VittlesVamp

New Finds In Lisbon

Yes, when I am lucky enough to visit somewhere more than once, I adore returning to old haunts and fabulous favorites. But, there is still something in the depths of my food-obsessed soul that yearns to uncover the new.

Now, I didn't think I would actually "discover" anything that wasn't on the radar of others during my latest trip to Lisbon. That being said, did end up following the advice of Culinary Backstreets and nabbed myself a reservation at a fairly new hot spot - Tasca Baldracca - a very cool, casual restaurant in Mouraria. It comes equipped with an oversized chalkboard to share today's menu, heavily tattooed owners who can't wait to pour you a glass of wine that will put a smile on your face, and just enough attitude to make sure you know that you've been somewhere special.

And, the food? AHH-MAZING!

After a glass of red that had me at "hello," I kept with the red theme - in this case with red meat...

This is unequivocally the finest Steak Tartare I have ever had. It was served with puffy, fried batons of pastry, so you could scoop up the raw goodness and spoon it into a bit of pastry for a contrast of flavors and textures. Add a bit of the umami-rich anchovy mayo or house-fermented mustard and it was over the top.

Next up, I went for something cooked...

This Roasted Suckling Pig had a crackling that balanced crisp with a touch of fatty chew. The meat was beyond tender. The fennel and orange salad alongside had a handful of chili peppers, and the heat made the whole dish come together beautifully.

And, who was I to say no to dessert?

Yes! The chalkboard said Leite Creme de Doce de Liete - and I knew that a custard of what we call Dulce de Leche would be a lovely finish. When one of the owners plunked down a glass and a whole bottle of Moscatel to go with, I knew that this was less of a finish and more of a finale.

It was an incredible meal. I could have ended the night there. But, I didn't.

Just steps away there was a "Basque-Italian" bar called Quattro Teste that called to me. The room was elegant, yet cozy. Strangely, it was empty at first, but within a few minutes avid cocktail fans started to make their way in. Thankfully, I had an opportunity to speak with owner/bartender Alf before the place got too busy and met his partner and wife Marta as well. One G&T later, I was ready to try one of their own concoctions...

The Piemontese was a cocktail to love - Cucielo Rosso vermouth, Stravecchio Branca brandy, Nardini Elixir de China, and Izarra Groc. It was an aromatic, bitter nightcap that capped me off brilliantly.

No surprise here if Tasca Baldracca and Quattro Teste end up on my "must return" list whenever I am next in Lisbon.

Return To Lisbon

I may have come to Lisbon for work, but conference schmonference - I felt exhilarated to return. The sun was out. The Vino Verde flowed. I needed to visit some of my favorite spots. Staying in Principe Real, the Pavilhão Chinês was a first stop, chockablock with curiosities and an air of worn elegance, I couldn't wait to hit the bar and order up a G&T...

The drinks aren't really the point there, but the swirl of oddball collectibles and memorabilia, coupled with chandeliers and floor to ceiling art, make it a the perfect perch for a before-dinner tipple.

Where after? A taxi to Belem to the newly spiffed-up Nunes Real Marisqueira was a solid pick. See this massive shrimp?

Incredibly sweet and tender. There was a cavalcade of other seafood delights - including a platter overflowing with two different types of fresh shrimp. These were smaller, steamed and chilled, ready for peeling and dipping into garlicky aioli.

How do you say "Yaaaassss!!!" in Portuguese?

And, Nunes wasn't my only "must" place for seafood. The Sea Me outpost at Time Out Market was another favorite that warranted a return visit...

The Seared Sardine Nigiri and the Cod Nigiri with Toasted Almonds are justly famous. Melt-in-your-mouth doesn't even begin to do them justice.

Coffee was also had. Both Copenhagen Coffee Lab and Fabrica Coffee Roasters rival for my affections. But for the lauded dessert of Lisbon, the Pasteis de Nata?

I was all in with Manteigaria's burnished custard beauties, still warm from the oven.

So good.

There is something undeniably warming about returning to places like these - culinary gems, if ever there were.

But don't be mistaken. New hot spots were discovered on the trip as well.

Hold tight. Details are forthcoming...

Almeja

How to start my first dinner in Porto? There was no question: Port Tonico.

The place? A stylish downtown bistro called Almeja.

The food? A delicious tasting menu that had me at "hello"...

That "hello" came in the form of Gordal Olives stuffed with anchovies, served with a scoop of intense Lemon Sorbet.

Well, hello!

A series of spectacular tastes followed, including a rich chicken broth, accompanied by bite-sized Chicken Pies. Then there was Toasted Pig's Head Terrine with escabeche and apple...

Bread was served with fermented butter and an olive oil that I was tempted to drink from a glass. A twirl of Green Beans came with a pumpkin puree, fried egg, and fragrant green curry...

A pristine piece of Yellowtail was served with shucked cockles, atop cuscos, bathed in a saffron-citrus sauce...

A melt-in-your-mouth piece of Alejento Pork came with an almond cream and salsify. And, then there was a very curious dessert of Sweet Curry with Coconut Sorbet...

And, to gild the lily, a riff on a Banoffee with frozen white chocolate yogurt and a drizzle of warm toffee sauce finished things off with a glass of Tawny Port.

It was quite the greeting to Lisbon's sister to the North. Talk about a howdy!

My Kind of Comfort Food

There is something undeniably comforting about a plate of Lox, Eggs and Onions for dinner. A few snips of fresh dill on top and it is practically gourmet.

Thinly sliced onion caramelized until golden brown. Nova scotia smoked salmon seared. A quick whisking of eggs tossed into the sizzling pan.

So simple. So good. Lox, Eggs and Onions. It's what's for dinner.

I Don't Want Anything Too Sweet

That phrase can make a good bartenders' eyes roll. Why? Because the issue usually isn't sugar. It's that the patron has had one too many poorly make cocktails that relied too heavily on simple syrup to do the work alongside the booze. A well-balanced cocktail can have sugar. It's all in the balance.

Case in point - a drink at The HiHi Room called Rum & Cake. Get it? Rum & Cake! It literally brings together Mount Gay XO Rum and a Coconut Cake in a glass.

I can hear you now, "Ick! That sounds way too sweet for me!"

But this isn't an over sweetened mess. In fact, it is quite the opposite. This an astutely built beverage. Couldn't expect less from HiHi's gifted lead bartender Izzy Tulloch, who just left the Cobble Hill restaurant to join the team at Soho's soon-to-open Milady's.

And, to make matters even more transcendent, let me tell you about that Coconut Cake that's in the drink. It is by none other than celebrated Pastry Chef Caroline Schiff of Gage & Tollner, who was just named one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs of 2022. That cake has some serious street cred.

The pair wash Lustau Sherries with the cake. Yes, you read right. That is Coconut Caked-washed Sherry in that drink alongside the rum. Then a bit of Coconut Demerara to complete the beverage that will make your eyes roll - roll back into your head with pleasure that is.

Best Donut on the Planet

There is no argument to be had. The crullers at Daily Provisions are transcendent. One bite into the Maple Glazed version, pictured above, and I knew I was dealing with some incomparable, brilliant f*cking donut genius here.

It seriously warrants this review:

YES!!!!!

Fruit & Veg

You expect them together on the produce aisle, but not necessarily together on a plate. Except for a squeeze of citrus atop steaming veggies, fresh fruit and vegetables aren't always seen as a natural pairing.

Yet, two posts below, you'll see an image of a Charred Cabbage Salad from a visit in July to Portland's Canard -- and that cabbage was served with sliced peaches, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of Parmesan.

Good stuff.

And, even more recently, I was surprised and delighted at a local fave called Colonie to tuck into a Watermelon Salad with charred Shishito peppers, smoked ricotta, brown butter, fresh oregano leaves, and toasted pumpkin seeds. On another evening at the same restaurant, I was greeted with a special Tomato and Strawberry Salad.

Yes, yes, tomatoes are also considered a fruit as well as a vegetable, but still!

Tomatoes are a great foil for fresh fruit. In fact, I have been known to make a salad of tomatoes, peaches, red onion and cilantro. Delicious combo!

Have you encountered any couplings between fruit and veg this summer? Could they beat out Bennifer as the new "it couple"? We'll see...

I Finally Tried The Croissant Everyone Has Been Talking About

The amount of press that the Brooklyn Heights' bakery L'Appartement 4F has garnered has been undeniably significant. And, lines of people waiting for their wares have been undeniably significant too.

The big thing at the bakery? Croissants.

Yes, they even sell itty-bitty Croissants packaged as cereal -- but it is the full-size Croissants that locals are clamoring for.

In the bakery's first few months, I tried a few times to snag one. I refused to line up and quickly learned that arriving at 11am was way too late to snag anything except their Tahini-Chocolate Chip Cookies.

While I am sure the cookies are mighty fine, I bake a mighty fine version myself, so that was a hard pass.

The other day the stars aligned. I had an early morning appointment on a late August weekday near Montague Street. I walked by the bakery. Three people in line and I spied Croissants still in the case.

I was going to do it!

I purchased a Croissant of the Raspberry-Almond variety. Pictured above, it has a lot going on. A split, twice-baked lovely, it had the requisite layered, buttery crackle I require in a good Croissant. The raspberry jam filling was sweet, but not a bit cloying. The almond was present, but didn't overtake the jam. The topping was a little much in my book - the dried raspberry bits in particular. That said, it was yummy. Definitely yummy. Stand-in-a-long-line yummy? Nope.

So, there you have it. My review of the Croissant-of-the-moment. Is it my new favorite? Nope again. The location of my favorite Croissant in New York City is only given to a handful of friends that I can trust with that closely-guarded intelligence. I don't want to see L'Appartement 4F-type lines there. I need access. Croissant-access is some of the very best access to have!

Trying Summer Travel

You've all seen the articles and news clips of travel gone wrong this summer. Witness lines that go on for miles at typically efficient airports and a veritable sea of lost luggage at others. It's ugly out there.

So, I decided to keep my passport locked away this summer, instead visiting friends in different parts of the States: Seattle, Portland, and Detroit. Was a good plan -- in part.

Did my flights go horribly awry?

Nope.

My life did.

First up was a client work crisis that started on the weekend of 4th of July. We're talking non-stop, relentless, strategic, detailed, high-alert stuff. And, that might have been OK, if not for....

Covid.

Yes, I got Covid. Been vaxxed and boosted, but still had it bad. Barreled through the crisis work despite utter exhaustion, napping in-between Zoom meetings where possible, hoping I could go on my trip 10 days later. I made it through my 10 days of quarantine, got on the plane to Seattle -- but the crisis communications emergency continued unabated -- now with the fun-filled twist of primary players being in London on GMT when I was on Pacific time.

Fantastic.

Thankfully, even with minimal sleep, I was able to see friends for a bit of beer tasting and a brief sail in Elliott Bay. We also regaled in a glorious dinner at a popular Korean-inspired hot spot called Revel. The restaurant's Short Rib Wontons with fried garlic and chili oil are pictured above. Still thinking about them, as well as the kitchen's deeply satisfying Spicy Miso Rice Cakes sautéed with pork belly and bits of kale.

When I got on a train to head to Portland the next evening, I was hopeful that things would settle down on the work front. No such luck. Consolation prize? Seeing friends, of course -- and also hitting the newly opened Pacific Standard for cocktails and Canard for comfort food with innovative twists and turns. The latter included the chef's famous Duck Stack as well as this brilliant Charred Cabbage Salad with sliced peaches, toasted pine nuts, and a shower of Parmesan...

Delicious as it was, I was tuckered out. My red-eye flight to Detroit a couple days later didn't help. But, more friends awaited. And, so did a visit to Detroit's Eastern Market, as well as socializing at several house parties in the Palmer Woods district. Meals were had as well, including a dinner visit to the very hip Marrow restaurant, where - despite the meat-centric menu - I fell hard for the kitchen's Lobster and Maitake Dumplings with Michigan corn butter, nuggets of sweet lobster meat, lobster broth and Chinese chive...

Am I complaining? Not about the food. Most certainly not about the friends. Just about the whirlwind and lack of shut-eye.

Don't people say that things "slow down" in the summer?!?

Well, let's see what August brings.

My Beard in Philadelphia

Not the type of "beard" you might be thinking of (unless you know me really well). Yes, I am talking about a James Beard Award-winning chef. In this case, Chef Cristina Martinez, the brilliant Mexican chef from Philadelphia who just took home the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef, Mid-Atlantic.

Some of you might know her from her featured appearance on Netflix's "Chef's Table," where her restaurant South Philly Barbacoa was spotlighted, along with her amazing culinary skills, her immigration activism, and her overall bad-assery. She is a force on several fronts.

So, I didn't have to think twice about taking MamaVamp to her second restaurant - Casa Mexico - when I came to town.

Started with some Agua Frescas...

I sprinkled some salt into my Watermelon juice. So delicious. And, then the food started arriving. First up, a superlative version of Chicken Enchiladas...

That was followed by Pork Carnitas and Shrimp Tacos that had my tongue buzzing and my eyes rolling back in my head.

When my eyes settled back, I saw her. Chef Martinez, who was working alongside her staff to keep the front room in order. I shouted out a simple "Congrats!" and "Thank you, your food is amazing!" She nodded back with a smile. She knows her food is good. No. Not good. Great. And, yet you could tell that she appreciated hearing it from a customer nonetheless. I cannot imagine that she doesn't hear it all day long. If she doesn't, she should.

Rice Crack Persian-Style

Rice had always been one of those foodstuffs that was a challenge for me to make -- that is, until I finally bought myself a rice cooker. That device has served me well.

Made me brave enough to raise my hand when it came to being in charge of the Tahdig for a Persian dinner party with friends. For those of you who don't know, Tahdig is a gorgeous mound of fragrant Basmati rice, heaped into a pot to be browned and crisped at the bottom. It's sort of rice crack. And, now I had to make the rice crack.

Well, as you can surmise from the photo above, I did it. Well, almost. This isn't proper Tahdig. It's Samin Nosrat's Persian-ish Rice. And, allow me to say that it is an amaze-balls recipe. Worked perfectly!

Am I still scared of rice? Less and less each day. Sure that there are other grains out there that will thwart me, but between my rice cooker and Ms. Nosrat's recipes for the rest of my rice escapades, I got this!

Donut Recovery & Rooftop Drinks

I am seeing signs of recovery in New York. There is still a throwback feeling of living in the Koch-era at times, but I feel like things are pick up steam again. I've seen this concept of a "donut recovery" bandied about. No, Fan-Fan, Doughnut Plant and Dough won't save us. (What a delicious set of saviors!) We're talking about a "donut-shaped recovery" in which the outerboroughs and environs of NYC spring back to life while Manhattan and Midtown in particular take much longer to revive.

In some ways, I can see that being a solid call. But, New York always likes to prove the exception to the rule. And, not long ago I was invited by a liquor world insider to an event in Manhattan's Financial District that was very exception-al.

In this case, it was an introduction to a new sourghum-based spirit called Soka from Empirical, a cutting edge distillery in Copenhagen. What made it exceptional? First off, the drinks were undeniably delicious...

And, the crowd was ecstatic to be out-and-about as well.

Out-and-about, you say?

Well, it was a pretty darn exception-al version of out-and-about, one that literally took all of us outside on the 64th floor of a FiDi high-rise. The bar was called Overstory. Words cannot fully describe the soaring view, so take a look...

Sitting down on the other side of the wraparound terrace facing Brooklyn was pretty incredible too...

New York City sparkled from that vantage. With a drink in hand and friends by my side, I'd even have to say that it looked magical.

And, as I took in the bar's 360-degree panorama I started thinking that maybe the city was a box of donuts. There would be holes, but tasty bits would surround them. And, if the city's history is any guide, those holes won't remain. Someone or something will always want to claim a place in the city, make their mark. But right then, I was hopeful for the city's future.

Not sure how long I can hold onto that feeling. Perhaps I'll need to revisit Overstory and have a sip of Soka sooner than I think.