Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
is what I think of as a "plastic grapes" restaurant. It's somewhat formal old-school European, with tablecloths and water goblets, with laminated menus written in a scrolling font and those plastic bunches of grapes that suggest the pleasure of eating outdoors by a grape arbor. These places, a dying breed, are usually Italian, sometimes Greek or Spanish, and as I now see, Portuguese.
I believe Emidio's is the only Portuguese restaurant in the metro area, so there's nothing really to compare it to. It is open both lunch and dinner, and at lunch it is so quiet in its eerie formality that I might recommend it as a place to bring your secret amada.
The menu is actually as Italian, Spanish and yesteryear Continental as Portuguese, with pasta and paella and lots of cream sauce. But if you're hankering for an iconic Portuguese dish or two to bring back your vacation on the Algarve, then Emidio's has got you covered.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
I'm guessing the caldo verde here is better some times than others, and I didn't hit it on the best day. This soup, made with potatoes, leafy crucifers (kale, collards) and chouriço sausage can be bright and vibrant, as well as a bit chunkier and more toothsome. This version seemed too amalgamated and had a sour aftertaste.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
But here we go. The Francesinha ("little Frenchie") is a much loved open-faced sandwich topped with steak, cheese and a fried egg in a rich tomato-beer sauce flavored with rosemary. At the base is a house-made bolo de caco, a round, dense roll cooked on both sides on a hot stone, kind of like a massive English muffin. This heap is pretty tasty, and it does have that ineffable flavor of somewhere else.
Credit: John Kessler
Credit: John Kessler
You might also be interested in the Prego, Portugal's famous sandwich of steak, cheese, greenery and a fried egg on the bolo de caco. Each quarter is a sandwich unto itself.
On November 2, Emidio's will serve its monthly Portuguese communal lunch. Tables will be pushed together into communal seating, and the buffet will be replete with special dishes. Guests are encouraged to meet, eat and mingle. As one of the owners explains, "In Portugal there is a saying: no one eats alone."
Call 770-837-3373 to make reservations.
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