Re: JDAW dreams of Portugal - Harvest 2016
Posted: 22:55 Sat 08 Oct 2016
Pah! What is a mere mile to someone in peak physical shape? JDAW wished he knew, but a kindly cab driver helped him out with the last 9/10ths of the mile needed to get back to the hotel. An hour spent showering, shaving and finding some clean clothes and a proper bow tie and he was ready for dinner. Dinner was in his favourite restaurant and he was very much looking forward to another visit.
The cab dropped him off outside the restaurant entrance. As he approached, JDAW had a sudden sense of panic - which door was it he was supposed to knock on - left or right? The last thing he wanted to do was disturb a local family who had settled down for the night. He chose what he hoped was the correct door and knocked. He was lucky, the curtain was twitched back and a face stared at him briefly and then a smile appeared. The door was flung open and JDAW was hugged in greeting and whisked inside.
O Paparico had recently undergone some significant investment in a new and expanded kitchen which gives the chef and his team much more space than they had before. Dinner was amazing; an absolute feast of Portuguese cuisine at its best, washed down with some very fine wines and port. The wines started with a Petit Manseng 2015 from Sousa Lopes, then a Vertice sparkling wine from Gouveio, followed by an Alvarinho 2005 from Alselmo Mendes, next a Colares Chitas 2006, a 10 year old Reserva Sercial Madeira from Borges to be rounded off with several glasses of the 2011 vintage port from Viera de Sousa. A fabulous dinner, well up to the standards of the team at the restaurant. Satisfied, JDAW reluctantly departed from the restaurant and made his way back to his hotel. He was content with the quality of his dream, what could possibly make it better. And he still hadn't opened his boxes...
The cab dropped him off outside the restaurant entrance. As he approached, JDAW had a sudden sense of panic - which door was it he was supposed to knock on - left or right? The last thing he wanted to do was disturb a local family who had settled down for the night. He chose what he hoped was the correct door and knocked. He was lucky, the curtain was twitched back and a face stared at him briefly and then a smile appeared. The door was flung open and JDAW was hugged in greeting and whisked inside.
O Paparico had recently undergone some significant investment in a new and expanded kitchen which gives the chef and his team much more space than they had before. Dinner was amazing; an absolute feast of Portuguese cuisine at its best, washed down with some very fine wines and port. The wines started with a Petit Manseng 2015 from Sousa Lopes, then a Vertice sparkling wine from Gouveio, followed by an Alvarinho 2005 from Alselmo Mendes, next a Colares Chitas 2006, a 10 year old Reserva Sercial Madeira from Borges to be rounded off with several glasses of the 2011 vintage port from Viera de Sousa. A fabulous dinner, well up to the standards of the team at the restaurant. Satisfied, JDAW reluctantly departed from the restaurant and made his way back to his hotel. He was content with the quality of his dream, what could possibly make it better. And he still hadn't opened his boxes...