Most places don’t serve dinner until 7 pm. The hole-in-the-wall place across the street was no exception.
After a false start at 6:35, I arrived back at 7:05 as a flood of people entered. The place seemed to be a favorite of both families and blue collar workers alike. Four large tables were occupied by big, burly men in matching t-shirts.
The menu was scratched on two chalkboards and all options were the same price: €12.50. And that included soup and wine.
My waiter had limited English skills (but far more than my Portuguese). We started with the basics: meat or fish? Meat. Steak or chicken? Chicken. Soup? Yes.
I ordered red wine, which brought a small glass and a half liter carafe. The rustic bread already on the table was fabulous.
My half chicken arrived barbecued and cut into four pieces. Like every other plate around me, at came with a large scoop of rice and a heap of French Fries.
The Portuguese do love their starches and fries are ubicitius. So far, the only mean I’ve been served without fries came with potato chips.
I finished my soup, chicken, bread and rice and made a small dent in the pile of fries. I made a noble effort on the wine too, but I did need to stumble back across the street.
I’m hoping the vino helps me sleep until at least 5:30 tomorrow morning. This waking up before 5 is getting old.
One of the side benefits of walking 30-40 thousand steps a day is that you can pretty much eat whatever you want. I intend to continue to try new things and find these hole-the-wall gems.
I met my first fellow pilgrims tonight. My nextdoor neighbors are two sisters from Quebec. They don’t seem quite as adventurous…they ate at Pizza Hut tonight.