Stopping off on a road trip from DC to Montreal, we landed at this true hole-in-the-wall because we do not have anything remotely like this where I live. It was a success in both food and the ultra-charming conversation we had with the proprietor, Daniel.
He told us stories of growing up in the Azores that, if I was given to caprice, would have made me look up flights from EWR.
We ordered two dishes: one is the star of the show and isn’t even a Portuguese dish. Turns out it was just something he invented.
The frango á lena is a rotisserie chicken bathed in a garlic sauce. It was even more delicious than I had imagined. We also ordered a steak, Portuguese-style. It was very delicious even if a bit grisly in part. Served with a sauce and a poached egg on top. We also ordered black beans and a wonderfully composed salad with a restrained dressing.
It was especially fascinating having him compare his upbringing until he was 17 with that of his son here in Newark, same age. Guess which one wins out.
He said that in Sao Miguel you can experience all four seasons in a single day: a downpour in the morning followed by hail. Beach weather from 12-2pm, and then having to put on a jacket to go out to dinner. Sounds like we should all run away.
