Country Article / Postcards
Best Eats in Town
Date: 01/05/2004Dear Reader,
We like historical cities, so when we were in Lisbon, a day trip to Evora was in order.
Evora is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with temple ruins (dedicated to the Goddess Diana), a Moorish walled town center (where you'll find walkways with names like "street of the Cardinal's Nurses" and "alley of the Unshaved Man"), several museums, prehistoric remains (including a cave decorated with Cro-Magnon paintings), and more.
After a hard day's sight-seeing, we stopped by a local snack shop called the Pasteleria Academica for coffee and a sweet, where we were told the best eats in town were at the Adega do Alantejano.
The Portuguese word "adega" means wine cellar or winery; also a wine bar or restaurant where wine is served straight from the barrel.
The Adega do Alantejano is in a building that was the winery for the local monastery hundreds of years ago. Built with vaulted ceilings similar to the cloisters, giant amphorae and other antiques now decorate the restaurant.
Our wine was tapped directly from a barrel and served in a terra cotta carafe. The hors d'oeuvres included: crusty bread; chick pea, fish, and egg salad; tomato and fish salad; and thin slices of sausage similar to pepperoni. (You should note that in many Portuguese restaurants hors d'oeuvres and bread are served without requesting them and are charged separately.)
Carlos, our accommodating server, suggested that we try two entrees typical of the Alentejo region and share them. The first was sopa de tomato--a seasoned tomato soup served over chunks of crusty bread and topped with a hard-boiled egg. We passed on the side dishes of pork fat and sausage that accompanied the soup. Next we sampled Lombinho de Poaro Preto--succulent wild boar tenderloin served with rice, crisp fried potatoes, and a lettuce salad.
Dessert, again typical to Alentejo, was enchancada, a coconut custard pie, and a traditional bread pudding--flat, similar to a pancake--with a spiced plum sauce.
The entire meal was delicious. Wine, hors d'oeuvres, bread, entrees, and desserts for two cost under 30 euro ($38).
The restaurant opens at 7 p.m. for dinner and is closed on Monday. If you're lucky, Carlos will be there to guide you through Alentejo delicacies, too.
You'll find Adega do Alentejano on Rua Gabriel Vitor do Monte Pereira 21A, on a narrow, winding, cobblestone street. Look for a rusty sign above arched wooden doors.
David and Roberta Graham
for International Living
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