Tales on the table

In Minas Gerais, where good food can be found anywhere, one type of establishment that is famous for providing people with a burst of flavor are the roadside shacks, or “beira de estrada”, found along the highways that cross the State.

When driving through these roads that connect one city to another, any potential stop is a candidate worth the try. Of course, another good indication if you are looking to be more precise when choosing where to stop is to look for a place with a concentration of trucks in the parking lot. The whole State`s highway network is full of trucks, usually transporting iron ore and other minerals/raw material from the extractive activities that dominate the region since the Brazilian Gold Rush. These drivers talk among themselves when it comes to good food on the way, making a busy parking lot one of the most reliable indicators of where one should stop for a quick meal.

One of the staple dishes of this food culture is a bread and sausage sandwich, often topped with melted cheese. And one of my very favorites can be found at @charmcountry, in an unassuming stop on highway BR 383, just a few kilometers away from the equally famous Café com Prosa.

Here, Charm Country doubles down on the cheese in their version of the sandwich, using pão de queijo as the bread of choice. The sausages are made in house and smoked over the wood fire before ever touching the sizzling griddle that also chars the half-cured cheese.

The place also offers a variety of toppings, including a raw onion salad and different homemade jams (with a special mention to the pineapple and jabuticaba ones).

The sandwich here is fantastic, as is the warming hospitality typical of MG and its people. The nice views of the countryside top things off, making Charm Country the perfect representative of this beautiful roadside culture to make this list.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

In Minas Gerais, where good food can be found anywhere, one type of establishment that is famous for providing people with a burst of flavor are the roadside shacks, or “beira de estrada”, found along the highways that cross the State.

When driving through these roads that connect one city to another, any potential stop is a candidate worth the try. Of course, another good indication if you are looking to be more precise when choosing where to stop is to look for a place with a concentration of trucks in the parking lot. The whole State`s highway network is full of trucks, usually transporting iron ore and other minerals/raw material from the extractive activities that dominate the region since the Brazilian Gold Rush. These drivers talk among themselves when it comes to good food on the way, making a busy parking lot one of the most reliable indicators of where one should stop for a quick meal.

One of the staple dishes of this food culture is a bread and sausage sandwich, often topped with melted cheese. And one of my very favorites can be found at @charmcountry, in an unassuming stop on highway BR 383, just a few kilometers away from the equally famous Café com Prosa.

Here, Charm Country doubles down on the cheese in their version of the sandwich, using pão de queijo as the bread of choice. The sausages are made in house and smoked over the wood fire before ever touching the sizzling griddle that also chars the half-cured cheese.

The place also offers a variety of toppings, including a raw onion salad and different homemade jams (with a special mention to the pineapple and jabuticaba ones).

The sandwich here is fantastic, as is the warming hospitality typical of MG and its people. The nice views of the countryside top things off, making Charm Country the perfect representative of this beautiful roadside culture to make this list.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

In Minas Gerais, where good food can be found anywhere, one type of establishment that is famous for providing people with a burst of flavor are the roadside shacks, or “beira de estrada”, found along the highways that cross the State.

When driving through these roads that connect one city to another, any potential stop is a candidate worth the try. Of course, another good indication if you are looking to be more precise when choosing where to stop is to look for a place with a concentration of trucks in the parking lot. The whole State`s highway network is full of trucks, usually transporting iron ore and other minerals/raw material from the extractive activities that dominate the region since the Brazilian Gold Rush. These drivers talk among themselves when it comes to good food on the way, making a busy parking lot one of the most reliable indicators of where one should stop for a quick meal.

One of the staple dishes of this food culture is a bread and sausage sandwich, often topped with melted cheese. And one of my very favorites can be found at @charmcountry, in an unassuming stop on highway BR 383, just a few kilometers away from the equally famous Café com Prosa.

Here, Charm Country doubles down on the cheese in their version of the sandwich, using pão de queijo as the bread of choice. The sausages are made in house and smoked over the wood fire before ever touching the sizzling griddle that also chars the half-cured cheese.

The place also offers a variety of toppings, including a raw onion salad and different homemade jams (with a special mention to the pineapple and jabuticaba ones).

The sandwich here is fantastic, as is the warming hospitality typical of MG and its people. The nice views of the countryside top things off, making Charm Country the perfect representative of this beautiful roadside culture to make this list.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

Vista Restaurante - Portimão (Portugal)

@vistarestaurante is a must for anyone visiting Algarve. This fine dining restaurant is located in the beautiful Bela Vista boutique hotel, with a nice panoramic view to the Atlantic that makes the perfect atmosphere for such a special meal.

Up and coming executive chef @joaooliveirachef is taking the country by storm. Clearly committed to sustainability and focused on fostering a good relationship with local producers, he displays a menu centered around seasonal ingredients from the region, mostly seafood, that showcase the best that the Algarve has to offer.

I particularly appreciated how João brings his own background in modern cuisine to reinterpret ancient local Algarvian recipes. A main example of this is their signature squid doughnut, which is served with different sauces that include a grilled head and ink. After finishing my plate, I could not help but dream of coming back to the Algarve and being lucky enough to try the original dish that inspired this one at a local fisherman’s home.

Each serving here is refined, elegant and beautifully plated, as the pictures show, but many times also playful - including the interpretation of pastel de nata for dessert, that is served in a tube that emulates a cinnamon bark, making the meal more fun and enjoyable overall.

Vista is located in the main street in Portimão, a place where one would not expect to find such a special restaurant. While I am almost certain that neighboring establishments are tourist traps, do not think twice about making a reservation here.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

When I arrived at @bardozeze, unadvisedly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I was shocked by the enormous line of people waiting outside. But what initially looked discouraging turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave me an extra hour-and-a-half to properly digest the pão de queijos I had for breakfast and truly appreciate the fantastic lunch that I was about to have.

Bar do Zezé is probably the most famous of all botecos in Belo Horizonte. And that says a lot in a city with such a strong and beautiful casual food scene. And you could already tell that this fame was well deserved by the look of the people in line, who were clearly regulars and were all happy to be there, standing on the sidewalk under the sun just for the opportunity to have lunch there.

Zezé playfully interacted with the clientele, who were talking mostly soccer while drinking a few beers. In no time, my table was ready.

I had done my proper due diligence, as I always do, and barely had to look at the menu before ordering a few of their classics. The jiló stuffed with bacon was a very clever combination that I found extremely well balanced. It was then followed up by a “bolinho de carne”, which here is made of 90% beef and 10% pork.

For the main dish, I had “trupico mineiro”, another specialty that is basically a bean stew with different types of meat, including pig’s foot. It was rich and collagenous, and I found it interestingly different from feijoada as the broth itself was a bit more thin, aside from obviously the type of beans being different.

I finished my meal feeling grateful and already dreaming of coming back on another occasion to keep adventuring myself on the many other dishes that I missed out on.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

Vista Restaurante - Portimão (Portugal)

@vistarestaurante is a must for anyone visiting Algarve. This fine dining restaurant is located in the beautiful Bela Vista boutique hotel, with a nice panoramic view to the Atlantic that makes the perfect atmosphere for such a special meal.

Up and coming executive chef @joaooliveirachef is taking the country by storm. Clearly committed to sustainability and focused on fostering a good relationship with local producers, he displays a menu centered around seasonal ingredients from the region, mostly seafood, that showcase the best that the Algarve has to offer.

I particularly appreciated how João brings his own background in modern cuisine to reinterpret ancient local Algarvian recipes. A main example of this is their signature squid doughnut, which is served with different sauces that include a grilled head and ink. After finishing my plate, I could not help but dream of coming back to the Algarve and being lucky enough to try the original dish that inspired this one at a local fisherman’s home.

Each serving here is refined, elegant and beautifully plated, as the pictures show, but many times also playful - including the interpretation of pastel de nata for dessert, that is served in a tube that emulates a cinnamon bark, making the meal more fun and enjoyable overall.

Vista is located in the main street in Portimão, a place where one would not expect to find such a special restaurant. While I am almost certain that neighboring establishments are tourist traps, do not think twice about making a reservation here.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

When I arrived at @bardozeze, unadvisedly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I was shocked by the enormous line of people waiting outside. But what initially looked discouraging turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave me an extra hour-and-a-half to properly digest the pão de queijos I had for breakfast and truly appreciate the fantastic lunch that I was about to have.

Bar do Zezé is probably the most famous of all botecos in Belo Horizonte. And that says a lot in a city with such a strong and beautiful casual food scene. And you could already tell that this fame was well deserved by the look of the people in line, who were clearly regulars and were all happy to be there, standing on the sidewalk under the sun just for the opportunity to have lunch there.

Zezé playfully interacted with the clientele, who were talking mostly soccer while drinking a few beers. In no time, my table was ready.

I had done my proper due diligence, as I always do, and barely had to look at the menu before ordering a few of their classics. The jiló stuffed with bacon was a very clever combination that I found extremely well balanced. It was then followed up by a “bolinho de carne”, which here is made of 90% beef and 10% pork.

For the main dish, I had “trupico mineiro”, another specialty that is basically a bean stew with different types of meat, including pig’s foot. It was rich and collagenous, and I found it interestingly different from feijoada as the broth itself was a bit more thin, aside from obviously the type of beans being different.

I finished my meal feeling grateful and already dreaming of coming back on another occasion to keep adventuring myself on the many other dishes that I missed out on.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

Vista Restaurante - Portimão (Portugal)

@vistarestaurante is a must for anyone visiting Algarve. This fine dining restaurant is located in the beautiful Bela Vista boutique hotel, with a nice panoramic view to the Atlantic that makes the perfect atmosphere for such a special meal.

Up and coming executive chef @joaooliveirachef is taking the country by storm. Clearly committed to sustainability and focused on fostering a good relationship with local producers, he displays a menu centered around seasonal ingredients from the region, mostly seafood, that showcase the best that the Algarve has to offer.

I particularly appreciated how João brings his own background in modern cuisine to reinterpret ancient local Algarvian recipes. A main example of this is their signature squid doughnut, which is served with different sauces that include a grilled head and ink. After finishing my plate, I could not help but dream of coming back to the Algarve and being lucky enough to try the original dish that inspired this one at a local fisherman’s home.

Each serving here is refined, elegant and beautifully plated, as the pictures show, but many times also playful - including the interpretation of pastel de nata for dessert, that is served in a tube that emulates a cinnamon bark, making the meal more fun and enjoyable overall.

Vista is located in the main street in Portimão, a place where one would not expect to find such a special restaurant. While I am almost certain that neighboring establishments are tourist traps, do not think twice about making a reservation here.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

When I arrived at @bardozeze, unadvisedly on a beautiful Saturday afternoon, I was shocked by the enormous line of people waiting outside. But what initially looked discouraging turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it gave me an extra hour-and-a-half to properly digest the pão de queijos I had for breakfast and truly appreciate the fantastic lunch that I was about to have.

Bar do Zezé is probably the most famous of all botecos in Belo Horizonte. And that says a lot in a city with such a strong and beautiful casual food scene. And you could already tell that this fame was well deserved by the look of the people in line, who were clearly regulars and were all happy to be there, standing on the sidewalk under the sun just for the opportunity to have lunch there.

Zezé playfully interacted with the clientele, who were talking mostly soccer while drinking a few beers. In no time, my table was ready.

I had done my proper due diligence, as I always do, and barely had to look at the menu before ordering a few of their classics. The jiló stuffed with bacon was a very clever combination that I found extremely well balanced. It was then followed up by a “bolinho de carne”, which here is made of 90% beef and 10% pork.

For the main dish, I had “trupico mineiro”, another specialty that is basically a bean stew with different types of meat, including pig’s foot. It was rich and collagenous, and I found it interestingly different from feijoada as the broth itself was a bit more thin, aside from obviously the type of beans being different.

I finished my meal feeling grateful and already dreaming of coming back on another occasion to keep adventuring myself on the many other dishes that I missed out on.

(Versão em Português nos comentários) Less

Mugasa - Sangalhos (Portugal)

In simple terms, Leitão à Bairrada is Portugal ‘s version of suckling pig. It is often served with potato chips, slices of orange and a salad on the side.

The Bairrada region, famous for its wine production, is also home to some of the finest pigs in the country. But there are places and places to go for Leitão à Bairrada… and then, there is Mugasa.

Mugasa is a temple in the country’s gastronomic scene and the biggest reference when it comes to the preparation of leitão. It was sitting at the top of my bucket list for many years, but the path to get there made me increasingly excited for the meal I was about to have.

While driving through scenic local roads, basically all signs on the side pointed to a restaurant specialized in this dish. For a foreigner exploring the region for the first time, it looked like there was nothing else around there. No restaurant serving different types of food, no gas station, no convenience store. Nothing but the famous leitão à bairrada.. In all of my travels, I had never seen anything like it.

Upon arriving at Mugasa, the place looked a bit fancier than I expected, making me feel slightly underdressed. But the atmosphere was very casual and friendly, making me quickly forget my outfit.

The waiter placed a nice combination of olives, sheep cheese and bread on the table and I promptly ordered a cabidela to get things going. And after I finished it, it was a matter of time before the main attraction came to the table.

The leitão did not disappoint at all. The meat was juicy and tender and very well seasoned with their special sauce that was rubbed on the whole animal.

The preparation of such a special dish requires the techniques to be truly mastered, as it involves intelligently playing with the temperature to ensure a juicy meat and the much anticipated crispy skin. At Mugasa, the animal is then cut in a way that makes it easy for customers to enjoy this delicacy to the fullest. The product is undoubtedly of the highest quality, but the technique required to properly roast in their famous ovens is equally important for such a unique end result.

(Versão em português nos comentários) Less