Adega Grill
The Ironbound neighborhood of Newark, often known as "Little Portugal," is home to the Zagat-rated Adega Grill. The name means "wine cellar" in Portugal, and this motif is carried out in the decor's vineyard accents. The stone fireplaces, candlelight and dining nooks with sofa seating also contribute to an intimate feel, and live piano music adds a special ambiance.
The menu features seafood options including gambas recheadas (broiled prawns stuffed with crabmeat), rabos de lagosta em molho verde (baby lobster tails simmered in green sauce) and two kinds of paelha, the marinheira (lobster, shrimp, clams, scallops and mussels) and the valenciana (lobster, shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels, chicken, chouriço sausage and pork). The costeletas de borrego (marinated, grilled lamb chops) and peito de frango à guilho (breast of chicken sautéed with garlic) are sure to please meat eaters, and for a truly dramatic dining experience you can't beat the filet mignon flambé. The wine list is very extensive, featuring more than 180 selections, ranging from an $18 Lancers Rose to a $750 Bertani 1962 Amarone.
130 Ferry St.
Newark, NJ 07105
(973) 589-8830
adegagrill.com
Europa South
The Europa South offers both Portuguese and Spanish cuisine on the Jersey Shore in Point Pleasant Beach and features live entertainment on weekends and jazz on Thursday nights. Portuguese specialties on the main menu include filet mignon Portuguese in a wine and garlic sauce, pork chops a fadista sauteed in garlic, bay leaves and wine, and Portuguese pork and clams (carne alentejana) cooked with garlic and cilantro. Special Portuguese dishes also are available to serve several diners, including gambas a Mocambique (African prawns) for two, which must be ordered a day in advance, and a roast whole suckling pig (leitao a bairada), which must be ordered a week in advance and can serve from six to eight diners.
Other options include a prix fixe complete dinner menu, complete with soup or salad, your choice of appetizer and entree, coffee or tea, and flan, creme brulee or cheesecake for dessert, all for the price of $28.95 (as of November 2009). Children's, lunch and bar menus also are available, as is a specially priced early bird menu (offered from 4 to 6 p. m. Tuesday through Friday) and a tapas menu (not available on Saturdays). The wine list is extensive (particularly the Portuguese selections), and a variety of specialty martinis also are offered.
521 Arnold Ave.
Point Pleasant Beach, NJ 08742
(732) 295-1500
europasouth.com
Gabriela's
Gabriela's brings a taste of authentic Portuguese cuisine to the North Jersey borough of Somerville. In fact, On Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, you can have just that, with the "Taste of Portugal" prix fixe dinner offered for only $19.99 (as of November 2009). Thursday also is a bargain night, with select menu items being offered for half price (look for "Dine on a Dime" specials).
Just about everything on the menu is Portuguese, from the aperitivos (appetizers) to the peixe (fish), mariscos (seafood) and carnes (meats). This restaurant has also earned a Zagat rating, and the camarões-chourico (garlic shrimp and sausage), cataplana de marisco (clams, mussels, shrimp, scallops, chouriço, and presunto ham cooked with tomatoes and garlic), bife à Portuguesa (steak topped with an egg and presunto ham) and tres leches cake all have earned high praise. The restaurant does not have a liquor license, but you are welcome to bring your own wine or beer if you so choose.
42 W. Main St.
Somerville, NJ 08876
(908) 526-7070
gabrielasrestaurant.com
