventure…..

We headed off to our next destination….it was time for some coffee and a snack or two. We passed quite a few sights on the way, some of which I'll cover in a future post. Here's a photo of Igreja da Graça, the Church of Grace. I found the figures on the facade kind of scary and the church just looked spooky to me.

We finally reached our destination, up one of the side streets; the Pastelaria Conventual, which specialized in "Conventual cakes", basically sweets that originated in the areas convents. I had a seat outside, while the Missus went to town.

We were told that the item Pastelaria Conventual is known for is the pão de rala, a "thin cake", made of eggs (quite a bit) and flavored with almond, with a touch of orange. It was a bit too "eggy" and sweet for me…..pretty heavy stuff too.

As was this…..

What was really funny was watching the Missus biting into this and freaking out…..

It was an empada de galinha, basically a miniature chicken pie, with a heavy chicken flavor.

It was nice to just sit down; have a cup of Cafe Americano and let time pass. It's something we here in the States aren't real good at……just sitting and watching the street scene; your own personal relaxation "aquarium".

Pastelaria Conventual
Rua do Cicioso No.47
Evora, Portugal

After our snack we wandered around for a bit, then headed back to the Albergaria do Calvario, checked email, freshened up and headed back out.

The heavily touristed Dos Mercadores was now quiet. The day trippers were gone, the young folk had headed to other places to enjoy the evening, and the shops had closed.

The heart of Evora, the Praca do Giraldo, the main square was now quiet and sedate, totally different from the bustling version we had seen earlier in the day.

Somehow, we ended up at the Templo Romano, the Roman Temple once again…..we quickly noticed how different it looked at this time of the day.

We walked across the street to the Largo da Porta de Mouro where the Missus snapped this beautiful shot of the sun setting over Evora……

How wonderful…..

Ok, enough of that….time for dinner. The Missus wanted something hearty, which the region, the Alentejo was known for. We decided to walk on down the now quiet side streets of Evora….

To Adega do Alentejano…….

The restaurant is actually quite large, but we were the only customers. The red checkered tablecloths gave it a homey feel and the gentleman serving us seemed a bit aloof at first, but ended up being quite a nice guy.

Things started out in the typical manner, appetizers brought to our table…if you eat, you pay. We also got some of the ohuse wine which actually comes from the barrels you see in the back of the dining area.

We looked over the items written on the chalkboard to determine what to get while we had our first earthenware pitcher of wine.

The Missus had been curoius about the Sopa de Tomate, tomato soup, wince She first read about it. The deal was sealed when She was told to not "order anything else…it is not a bowl of soup, but a meal!" They weren't kidding.

There's a lot this heart soup has got going for it; slices of bread soaked with a broth that just feels like a warm comforting embrace. There is of course the Missus' favorite, two eggs poached in said broth.

And like the info-mercial goes, "but wait, there's more…." a bowl of charcuterie accompanies the soup; fried pork belly, linguiça, and yes, farinheira, the "flour sausage" the Missus hated, which tasted just lovely deep fried.

Can you say comfort food????

If you think about it; this part of the Alentejo is almost like the great plains in a way, it is one of the hottest regions in Europe. Instinctively you'd immediately balk when offered a dish that includes clams, right? Well perhaps I had my doubts, but one of the classic dishes of the region is Carne de Porco à Alentejana, a dish that includes the wonderful local pork as well as clams. I just needed to try this.

The clams were surprisingly fresh, tender, and tasty, with a nice briney goodness. The pork, which seemed to be shoulder was on the chewy side, but the flavor of pork here is wonderful, it reminds me of what pork tasted like when I was a kid, even better. The fried potatoes went well with all the rich gravy/broth.

This was also fairly inexpensive as well. The Missus had asked for something hearty and She got that at Adega do Alentejano.

Adega do Alentejano
Rua Gabriel Victor do Monte Pereira 21 A
Evora, Portugal

Thanks for reading!