#PortuGaloBrooklyn

I've been going to Brooklyn Design Square in Pretoria for the last 11 years, since I moved to Gauteng, and it has been amazing to see how it has grown from strength to strength over time & how places come & go. A newcomer that I was excited to go try, is PortuGalo! A family owned restaurant, where the gift for cooking sparked the idea to open a REAL Portuguese restaurant. Sunday lunch family recipes have been passed down for generations, keeping it simple & authentic. 

On arrival, you'll be greeted by a stunning outdoor area, that immediately has you relaxing & you'll forget that you're sitting in the middle of Brooklyn. Trying to keep to the Portuguese style, the restaurant has been styled with a mixture of modern & vintage Portugal. (And well, I simply love it. It's something new that has been needed in the area for some time now.)

Kicking off the evening with a Portuguese Wine was a no brainer. The Mariana Branco, being the house wine, would be the wine for the evening. So interesting story behind this wine. A love story. Mariana, was a nun, back in the mid 1600's in Alentejo & she had a forbidden affair with a French nobleman. The Mariana Branco is a soft, fruity white wine that is easy drinking & pairs very well with pretty much everything we ate. So if you're unsure & you want to try something new & unique, then opt in for a glass (or 3) of the Mariana Branco. 

To the starters, or tapas should I say. A great variety of all those starters that you usually find on a menu, but this time, they are prepared the Portuguese way. Think Chouriço, Prawns, Rissoles, Trinchado, Chicken Livers & Mussels; all made with love & fresh spices. Grab a fresh Portuguese roll with some butter & dig into that sauce, you won't regret those carbs!

For dinner, you'll find a taste of everything to delve into. A special mention here must go to the old style Portuguese stewpots - Cataplana's. I tried the Seafood Cataplana; the prawns & calamari are cooked perfectly, whilst the Portuguese flavours are showcased beautifully. The seafood menu really stood out for me here. There are so many great dishes to choose from & what makes it even better is that they have the same base dish, served a few different ways. So you really do have some options when it comes to deciding on a main meal here. 

Also, the whole catch of the day is prepared in a way that I have really never had before. There is a bit of spice there that will surprise your palate in the best of ways that bring out that seafood freshness in a 'non-fishy' way. 

What is a visit to a Portuguese restaurant, without having Pasteis de Nata for dessert? These baked custard tartlets are always a winner when it comes to rounding off your meal. Freshly baked & still warm is the best way to savour these treats. 

So all in all, #PortuGaloBrooklyn has my vote. 

You should pop in & check it out for yourself.

Calisto's - A Portuguese Cuisine Adventure

Calisto’s I believe is a very nice genuine family restaurant, situated in the New Market Mall in Alberton, where you can take everyone. They have a wide variety of items on the menu that will work for every person’s pocket.

Upon arrival the 1^st item that caught my eye was the decanter placed on our table with Sparkling Wine and Berries. The server called it “Champagne Sangria.” I decided to let that one slip as I had already poured a 2^nd glass of this refreshing & bubbly drink.

Being a very large table we were served with a large array of starters.

-  Peri Peri Chicken Livers (done perfectly as not to actually put your throat on fire)

-  Trinchado

-  Tempura Prawns (crispy and light outer and a soft and tender prawn)

-  Haloumis Strips

-  Creamy Garlic Snails (lots of garlic, just the way I like it)

-  Giblets (I don’t eat these…)

-  Crispy Squid Heads (really good and crispy)

-  Chorizo

-  Calamari tubes

I love eating like this. Having a little bit of everything. It sort of assures that you get to try everything on the table and if you are lucky enough (meaning that if another foodie has not already cleared the rest of the plates) you can get a 2^nd helping of your favourites.

Each person then ordered anything off of the menu as to their own taste. I opted for the Sole Thermidor. The sole was prepared very well. Sliding off of the bone with ease, makes eating a sole so much easier. The thermidor sauce was very rich and creamy. As it should be. With mushrooms and cheese, it added to the flavours of the thermidor. Trust to say, that I was very full after this meal. But it is a must try in my opinion.

Others around the table opted for fillet, prawns and platters for 1. The dishes really did look very impressive and from what I could tell, everyone was enjoying their meals.

Dessert & Coffee was up next and it is always a favourite time of a meal for me. I was easy on deciding here. Peppermint crisp tart. Yum. Just thinking about it now makes me want to go have another one. Light and full of flavor this one actually didn’t leave me feeling like I had over indulged for the night. Some of the other desserts included Italian Kisses & Crème Caramel.

If you don’t mind the drive to Alberton or if you are close to the New Market Mall area, I would definitely recommend heading to Calisto’s for a meal.

Lusito Land 2016

The 35^th annual Lusito Land Festival kicks off on 22 April and runs to 2 May at Pioneer Park in Wemmer Pan, Johannesburg. Being a Portuguese style family festival, the 11 days will be play host to some of our country’s top musicians and bands. There will be so much entertainment for the children at the fun fair and foodies best not miss out on all the restaurants that will be offering some of the best and most popular Portuguese cuisine.

A bit of background information on the Lusito Land Festival that majority of people don’t know. This festival raises funds for the Lusito Association for the Physically & Mentally Handicapped. Over the last 3 decades, after opening in 1981 as a Portuguese orientated festival, it has evolved into a festival that is celebrated by many of the cultures that we have in our Rainbow Nation. Noemia Contente, the spokesperson from the Lusito Association explained that there are exhibitors that have been supporting Lusito Land from that very 1^st festival 35 years ago and she guarantees that this will be a fun day out for the whole family and that everyone will be supporting a great cause.

As being voted the “Best Festival” by Leisure Options Magazine readers for 11 times in the past, the 160,000 annual visitors will be able to experience the Portuguese tradition and culture and wonderful flavours of food. It is bound to be an ideal day out for the family.

Music Entertainment:

For the full line up, check it out here.

Tickets:

Available through Computicket.

Adults & Teens – R85

Children (6-12) – R50

Children under 5 – Free

Location – Pioneers Park, Wemmer Pan. Corner of 11^th Street & Turf Road, La Rochelle.

Week Days – 17:00 to 22:00

Weekends – 10:00 to 23:00

Public Holidays – 10:00 to 19:00

Secure parking is available in 3 designated parking areas & parking tickets can be purchased online at R50 per parking. (Don’t be silly and park on the street. You are looking for trouble.)

For more info check out www.lusitoland.co.za or visit their Facebook page: Lusito Land