Birthday Dinner at Casa Portugal

Carlos treated me to a birthday dinner at Casa Portugal. It's one of my favorite restaurants in the area simply because they serve authentic and delicious Portuguese food. Stepping inside the restaurant feels like you just skipped off the continent and into Portugal. The restaurant is decorated with ornamental tile and china work, just like a proper Portuguese restaurant wood. They have an extensive collection of wines, including Vinho Verde (Portuguese Green Wine). I would come to Casa Portugal on weekdays I had free. It would be great to come have an inexpensive and authentic Portuguese lunch and it made me feel good to support a local business. However, this was a special occasion and Carlos said I could order anything I wanted, no matter the price. I already knew what I wanted even before I got there.

Can't you tell I'm really excited for my food?

And here it is! Arroz con Marisco (Rice with Seafood). It's a big pot of rice in a spicy tomato broth and filled to the brim with lots of seafood. It was a treasure trove of delights from the sea. Lobsters, shrimp, clams, mussels, squid and scallops. Oh what a delight. Whenever my parents and I would travel to Portugal, we'd always visit the same restaurant in Aveiro and get a family-sized pot of Arroz con Marisco to share. It's such a part of my childhood that eating this meal brought back lots of happy memories. However, it was quite a lot for little ole me but I made as big of a dent as I possibly could.

Before the meal, we were served a basket of Portuguese Bread, Broa and marinated olives. Broa is one of my favorite breads. It's a white cornbread, very thick and chewy and perfect for dunking in some olive oil or in a bit pot of Arroz con Marisco. The couple behind us got a plate of flaming (literally on fire) chorizo links. They smelled so good that Carlos and I plan to come back again to Casa Portugal to get those.

Carlos ordered Bife Grehlado (Grilled Steak) with came with Portuguese rice, the restaurant's style of potatoes as well as some vegetables. His steak was more rare than medium-well but he enjoyed it nonetheless. My meal was super messy as I tried to fish (pun intended) the meat out of the half-lobster as well as the clams and mussels. It was well worth the mess.

It was a great way to celebrate my birthday. Thank you so much Carlos. You are the best boyfriend in the world.