A Fork on the Road: Old Lisbon Restaurant

The new Old Lisbon reflects the legacy of Portugal’s 15th century maritime power with whitewashed walls, framed paintings of ships and hand-painted tiles depicting the Lisbon monastery where seamen leaving or entering port prayed. The menu is heavy on bacalhau, the dried salt cod that was a staple of the Portuguese explorers who founded colonies in Africa, India, Asia and South America.

Owner Carlos Silva is from Guimaraes, the first capital of Portugal near Porto. Silva, who came to Miami in 1991 to study marketing at St. Thomas University, was the first customer at the Coral Way original when it opened that same year. He eventually bought out the owners, and opened this second location in February. His homeland’s name is derived from the Roman “Portus Cale” for a settlement of Celts at the mouth of the Douro River that flows into the Atlantic in the north. The Portuguese fought off invading Moors and claimed their independence from Spain in 1139. The cuisine of this verdant region is simple and earthy. Coastal villages are filled with the scent of grilling sardines — one of the most popular starters here, best eaten with a squeeze of lemon and drizzle of olive oil. There’s also octopus salad, caldo verde (creamy potato and collard green soup with spicy sausage) and codfish and potato croquettes served with black-eyed pea salad.

Entrees are huge and go well with vinho verde (young wine). Succulent bacalhau, soaked and desalted, is served stewed, steamed, roasted, grilled, deep-fried or shredded in scrambled eggs with fried potatoes. The seafood parrilhada (grill) can feed four with lobster tails, scallops, salmon, shrimp and squid in wine and garlic sauce. Feijoada is made with a mix of clams, mussels and sausage stewed with white beans and served with rice. Despite the portions, save room for warm coconut custard with vanilla ice cream (it’s not on the menu, so ask) or try egg yolk custard with whipped cream.

This story was originally published September 23, 2010 at 3:09 AM.