Saturday, October 2, 2010

BOUND FOR THE "BOUND"

So I did it! I finally went to see what the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey is all about. I really didn't know what to expect, and if there would really end up being that much stuff to do there, but I was wrong! Pretty much all of Ferry Street (a.k.a. Little Portugal) is filled with Portuguese and Spanish restaurants, cafes, grocery stores, and boutiques that sell goods from Portugal and South America. You get a sense (walking the entire stretch from Newark train station to where the restaurants are) that this is a neighborhood filled with families and children, people walking dogs, and folks just hanging out where they live and work.

I checked out all of Ferry Street and then decided to eat dinner at Vila Nova Do Sol Mar, a Lisbon-style marisquiera (seafood specialist). We dined Al-fresco (thanks to the dogs) and had a fantastic meal. We started out with the Almeijoas A Balhao Pato (Steamer Clams) which come in a garlic and wine broth- delicious, and really good juice to dip your bread into. For dinner we tried the Bacalhau Assado (Grilled Cod Fish served with boiled potatoes and broccoli in olive oil)... and the Bacalhau A Casa (CodFish Sol-Mar style which is fried and served in a bowl with fried potatoes and peppers in a little bit of a light yet creamy sauce)...I liked this dish better. Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera to take pictures of the food, but this is a photo of what some of their dishes looks like.
The food at Sol-Mar is really reasonably priced, especially compared to seafood restaurants in New York City. Plus, they have a great wine list filled with Portuguese wines which are really hard to find here in the states. Being here at the restaurant and in the Ironbound in general, reminded me so much of when I jet setted to Portugal (see a couple of pics from my trip below). I had a great time, and will go back for sure!

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