Portugal – Berkeley Square Barbarian

Bacalhau a Bras – A Recipe for Portugal’s Premium Comfort Food

November 7, 2020 No Comments

When I spent a whole week in Portugal five years ago, I fell in love with Portuguese cuisine. Bacalhau or salt cod in all its variations is one of the staple foods of local cuisine, much more so than in Spain or, say, Venice, where it also enjoys huge popularity. Bacalhau a Bras is said to be named after Senhor Bras or Braz, the owner of a tavern in Lisbon’s Bairro Alto district. He is said to have come up with the recipe many moons ago. It is also sometimes called Bacalhau Dourado, or “golden bacalhau.” The dish is extremely simple, usually just containing flakes of salt cod, deep fried match-shaped potato crisps, onions, and eggs, garnished with black olives and parsley. While egg dishes might sound to most ears like breakfast dishes, Bacalhau a Bras can be enjoyed as breakfast, lunch, dinner, midnight meal after a night out, or […]

Activities, Food, Fun, Portugal, Travel

Rock-climbing, off-roading and a visit to a Roman gold mine (from Porto)

March 3, 2017 23 Comments

My Greenway Tours, run by Eduardo Mata together with a business associate, and which, on Tripadvisor, ranks #21 out of 133 tours to do in Porto (the other ones mainly being about food/wine, or tours of the town), invited BSqB to come with them on a one-day outdoor adventure tour while I was visiting Porto (Portugal) last week. My wife, who is writing this blog with me, only joined the following day, so I was accompanied by an old German friend of mine, who spent the whole week with me as my fellow blogger and as part of our customary boyz-only annual celebration of madness. I grew up in a small town at the doorstep of the Bavarian Alps and have done my fair share of outdoor adventures in the mountains, but this was an absolute blast! Eduardo also grew up in the mountains, and clearly was more serious about […]

Cooking & Tours, Portugal, Travel

Douro Valley Tour

March 1, 2017 8 Comments

While I was spending last week in Porto, CoolTour Oporto invited me to check out their famous Douro Valley Tour. It ranks #7 out of 133 Tours in Porto on Tripadvisor. With a Certificate of Excellence thrown in on top for good measure. DOURO VALLEY TOUR WITH COOLTOUR OPORTO Many people visit Porto mainly with the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Douro valley region in mind. This hilly patch of land is famous for its port wine production. It is the only region that is officially allowed to call its wine port wine. Although it seems that some Australian producers have yet to take note. The rock star status of the Valley is harsh on the beautiful seaside city of Porto. But once you’ve done this tour you’ll understand the enthusiasm. GOOD COMPANY ON THE DOURO VALLEY TOUR An old friend from Germany was spending the week with me in […]

Food, Portugal

Cunha Restaurant, Porto

March 1, 2017 3 Comments

UPDATE 17.01.2020 – RESTAURANT HAS CLOSED PERMANENTLY Confeitaria Cunha opened on 31 March 1906 as a patisserie. In the 70s it moved to its current location, the art deco “Emporium Building,” designed in 1939. Later on, architect Victor Palla found his inspiration in the Midwest U.S. diners of the 50ies and 60ies, when he designed the interior of the restaurant, which is serving delicious wholesome meaty dishes for reasonable prices. One of our tourguides, a self-confessed meat maniac, had recommended the veal steak (‘Meio Bife de Vitela’) for €15 to us, and thank heavens he did. Veal can be a tricky meat to cook as a steak and – where I come from – no one ever attempts to do so, we either have it as Viennese schnitzel or in dishes such as Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (tiny little strips of veal in creamy sauce). Tip to the hat to Cunha […]

Food, Portugal

Restaurante Celta Endovelico, Porto

March 1, 2017 1 Comment

Celta Endovelico drew our attention through its proximity to our hotel, its excellent Tripadvisor rating (#10 of 1,427 Restaurants in Porto), and the very reasonable prices. It plays on the Celtic/Gaelic theme and offers a variety of tapas dishes ranging from meaty calorie bombs (I tried to order three tapas after a day of hiking without much food, and was asked to stick with the recommended maximum of two tapas for the time being and then see if I want to order more, which is normally a very good sign; they don’t want their food to go to waste or their customers to spend more than they need to) to smaller side dishes. I ordered delicious pork rolls in rich sauce accompanied by patatas bravas, and then later a portion of Padrón peppers, prepared in the traditional Spanish style. The latter did not impress me, but it was the […]

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