24 Feb: Salmora Restaurant in Quarteira
Imagine a frustrating day during which you are confined to a small, stuffy apartment because of bad weather or other circumstances and you have nothing in the fridge for dinner. And, with no enthusiasm whatever, expecting displeasure and discomfort, you drag your discouraged self out into the wet, freezing night willing to settle for just a minimally satisfying meal to get you through the night. And you happen upon a gem of a refuge so warm looking, so attractive, so inviting that without discussion, without hesitation, you and your spouse walk into the place as though it were your intention all along.
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| Salmora Restaurant in Quarteira, Portugal |
And you are greeted by a welcoming, gracious, charming waiter who it appears has been waiting only for you on this night--who makes you feel that you are the only people on the planet who matter at this particular time. And he seats you at the optimal spot in the place where you can watch the chefs and kitchen staff perform their art expressly for you.
And your waiter, now your best friend at least for this evening, goes through a tapas type menu explaining in excellent English the preparation and details of every item that would be of interest to you. He, in this case Luis, gives you all the time you need, answers all your questions, ascertains your special dietary needs: no gluten please, no garlic, no beef, etc. and helps you make the perfect selections.
And the dishes come to the table in short order, savory, hot, perfectly presented. In Mary Lou's case, Bacalhau a Bras, dried, salted codfish rehydrated in a delicious fish broth, thickened with egg and covered with the thinest possible string sized potato strips so that you get the creamy softness of the fish and egg with just a bit of crunch from the potatoes. In my case, sauteed prawns in lemon grass, onion, and fish broth absent the garlic and spicy peppers that spoil every dish for me.
Oh my! This day was salvaged just by overcoming the lethargy that kept us indoors on this inclement day and pushing ourselves out the door not knowing exactly what we might encounter.
Portugal is a wonderland. The food, the people, the ocean coves, the wine country.
The Salmora, find it when you visit Quarteira.