Restaurante Terroso – Pedro & Vitalina set up in Cascais

Pedro Jorge @ the entrance to 

Restaurante Terroso, Cascais

(above and below) 

 Vitalina rattling the pots and pans 

(above and below)

 

Sign for Terroso in small Rua do Poço Novo, Cascais

For many years Pedro Jorge ran the Garrafeira Alfaia in the Bairro Alto making it one of Lisbon's best wine bars, while his wife Vitalina, cooked deliciously in the associated restaurant across the street. Unfortunately about a year ago there was a family bust-up, Pedro and Vitalina left. 

The good news is that they have set up on their own in the seaside resort of Cascais with Restaurant Terroso. It is great to see Pedro and Vitalina so happy and proud of their new venture, which opened about three months ago. Pedro stresses that they still have the same philosophy that made Alfaia so successful. People are welcome whether they just want a glass of wine and some cheese or ham or they want a full meal. However, given how good Vitalina's cooking is it is a seriously missed opportunity not to try her food!

Coast towards Lisbon

Looking towards Cascais

Arriving in Lisbon last Wednesday we wasted no time in heading out to try out Terroso. Catching the train from Cais do Sodre we got off a Monte Estoril and walked the rest of the way along the seafront to Cascais.

Terroso is very close to Casais' central seafront near to the Hotel Baia but just off the main drag. You can either eat outside or in – we chose in as there was a coolness in the air. Terroso has been very well done out with clean lines and using the Terroso motif very effectively.

 Here come the reds.....  

 

 Tiled tables from the 1920s 

that the previous restaurant had covered up

Roots showing the local products 

– including wine, honey, olives

 First things first – a bottle of crisply refreshing

2016 Arinto Quinta do Síbio from the Douro

 We selected a couple of petiscos for our starters.

We had to have the pata negra, which is still delicious 

Also the liver and olives  

Duck and wild mushroom pastry parcel

– one of Vitalina's signature dishes

We were the first to try this as Terroso's 

electricity supply has just be upgraded 

– previously they could run the oven at a sufficient heat 

 

 The compelling 2014 Casa de Mouraz, Dão

One of the increasingly rare bottles for this producer

badly affected by the forest fires

 

 

 Grilled sea bass – we shared 

a perfectly grilled dish

Vitalina, Pedro and their enthusiastic waiter

Terroso is open from Tuesday to Sunday from noon to 11pm.  

How much is a season train ticket from Lisbon to Cascais......? We are already planning to go back.

Adegga Wine Market 1st December Lisbon – tasting wines from Casa de Mouraz

 2015 António, Loureiro, Vinho Verde, 

Lopes Ribeiro, Casa de Mouraz

The latest edition of the Adegga Wine Market was held today at the Lisbon Marriott Hotel. Once again it appeared to be a great success. I started off in the Premium Room where there was a opportunity to taste just under 60 of Portugal's best wines including some showing how Portuguese wines can age. A few reds went back to 2002 while amongst the fortifieds there were Ports going back to 1975. Over the weekend I will be reporting on the wine from the Premium Room.

After finishing in the Premium Room I spent a brief time in the main room, which was getting increasingly crowded. I made a point of tasting the wines from Casa de Mouraz, who were badly affected by the recent Portuguese forest fires. There is a crowdfunding campaign being launched tomorrow in London to assist them in replanting vineyards and facilities damaged or destroyed by the fires.

Their whole range I tried was impressive including the fresh and crisply citric 2016 Air, Vinho Verde (8 €), which is a blend of Alvarinho, Loureiro, Avesso and Azal.  

Next the 2015 António, Loureiro, Vinho Verde, Lopes Ribeiro, Casa de Mouraz with more concentration than the Air. It was also well balanced. Moving south from the Vinho Verde to Dão for the 2015 Casa de Mouraz. This is a field blend of a number of grape varieties but principally Malvasia Fina, Encruzado and Bical. 

2015 Casa de Mouraz white

We finished the whites with the extremely good, citric and finely textured 2016 Encruzado, which apparently ages well. Certainly this is a bargain at 10 € through Adegga. You can order through the Adegga site until 23.59 on 4th December.  

From the four reds I tasted I particularly liked the 2014 ripely textured and concentrated Elfa (20€) from 85 year old vines – a range of grape varieties including 30 local grape varieties such us Baga, Jaen, Tinta-Pinheira, Alvarelhão, Alfrocheiro, Bastardo, Camarate, Cornifesto but no Touriga Nacional. I was also taken with the 2014 Casa Mouraz (8€) – like the its equivalent in white – this is a field blend with Touriga Nacional, Jaen and Alfrocheiro playing leading parts. It lovely sweet, concentrated black fruits. 2014 Private Selection (15€) was the last red – attractively textured its is still quite tight and needs more time. Made from 80% Touriga Nacional and 20% Jaen.   

 

2014 Dão, Casa de Mouraz 

2014 Private Selection, Dão,