When we walked in, I noticed the restaurant was rather empty. This is never a good sign for a restaurant, however it was not during peak dining hours and there were many different dining rooms available. We were promptly seated and the entertaining server gave us a rundown of the menu. He was a classic old-world style waiter that put up with our interesting comments and jokes.
I have heard that Portuguese food uses a lot of sausages so I definitely wanted to try that out. So I ordered the "Chourico `a Bombeiro", the flame grilled Portuguese sausage. When it came out, it was definitely on fire. Sadly I did not get a picture of this huge link of sausage that was ablaze. It reminded me of the Greek presentation of flaming cheese that is common in Detroit, except this was much better - Opa!! The skin was nice and crisp, and presented a great snap when you bite into it. The inside was seasoned with really good spices and was still juicy. A great way to start the meal that paired well with the full loaves of bread. Yes that is correct...loaves of bread. There were no 5 slices of bread to start with where you have to fight with your fellow diners to see who gets another slice; they had 5 or so mini-loaves that were the equivalent of 25 slices. They certainly start you out right!
For the entree, I was debating between the shish kabobs and the Bife `a Casa, the aforementioned steak with ham and eggs. In the end, the curiousity won out and I went with the recommended Bife `a Casa. I ordered it medium rare and it came out perfect. It was sirlion steak, and was very tender. The addition of a ham slice and over-medium eggs provided interesting flavors to the steak. It was also plated with a wine reduction sauce (not very wine-y which was great) and seasoned with garlic and other spices. The portion was large and very flavorful. Usually I find sirlion to be rather flavorless due to the lack of fat marbling (similar to filet), but with the strong spices, garlic, and ham and eggs, it was superb. Since the steak was cooked accurately, it still remained tender and picked up the surrounding flavors. Additionally the meal comes with vegetables, rice, and Portuguese fries. Who does 2 starches at dinner?? The Portuguese thats who. I do not recall anything spectacular about the 3 sides other than the good crispiness of the Portuguese fries. They are essentially large, thick cut potato chips that have been fried up. Very good.
As for the shish kabobs? My coworker ordered those and they were served in a very unique way. They were served on a large skewer that was supported by a free standing holder. The best way I can describe it is the large skewers at Brazilian bbq's that are supported upright at the table. Very dramatic. As for the flavor, I tried one of them and they were seasoned simply with salt and pepper. Since I had it at the end, it was not that warm but was still tender. Though ordered medium rare, they were more a medium to medium well but this could have been due to the carry-over cooking. Overall I am glad I went with the Bife `a Casa.
This is one of the first times that I can remember having specific Portuguese food. I think it is a great find and I would definitely recommend/come back here. The "restaurant busy" stereotype did not apply here. I think the only thing stopping me from giving it a 5 out of 5 is the lack of experience with this type of cuisine. I may have to revisit this review depending on other Portuguese restaurants that I try, but this is certainly a high benchmark to start with.
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| Bife `a Casa - Pan-seared sirloin steak topped with a slice of ham & fried egg in a garlic, red wine & mild spices sauce (their words, not mine) |
288 Warren Ave
East Providence, RI 02914
I must be Portuguese, because I be eatin mad starches.
ReplyDeleteYou ate a flaming sausage (not the saganaki - opa). I'm not big on sausage, but that sausage sounds pretty solid. Add in the quantacious bread, and I'm also liking the way your meal started.
That entree sounds very interesting, in a way that would pique my interest as well. The picture doesn't scream steak to me, but I get it. The whole slice of ham thing is an interesting twist - oh those crafty portagee. If I get eggs, I don't prefer them like that, but that's probably the way it goes best - like the 'loco moco' in Hawai'i that goes best with an over-easy egg.
I wonder if the shish-kabobs were skewered on metal skewers? Making them more easy to cook through/harder to cook medium rare?
About the sauce...was it thickened? Doesn't look like it soaked into that uncle ben's-looking rice all that much. If it wasn't too wine-y like you said, I'd probably enjoy sopping that up with some white rice. But you're right, the veggies and rice don't look spectacular.
I'm still liking the dish as described though. Good stuff.
yes, shish kabobs were on metal skewers
ReplyDeletesauce was reduced, i wouldnt call it thickened
while looking for additional Portuguese restaurants in the area, the steak/egg combo seems to be a normal, if not most popular, dish they prepare