Food of Lisbon

Can we talk about food for a minute?  From my research, I knew that the crazy number of products we have in American grocery stores would not be replicated in Europe.  The stores are smaller with fewer varieties of everything.  But what they do have is fresher, better and cheaper than in the states.  I can attest to that by proof of an orange.

I bought 5 oranges while in Lisbon, two from one store and three from another.  Each and every one of them was juicy and delicious.  Every time I opened the trashcan, I could immediately smell the rinds – they were still that fragrant and fresh even days later.  In America, I could pay three times as much for an heirloom orange and have no idea what I would get.  The orange might be juicy or it might be completely dried out.  There was no way to tell until you peeled it.

From my apartment in Belem, there are literally dozens of places to eat within walking distance.  Every variety you could want including, Italian, Chinese, Middle-Eastern and even McDonalds and Burger King mixed in with the traditional Portuguese places.  Being by the ocean, Portugal is famous for its seafood.  I had to try some, of course, so I found a little place thinking to have some salmon.  They were out so the waitress suggested the grilled bream (a fish I’d never even heard of) because it was fresh.  The fish was served whole with a side of perfectly seasoned steamed vegetables.  Add that to the bread and small plate of cheese and the delicious caipirinha (a cocktail I’d never had before) and it made for a simple but excellent meal.

I mentioned the food trucks and carts along the pier; they’re a little further away but still accessible by foot.  There are a bunch of places everywhere devoted solely to sweets and coffee, the biggest being Pasteis de Belem, a place that always has a line out the door for their pastries.  They are little rounds of phyllo dough with a burnt custard in the middle.  I wasn’t willing to wait in line, so I bought one from the store.  Pretty tasty after I warmed it in the microwave for half a minute. 

Walking around Lisbon proper, there was a café or restaurant every few feet.  Many of the streets/alleys in the city are closed off to cars so the restaurants have tables set up in the middle of them.  I like the ones with the enclosed fire pits since it staves off the cold and wind while you eat. 

They have the best bread everywhere – even the smallest supermarket will have a variety of baked goods to buy.  I found this maple pecan croissant at a little grocery store in a different part of Belem.  Absolutely delicious.

Coffee culture is also omnipresent.  Breakfast is usually a very simple meal of bread, fruit, and coffee.  But if you want to shove bread in your face and mainline coffee all day, the Portuguese won’t even blink.  They’re doing the same thing.

They’re not big on eggs here.  Oh, you can find them in the grocery stores, just don’t look in the refrigerated section.  They also aren’t big on cow milk.  I have yet to see any milk in a grocery store.  Instead, they have a wide assortment of plant-based milks, also unrefrigerated. 

And as French fries are my favorite food, guess which phrase I learned right away?  Battatas fritas (fried potatoes) is the term for both French fries and potato chips.  Nearly every meal I’ve ordered automatically came with fries.  So, I’ve had a lot of fries in Portugal.

My biggest concern, while eating all the bread and fries I want, was negating all the work I’d put in to losing weight.  Not to worry.  While my situation in America was more controlled with weight lifting sessions and supplements, here I walk at least 2 miles a day by default.  Sometimes up some serious hills.  Burns off those carbs real quick.

Tipping here is optional.  Since the waitstaff aren’t working for that tip, you’ll often have to flag them down to get their attention. With the more laid-back atmosphere, it’s common for lunch to go on for hours.  No one rushes you out to fill the table again and everything is just allowed to progress at it’s own pace.

I’m not even a foodie and I’m impressed.  Almost every meal I’ve had has been excellent.  Even if the waitstaff aren’t checking on you every minute, the staff are polite and easily switch from Portuguese to English depending on the customer (an impressive skill that I admire).  And in one restaurant, the staff gave each of the women a free rose.  Come on, Lisbon!  I already want to move here.  Quit trying so hard!