A taste of the Azores in Ottawa
Ottawa is home to a few Portuguese restaurants where you can sample a few fish items most famously on any Portuguese menu is the Baccalau (Salt Dry Cod). Portuguese cuisine is slightly different from that of Spain, especially in its heavy reliance of puree red peppers in many of the meals.
There are regional differences in cuisine of course and especially highlighted when one sample dishes from the Azores islands, which are part of Portugal even thought they are quite distant from the Continental main land.
The Azores menu is less refined, the islands in general had been poor and relied on the sea as well as good home made food and pork often grown in the back year. Two of the Islands that make up the Azores are more popular from culinary point of view. St George is know for its production and variety of cheeses. For the cheese fanatic in you, a slice of St George is a must, and small pieces can be purchased in Ottawa at Mario’s Portuguese Store on McArthur Road. The other island is St Migule, the largest and more diverse. While its largest city Ponta Del Gada provides you with excellent restaurant choices, its the flavors that are present on the streets and homes of the little towns that are more memorable.
To get a hint of what that is like, you must visit, Casa do Churrasco, 190 Dalhousie Street, the restaurant used to be home to a KFC many years ago.
When you get to the restaurant stick the basics and you will be happy.
Soup: Start with a bowl of Caldo Verde, the traditional Azorian collard and sausage soup
Appetizer: A MUST is the chorizo bombaira, where the sausage is cocked on top of a clay pig table side, the smell and flavors are divine. If you are brave try your hand at a marcella, the Azorian equivalent of a blood sausage (not for the faint at heart)
Dinner. Stick to one of two choices, don’t be fancy, either go for the BBQ chicken or the BBQ Sardines, either is a fine choices.
The restaurant is very well priced all in you should be at about $20 per person. More importantly you get a true taste of the Azores and a great home style treat.
Tags: Food & Drink
