We managed to find a vibrant local market everywhere we went in Portugal. The mercado in Lagos was beautiful, having recently been modernized. The street level had an incredible selection of local seafood, while the upper level had produce, dry good, bakeries and a cafe.
I was mesmerized by these incredible eels that looked as if they had been dipped in chrome before being carefully placed on ice. It's hard to tell from the picture, but each are about three feet long. I don't know their name, but I have no doubt they are delicious after a short ride on the bbq.
The entrance to the market, which faced the marina
A selection of seafood. Name that lumpy pink thing!
Beautiful tile work along the stairs to the upper level
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Seafood. Show all posts
Thursday, July 23, 2009
O Mercado Municipal de Lagos
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Grouper with Spinach and Mash
Coming back from vacation is brutal, especially when the transition is from warm waves and pink sand to the eternal twilight of winter. I looked out my window Saturday morning and this is what I saw... is it day or night? WTF! I'm ready to sell an organ to get out of here again.The only thing we could do is try to recapture a little vacation magic, so we suited up and headed off to the market. I wanted Grouper or something to remind me of the fresh fish we had everyday on va-cay. I also wanted to get the secret ingredients to make... you guessed it Piña Coladas!
Fusili made a delicious reduction of soy, lime juice, honey and ginger. It went perfectly with the pan seared Grouper, spinach and mashed potatoes. Grouper kinda tastes like chicken.
Rock House
This is going to sound stupid, but I'll say it... vacations are a lot of work. Ok, stop groaning and hear me out. If you get away once a year (work trips don't count) it's a big deal. So when you decide to go, there is a lot of pressure to make it count. Come to think of it, it's a lot like New Year's Eve... you know, all the pressure to have fun in a fixed amount of time. Oddly, our vacation this year happened almost by accident. I've had a dream destination in mind for a few years and by chance a WestJet seat sale, an unexpected cheque, and a place to stay all aligned just after Christmas. I think this might be the year the karmic scale comes back into balance.
In planning this trip, I've formulated a new vacation theory – find the cheapest room at the nicest place. I'll sleep in a closet... if the closet is in a nice hotel. Also, only trust other people who have stayed there. I have to give kudos to TripAdvisor, without the ratings from other guests I wouldn't have selected the Rock House. It didn't have a single negative comment, and after staying there I can see why.
As well as being an excellent place to stay, the Rock House has an incredible restaurant. My goal on this trip was to find restaurants that featured local ingredients. So I was happy that both times we had dinner at the hotel the special was locally caught fish. On the left, seared tuna with seaweed salad and wasabi cream. On the right, mahi-mahi with mash and green beans. I forgot to get a picture of another dish – local heirloom tomatoes with buffalo mozzarella. The only gotcha was the size of the portions, easily enough for two. The first dinner we each had an entree, the next time we shared an appetizer and an entree and I was still full.
If you're in the area, I can't recommend Harbour Island and the Rock House enough. Just don't rent a golf cart... trust me.
Sip Sip
When we asked for restaurant recommendations everyone, even locals, suggested Sip Sip. It drove us crazy for the first few days because it was right at the entrance to beach, but it was closed after the holidays until the end of the week. We had to wait until Thursday to try it for lunch, it's not open for dinner, and by that time the hype of everyone's comments made it seem legendary.
In fact, it is amazing. One of those places that blends in nicely with the local vibe while still feeling schmancy for the tourists. The food is ecclectic, like the customers, and it features local ingredients that change daily. We had lunch there twice and both times it was perfect. You can't beat rolling up from the beach, sandy and hungry, to find a mimosa and grilled lobster waiting for you. To make it even better, the patio at the back is perched above the beach over-looking the ocean. Can I live here?
From left to right: Grilled lobster with caesar salad, grouper sandwich with slaw, lobster quesadilla and king fish parmesan dip with pita. Not pictured – my new favourite dessert... a piña colada.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
