For a long time now, I have been wanting to check out the
Ironbound Section of Newark, New Jersey. The area is often referred to as "Little Portugal" or "New Jersey's Portugal" due to its large Portuguese community. Some New Yorkers may be a little skeptical about leaving the city to venture into Jersey, but it's only a twenty minute train ride from Penn Station on New Jersey Transit, and it will only set you back a measly $10 for a round trip ticket. (Cheaper than most cab rides in and around New York City)! So, what are you waiting for?!?
The main "heart" of the town can be found on Ferry Street, which is also called Portugal Avenue by many of the locals. Here you can find a lot of Portuguese-owned businesses— restaurants, cafes, bakeries, jewelers, sports clubs, grocery stores, and more. The other main street to walk around is Broad Street which has more restaurants and shops. Additionally, the Ironbound has a pretty big night life, with an increasing number of bars and lounges. Speaking of restuarants, these are a few I would love to try that get great Zagat and Yelp ratings.
1- Adega Grill:
*130-132 Ferry Street, Newark, NJ 07103
* Telephone: (973) 589-8830
* Type of Establishment: Spanish / Portuguese
* Price Range: Moderate
* Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Dinner noon-10 p.m. Sunday.
* Payments Accepted: Visa, Master Card, Discover, Amex
Adega means wine cellar in Portuguese, and at Adega you can chose from a wine list with over 180 different selections. The food is Portuguese/Spanish, and the portions are huge- so go hungry or willing to share. Adega also has a lounge which is supposed to have a great night scene. The lounge is open Wednesday-Sunday from 9pm-3am.
2- Fernandes Steak House:
*158 Fleming Avenue, Newark, NJ 07105
* Telephone: (973) 589-4344
* Type of Establishment: Portuguese
* Price Range: Moderate
* Hours: 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; until 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Dinner noon-10 p.m. Sunday.
* Payments Accepted: Visa, Master Card, Discover, Amex
Fernandes is a bit off the Ironbound trak, but from what I've read, it's worth venturing to it to check out. This is the place to go for steak and for Rodizio (Brazilian meat-on-skewers).
3- Tony Da Caneca:
* 72 Elm Road, Newark, NJ 07105
* Telephone: (973) 589-6882
* Type of Establishment: European/Portuguese
* Price Range: Moderate
* Hours: 11:00 a.m.-10 p.m. Monday-Saturday; Sunday Noon-10 p.m.
*Payments Accepted: Visa, Master Card, Discover, Amex
There is a lot to chose from at Tony Da Caneca's, which is considered to be one of the area's best restuarants. The place has been around since 1965, and is considered a staple in Newark's Ironbound section!
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.
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.
2- Fernandes Steak House: 
3- Tony Da Caneca: 
How can you be "SMART" about doing something like this you ask? Find a good deal like the one the Design Hotels are offering now. It's called their 3for2 Winter Special where if you book before the end of March, you can get three nights for the price of two! The Design Hotels have design and boutique hotels located all throughout the world. We stayed in one in Cascais, Portugal called the Farol Design Hotel.
We also stayed in another called the Home Hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and I have to say they were awesome! The decor is sleek and modern, and the attention to detail is incredible!
For my jet setters who read this blog here in the U.S., there is a Design Hotel in New York and one in California. So what are you waiting for? This is a deal you gotta love, and a good way to show your honey you love them too!
A great country to jet set to this time of year is Portugal. It's funny, Portugal is the closest European country to The U.S., but many people haven't traveled there. Portugal borders Spain on the left, and maybe because it's a small country it's forgotten about, but I'm telling you...add it to your destination list and you'll be glad you did!
Portugal is on the Euro, but for the most part things are still less expensive there, so it is cheaper to go there than Spain at the moment. Lisbon is the capital and it's similar to other big European cities like Paris and Rome in the layout and architecture, but it also has a different vibe and it's own unique charm.
About an hour away by train is a small fishing village known as Cascais where we stayed. It's right on the Atlantic Ocean and there are beaches right in the center of town. When you are in Cascais, you feel like everyone knows each other from the shop owners to the cab drivers. The streets are cobble stoned, small and winding...and down each street is a unique shop or restaurant waiting to be discovered. Next to Cascais is another town called Estoril. Estoril is much more developed and touristy, which is why I would recommend staying in Cascais and visiting Estoril during the day.
We stayed at the Farol Design Hotel in Cascais. It's a boutique hotel set on the cliffs of the Atlantic, with views of ocean as far as the eye can see! Breakfast at the hotel is included in the cost, and the location is just blocks from the main square...so you can be in town in minutes, but feel like you've escaped when you go back to your hotel at night.
I will have much more on Cascais and Portugal on my website http://www.jetsetsmart.com/ in the near future- so make sure to keep an eye out for that.
