ISO Portuguese cuisine

Other than this one post on the possibility of Chicken piri-piri, I haven't come across any mention of Portuguese specific dishes or restaurants. I just checked Metromix and Portuguese isn't even an option in the cuisine type selection. Are there really no Portuguese restaurants or places that will serve Portuguese dishes? Hopefully someone can advise otherwise...

There used to be a restaurant in Old Town called Lisboa Antigua-- 10 years ago or so. I think that was the last known sighting of Portuguese food in Chicago.

Sazerac,

I think I need to take you to the Down Neck section of Newark. It's really quite amazing.

A

You might have to go to Toronto...

I've bemoaned the lack of Portuguese here for quite some time. There really isn't much anywhere in the States, with a few notable exceptions. Toronto is *the* place in North America for Portuguese, with tons of recent immigrants living in the old Little Italy there. Chicago and Toronto are so alike in so many ways, except for recent immigration. There is nearly no Mexican community there, for example. If I had to choose, I'd certainly take what we've got over the generally delicious but also simple and austere cooking of Portugal.

PS, but would it kill us to have one decent Portuguese place? They love cheap wine, eat late, and have "small plates" too. I'm sure it's the next big thing.

Lisboa Antiga is also my recollection of the last Portuguese place in town. And boy was it good!

I haven't been to Toronto in a while, but two other places occur to me: Montreal (where we had a wonderful selection of Portuguese restaurants from low end to very high end) is one.

The second is back East.

There really isn't much anywhere in the States, with a few notable exceptions.

I presume that what JeffB means here by "notable exceptions" are the many communities up and down the New England coast that have (relatively speaking) large Portuguese enclaves, specifically in Rhode Island, up past Fall River (Emeril's hometown), and even further north. (And though I don't think anyone would define Newark as New England, based upon Fra Antonio's post, it appears that the Portuguese communities extend a bit south of New England as well.)

If anyone finds any Portuguese restaurants in the area, please post your findings. I searched as well and came up with, well, not much of anything. I'm going to Portugal in a few weeks and wanted to try some of the cuisine before I travelled, but haven't been able to yet.

In addition to Toronto, which does have a huge population, Mass. and CT does as well. I lived in Hartford for a few years and took to like the portuguese rolls, which make great sandwiches. Can't find them out here ...

JoelM wrote:If anyone finds any Portuguese restaurants in the area, please post your findings.

Joel,

As Jeff mentioned there's simply no Portugese restaurants in Chicago, though Toronto is but a short, inexpensive airplane ride.

Sazerac, far as finding piri piri chicken in Chicago, good luck. I suggest you, as I've done when I get the craving, make it yourself.

Enjoy,
Gary

Piri Piri Chicken (Adapted from Savuer)

1/4 cup dried piri piri pepper
2 large clove garlic
3/4 cup veg oil
1 Tlb whisky, fresh lemon or red wine vinegar
2 small chickens 1-1/2 lb or Cornish Hens

Heat sauce to just boil, remove from heat, set aside

Butterfly chicken halves
Kosher salt
Grill, occasionally baste with piri piri sauce

Cut each half into three or four pieces

Liberally brush with piri piri

Serve with lettuce tomato and onion salad and french fries

...There are some notable Portuguese places in California as well. I coiuld be wrong, having not spent much time in New England, but I never got the impression that the New England Portuguese community supported a very broad restaurant culture. Mostly mom and pop type places and not many with the higher aspirations of restaurants such as Chiado in Toronto. Maybe a little like Polish here. (BTW, Toronto is the other big Polish North American city after Chicago, as I understand it. Much smaller community, but still relatively large.)

JoelM wrote:If anyone finds any Portuguese restaurants in the area, please post your findings. I searched as well and came up with, well, not much of anything. I'm going to Portugal in a few weeks and wanted to try some of the cuisine before I travelled, but haven't been able to yet.

Metromix reports that food of Portugal (along with foods of Greece and Italy) will be served at Amphora (7547 N. Clark, 773-262-5767).

See: http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/dini ... 3749.venue

I just spoke with the chef, and nothing distinctly Portuguese seemed to be on offer, though they do have steamed mussels (which is probably as Portuguese as it is Italian or Provencal). It would be pretty cool, however, if this place actually focused on the cuisine of Portugal (though lord knows, in the past month I've eaten enough codfish to see me through the next year or so).

Hammond