The challenge was that more than four dozen clients at the end of a cruise in Europe joined us for some additional days in Lisbon. Traditional historical sightseeing wouldn’t do — not when Portugal has become the No. 1 country in the world, after Mexico, for American expats to voluntarily relocate. I needed to give my clients some sense as to why this was true, and I had very little time to do it.
There was a second goal since Portugal’s capital is known in foodie circles as perhaps the premier city to dine on fish. They were and are seafarers. And they have this enormous advantage: Tuna and clams are caught right offshore, and the shellfish and octopus are considered absolutely world-class. True, the cod is not strictly local, but it arrives preserved in layers of salt, so who really cares?
On the first day, we visited Sintra, a Unesco World Heritage Site, but not, in my mind, for the right reason. Sintra is home to several small establishments that serve the famed Portuguese custard tart, pastel de nata. The tart was invented by monks in the Jeronimos Monastery in the 17th century. The monks were using egg whites to starch their clothes, and one day, a Julia Child-wannabe monk designed a tart that has no rival. It is custardy on the inside, with a flaky crust and something like cinnamon hiding out in the interior. I had to try three to find the best, and I will need to reschedule a trip before making a final decision.
For lunch, we planned a private room at the Michelin-star restaurant Porto Santa Maria, which has spectacular views of Praia do Guincho Beach. It was a beautiful day, and we had arranged for the editor in chief of the largest news agency in Lisbon to join us and to speak to the group.
He exceeded all expectations, explaining why Americans were flocking to his country and some of the surprising things they would soon discover. Then he walked through the dining room and personally greeted each of our guests, taking individual questions on a wide variety of pertinent topics. It was memorable.
The next day, after a walking foodie tour of Lisbon’s Alfama neighborhood, we ended up at the bustling, no-frills Taj Mahal of seafood, the famed Cervejaria Ramiro, a long-established, family-owned institution. We had a private dining room upstairs, and we had invited several locals to join our tables as we were served every variety of incredible fish, most of it only hours from the sea. The owner explained each course. Fish should be enjoyed, many in Lisbon believe, without adornment. There are no potatoes, no rice or veggies, just fish — mountains of it, including shrimp the size of my arm and rocks that are actually barnacles hiding small treasures if you knew how to draw them out.
Then, quietly, the owner asked me if we were ready for “dessert.” Of course, we were. And out came a parade of thick, perfectly cooked steak sandwiches on just-baked bread.
It turns out that the locals love seafood. But they believe it causes bad breath, and they feel that after nothing but fish, some steak is the perfect dessert before returning to work. On behalf of our guests, I can report that the concept works beautifully and should be adopted universally at home.
