Caffe Italia

When I think Italian in Portugal, it is always Caffe Italia that comes to my mind. Nested in a tiny house in the centre of Cascais (but with a very reasonable balcony where you can stay enjoying the nights during Summer), this is a warm and cosy place, where you will enjoy relaxing and having a good meal, surrounded by very good friends of a lifetime or that relevant person with whom you share your life. It is also one of my “secret” places, those that I really enjoy.

There are 3 important decisions that you need to take when you arrive. Will you stay outdoors (only in Summer or late spring, believe me the Atlantic nights can be freezing) on indoors, by the basement (cosier) or first floor (where you can have agood conversation with the owners, if you want to). Then, what wine will you order – they have a good list of reds, ranging from Portuguese to Italian, brunellos and chianti included. And, then, what starter – and here, I am very traditional, I almost always order a good carpaccio.

The entrees menu seems great – with thin and crusty pizzas, Italian red meat and fishes and some great pasta, with several spaghetti, ravioli, fettuccini and gnocchi. But, actually… my suggestion would be… that you ask your waiter for what is out of the menu. That was how I had amazing spaghetti with clams yesterday, that really made my eyes shine. I also recall having once a great fettuccini with pumpkin – a sweet and sour combination that still lingers in my memory. Or a very good ricotta and spinach cannelloni. Just remember to combine it with a good and tasty red wine that makes the flavour shine – and your mouth will have a wonderful night enjoying all the great flavours that you choose for it.

And last, dessert. And, dessert, let me tell you, for me, it’s the make or break moment of a good Italian. In the end, it all comes down to the tiramisu! And, there, Caffe Italia doesn’t fail. The mascarpone comes in the right quantity, mixed with all the other ingredients in a wise array of choices. It is moist enough, without being wet. And it’s delicious!

Caffe Italia is a cosy and charming Italian restaurant – one I would say you should take your girlfriend to, if you happen to be in Cascais. It will be a great beginning for a very good night!

Where: Cascais - Portugal

Address: Rua Poço Novo, 1 - Cascais

Phone: +351 21 483 0151

Expensive: Around €30

Last visit: October 2011

Charcutaria Francesa

It wasn’t that hard to find a parking spot – especially considering the town area I was. But I could also have used the valet parking service, something that is not that usual in Portugal. If we think that we are in the middle of one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Lisbon, with tiny narrow streets finding its way through 200 years old buildings, just next to the Parliament, a stone away from some of the busiest and hippest night spots of the town, it is a very valuable service. But it wasn’t my option. I preferred to park on my own, walk 300 meters and, hop, I was in the restaurant. A small room, but neat, cosy, nice – expectations were high on a great dinner to start the night!

The starters buffet was great – small tapas, the kind that you let linger and taste in your mouth, like a cold soup shot, a good bruschetta, raw salmon, fried corn… Good! To wash it down, we ordered one of the promoted wines – and, believe it or not, we paid only €5 for a very good wine (and though we are in Portugal and you can drink good and cheap wine, this price was at supermarket level…).

To order the entrees you can’t expect a book menu – the food of the day is recited by one of the restaurant owners. Opinions at this time divided, but I couldn’t resist a nuts and honey octopus with the promise of a strong and exquisite flavour – and I love when promises come through! Other choices were the noir spaghetti with shrimps (that was mildly appreciated by my friends), a fish fillet with ham and vegetables (that looked delicious) and a hare stuffed with mushrooms.

Desserts – I couldn’t resist a chocolate petit gateau with icecream. There isn’t much to do – chocolate is my doom! Some friends of mine opted for pear with icecream – and though a good choice, I still believe mine was better!

This is a very well located, niece restaurant, where you can eat very, very well, and with a warm service. I liked the wines (and the prices). And it was for around €26,5 per person. I recommend! The only point I would like to change was the olive oil – but when that is the thing to point as an improvement, that is all said…

Where: Lisbon - Portugal

Address: Rua Manuel Bernardes nº5 a/b, 1200-250 Lisboa

Phone: +351 21 395 8445

Website: http://www.charcutaria-francesa.com

Expensive: Around €30

Last visit: January 2010

Wine: Churchill Estates

It is a dark red wine from the Douro region in Portugal - one of the best wine producing regions of the country. I think we can say this wine actually absorbs the opposites of the place the grapes were grown in - it is at the same time raw and delicate. A consistent presence in the top100 wines over the last years, you can't call it a smooth wine, but it's not a rude one. It makes a strong impression in your mouth, a positive one, that will never get unnoticed. It smells of raspberries, jams and trees. A bit of acid and sweet at the same time . And is a great choice to go with a hunted bird or red meat. Ah! Its grape - I was forgetting. It is a Touriga Nacional grape, probably the best known of Portuguese grapes.

Churchill Estates blog: http://churchillsestates.blogspot.com/

Thank you, Jully

Thank you, Jully, for all the amazing places and restaurants you have taken me.

Max Brenner

Everybody that knows me knows of my addiction – I am absolutely crazy about chocolate! How can you resist such a moment of indulgence, as you feel the cocoa and the milk melting a fudging in your mouth? And that takes me to one of my favourite spots in New York – for those who don’t know of it, welcome to Max Brenner, chocolate by the bald man.

I only know one of their restaurants. Next to Union Square, its location is ideal for anyone staying in lower and middle Manhattan – it is a quick metro ride away from wherever you might be. When you get in, you understand the place is dark – chocolate dark! Another thing you notice is the smell. Though not sickening, you can still feel the sweet chocolate odour in the air. And chocolate is wherever you look – in the small shop at the entrance of the restaurant, in the large cans and tins and tubes in the bar and throughout the ceiling, in the clients tables – there is no turnaround, this place is dedicated to chocolate lovers! Like me!

I went there usually for brunch. There are several delicatessens in the menu. But I am very loyal to a WOW Chocolate and Granola Surprise – a mix of granola cereals, rice crispies, yogurt, fruit (strawberries, bananas, caramelised nuts), honey and… chocolate! A huge sweet bomb for brunch – but an incredibly tasty one! Other options include crepes, waffles and bagels, always with chocolate around or within. Or then, you can go for the eggs or bagels. Or more stuffy meals – including hamburgers, salads, wings,… – but that, you can have anywhere, can’t you?

What you probably can’t skip is one of the hot chocolates. Actually, chocolate drinks are another great reason to visit! They name their chocolat as the cappuccino of chocolates – and they are delicious, believe me. You can add ingredients, flavours or alcohol shots. Or you can have your chocolate concentrated, as an expresso – short and intense. If you are a traditionalist, you can go through a list that is not traditional at all and pick combinations with toffee, marshmellows, chai or spices. But, you can’t miss the hot mug – the delicious and light mug which is responsible to get the chocolate from the table to your mouth (with a little help from your hands…).

I started by saying it – chocolate is the nightmare of my diet! But such a tasty one… If you are like me and heading to New York – don’t miss Max Brenner!

Where: New York – United States of America

Address: 841 Broadway (between 13th and 14th Streets)

Reservations: http://www.maxbrenner.com/online_reservation_ny.html

Website: http://www.maxbrenner.com/home.aspx

Expensive: My usual brunch (chocolate + WOW) is around 25 to 30 USD.

Last visit: September 2011

Brunch at Isabella's

Upper West Side in New York. Huddled between Central Park and the Hudson. Small restaurants, ethnic food here and there, wine bars. And among them all, let me give you a short recommendation for a good (though expensive) Sunday brunch.

Isabella's is close to the Central Park and closer to the National History Museum. It sits in a pleasant and sunny corner (at least on a late summer Sunday morning, as when I visited) and has a very enjoyable outdoor space - though a bit overcrowded... It was a good experience to go there, bath in all the sun, sip on a lemonade and... taste some good benedicts'! Believe me, I am someone who usually runs away from eggs in the morning (I try to save my liver...), but I couldn't resist those benedicts. I would recommend the salmon or the crab cake ones - delicious! And great to break your fast in the morning!

Where: New York City - United States of America
Address: 359 Columbus Ave, NYC 10024
Phone: +1 212 724 2100

Site: http://www.isabellas.com/
Expensive: Around 25USD for the simple brunch described above

Last visit: September 2011