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By Barbara Penny Angelakis
Alfama
551 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
Tel: 212.645.2500
Fax: 212.645.1476
www.alfamarestaurant.com
How do you define the indefinable? How do you describe crossing a threshold in New York City and stepping into Portugal? The answer: Alfama a totally authentic Portuguese experience of food, wine, music and ambience at 551 Hudson Street in Greenwich Village. This small restaurant is located at the corner of Hudson and Perry Streets, in an unremarkable building distinguished only by the fact that, as in many Greenwich Village dining establishments, the corner is actually a point at which two streets join at right angles to create a triangle. So it was somewhat  surprising to enter into an L shaped room so precisely defined and decorated that it indeed appeared as if you were transported through a dimensional doorway straight to Portugal.
The white walls are uncluttered except for a few tasteful displays of paintings and assorted Azuleo tiles and plates. The large traditional blue and white Azuleo tile construct on the rear wall depicts a view of Alfama, the historic neighborhood in Lisbon from which the restaurant takes its name. Lisbon, like Rome and Constantinople, is a city of 7 hills and Alfama is the district on one of the hills that dates back to the Moorish occupation and which is famous as the birthplace of internationally renowned Fado singer Amália Rodriques. The restaurant’s elegant blue and white color palette - simple white table linen, long blue velvet banquettes against the back wall - and strategically placed pin dot lighting in the ceiling to light up the tables so you can see what you are eating, complete the tasteful décor.
During our visit for Sunday brunch, the October weather was unusually mild and outdoor seating was available but we opted to eat indoors to enjoy the music of Brazilian singer Danilo França. Danilo entertains every Thursday evening for dinner and Sunday afternoon for brunch. The well stocked bar was kept busy mixing the cocktail creations of Tarcísio Costa, a master mixologist, wine director and co-owner of Alfama. Tarcísio graciously joined us at our table to explain the philosophy of the restaurant and lead us through the menu and the massive wine and trademarked cocktail offerings available. He explained that the food of Portugal is mainly guided by its relationship to the sea but that in order to offer a balanced menu, each item was chosen to reflect not only the spirit of Portuguese cooking but its authentic flavors as well. The food is wholesome, hearty, rustic fare with marked flavoring distinguished by its liberal use of readily available local ingredients and spices. Dried, salted codfish is the Portuguese staple and it is said that there are more then 365 recipes, one for each day of the year without ever having to repeat a single one.
 We began our brunch by sampling a couple of Tarcísio’s specially designed cocktails. The drinks were delivered in oversized martini glasses and were pleasing to the eye as well as the palate. And while Tarcísio is clearly a talented mixologist, his skill as a sommelier is apparent when the waiter presents the wine portfolio. All wines served at Alfama are exclusively Portuguese and each selection has a description to guide the uninitiated through the large list. Also available is a rotating selection of 21 wines by the glass to encourage their clientele to experience a broader range of wines without having to invest in an entire bottle.
The list is quite comprehensive, including outstanding examples of Portugal’s viticultural treasures. For the cognoscenti, top reds from the Duro can be found here, including a 2002 Quinta do Vale Meão, a 1999 Barca Velha, and the iconic 2001 Mouchão Tonel 3 – 4. Also, the 2003 Cartuxa Colheita and the 2001 Tinto da Ânfora Grande Escolha, a blend of 6 uniquely Portuguese grapes. The house wine is created exclusively for Alfama by Luis Pato, a famous Portuguese winemaker, and is a blend of mostly Baga grapes with some Âgua Santa. A bit tart on the palate, the way Portuguese reds are supposed to be, it pairs very well with the heartier dishes. There is also a very good selection of Vinhos Verdes, the slightly sparkling young whites that Portugal is famous for. The 2005 Muros de Melgaço Alvarinho, is an excellent example from the Minho, to name just a few of the 140 wines on the list.
There is a good value three-course prix-fix Discover Portugal Sunday Brunch menu available for $25 or a moderately priced ala carte menu which I recommend. In either case to start you off, a bread basket of delicious olive rolls baked with  whole green olives (pitted of course) is served, with butter and fruity olive oil for dipping.
Many of the Entradas or First Course were appealing, such as the steamed port shrimp and ginger meatballs with Macanese sauce, or the Portuguese sausage flambée tableside with aguardente, but we settled on the Caldo Verde and Caldo de Abóbora. Caldo Verde is the traditional potato and collard green soup with chouriço (spicy sausage). The Caldo Verde was well balanced and a perfect example of the traditional soup, rich and creamy with a goodly supply of chopped greens, marked by an underlying smoky flavor infused from the sausage. The Caldo de Abóbora or Pumpkin bisque was a beautiful color with a swirl of cream floating in the center topped with toasted hazel nuts. The soups smooth velvety texture and richness was well countered by the crunchy nuts and I found myself yumming (sic) at every spoonful until sadly, I hit the bottom of the bowl.
The Pratos Principais or Main Course again offered a tempting selection of items, some familiar, but with a Portuguese twist, and some new to us. We eventually settled on the must-have Bacalhau Espiritual, a gratin of salt cod with shrimp and a São Jorge crust (a Portuguese robust Gruyere type of cheese) served on a split plate with a side salad. The flat dish casserole, physically  reminiscent of a Crème Brule, turned out to be a savory pudding with chopped pieces of cod and shrimp with the cheese crisped on top. The salad offset the richness of the dish and was yet another example of perfect taste and texture pairing, kudos to Executive Chef Mark Twersky. The Ovos Alfama or eggs Benedict Alfama-style is served three different ways and I was eyeing the bacon, cornbread and sautéed spinach version when Tarcísio suggested trying a dish only available at Alfama; the Francesinha, a traditional Portuguese sandwich, in this case made with organic beef, ham, cheese and a Madeira-based sauce. Happily I did, and this most unique sandwich arrived in a deep dish sizzling hot. Francesinha is a meat lover’s sandwich and highly recommended. Thick slices of peasant bread are overstuffed with baked ham and roasted beef, topped with São Jorge cheese, and seated in a rich Madeira reduction. The dish is placed under the broiler to crisp the cheese and for the sandwich to absorb the boiling sauce. This is a delicious dish although not for the timid diner, but what you can’t consume on site, take home for lunch the next day, as I did.
Desert selections were also on the  hearty side with a large selection of Portuguese cheeses also available… again a difficult choice. Disco Voador is based on a family recipe. It is a soft walnut and almond tart filled with sweet egg cream and topped with strings of egg yoke as only the Portuguese make. Serradura is a traditional sweet cream mousse layered with “Bolacha Maria”crumble. Both deserts were good, beautifully presented and not overly sweet but after such a hearty meal the Bassett’s of Philadelphia ice cream would have gone down a lot easier. The café con leite (coffee with milk) was delicious and ended this meal perfectly.
As we exited Alfama we left Portugal behind and re-entered the hectic, crowded, dog-walking, cell talking streets of Greenwich Village. But when Portugal calls… all we have to do is open again the door at Alfama and float inside.
© November 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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