Thursday, April 21, 2011

BEST. MEAL. EVER.




Setting: Lisbon, Portugal
Restuarant: Gambrinus
Time: a beautiful night in April

It finally happened! We had the best. meal. ever. Not just the best meal, the best whole food/dining experience. I don't think it can be surpassed in my lifetime. It was was, in a word, perfect.

L, A, & I spent a glorious week in Lisbon earlier this month. We had many, many great dining experiences. I had heard that Lisbon was a great food town. Those reports were wrong: Lisbon is a fantastic food town!

I had arranged for a babysitter for two nightswhile in Lisbon. So, the restaurant choices we made for those two nights were particularly critical. In pre-trip research, the name Gambrinus appeared on every best restaurant list I found. As it happened, we stumbled upon it our second night in Lisbon and it was literally two minutes from our apartment.

So, for the first of our two adults-only nights, L made a reservations at the fabled Gambrinus. We were ushered to our seat the moment we arrived. The wait staff was comprised of handsome men in their 50s wearing black or red suitjackets. Seconds after we were seated, our head waiter (ultimately we had several) asked if we wuld like something from the bar. I immediately ordered a caipirihna (a drink I fell in love with in Portugal). Our waiter kindly shook his head and patiently said "No, I'm sorry, we don't serve those." I instantly realized that I had made a mistake! I had essentially ordered the equivalent of an umbrella drink in this old-school, formal establishment. Ofcourse, they didn't serve caipirihnas! I immediately said "Ok, well I'll just have whatever you think I should have." L nodded in agreement. Our waiter seemed pleased (thank god! for som reason, we felt the need to please him!) He then brought us each a glass of white port.

From that point on, we were like newborn infants to our bevy of waiters. They let us think that we were in charge, but really they were just humoring us. They were in charge. Not in a bad way. In a parental way. We were safe. We were taken care of. We were loved. We were also teased, flirted with (me, not L), and generally viewed as a source of amusement for our waiters.

Then the food started coming. First up, a piping hot skillet of shrimp and garlic. The shrimp tasted like it had been pulled from the sea moments earlier. It was simple and delicious. THen we shared a pasta course. Linguini with clams and tomatoes. Again, delicious. For out main course, we could not resist getting lobster. In making that decision, our waiter brought out two live lobsters, one large, one small. We opted to share the large. When it was cooked, he returned with it whole, showed it to us, and then delicately served it to us. He may as well have spoonfed us. (There was also a delightful bottle of red wine in there. Recommended by the waiter, of course.)

Before dessert, we were advised to have a glass of dark port. The waiter brought over an ancient looking bottle with some elaborate bottle-pouring contraption and poured the port in front of us. It was quite an elaborate show of old portuguese custom.

And then finally dessert. Crepes Suzette. Boy, was that a show! Our waiter brought over a mini gas stove top with a serving cart with things like a bowl with batter in it, a bottle of Gran Marnier and a bunch of other liquores. He then began pouring the batter and the liquor into a skillet. Flames that were two feet high leapt from the skillet. The comic side-kick waiter stood in mock terrorwith a fire extinguisher. The whole show was charming. The finished product was fantastic. Another simple, but delicious course.

We left that restaurant full, a little tipsy and $300 Euros poorer. And giggling like school children. It was worth every penny. I would gladly fork over the equivalent of a mortgage payment to dine there again. I miss my waiters. I miss the white port, the fabulous lobster, the sinful dessert. Oh, Gambrinus! Thank for an unforgettable night in Lisbon. Thank you for the best. meal. ever.