For Porto, the seafood restaurant and wine bar that gives the Atlantic coast of Galicia and Portugal attention, closing in March provided unexpected opportunities. These last four months have given Executive Chef Marcos Campos, Chef de Cuisine Erwin Mallet and Pastry Chef Shannah Primiano an abundance of the resource: time.
“We’ve had time to elevate Porto to an even more progressive culinary journey,” says Campos. That includes everything from delving more deeply into the preservation techniques — smoking, curing, pickling, dry-aging — that are central to the restaurant’s approach to spending hundreds of additional hours experimenting with Porto’s multiple wood-burning ovens and grills. “In many ways, the last few months have been a blessing,” adds Campos. “They have given me invaluable time to work more peacefully and profoundly with chefs Erwin and Shannah and our beverage director Jesse, to develop ideas, sharpen our skills and improve our supply chains in Galicia, Portugal and locally.”
Some highlights the Porto culinary and beverage teams are offering guests include:
v New Dishes & Conservas
v Weekly Tasting Menus
v Rare Collection of Wines & Winemakers of the Moment
v Sea-Inspired Culinary Cocktails
v Sunday Multi-Course Family-Style Dinners at “Casa de Campo(s)”
NEW DISHES & CONSERVAS
The new dishes include: the revised Cangrejo & Rodaballo Rillette (Smoked Wild Galician Turbot, King Crab, Crème Fraîche, Trout Roe, Rye Bread), Tartar De Vaca Vieja (8-Year-Old Dry-Aged Spanish-Style Grass-Fed Beef, Oysters, Anchovy Garum, Tomato Vinegar, Radishes, Sea Beans) and Pasta Do Mar #2 (Galician Seaweed Spaghetti, Baby Zucchini, Seaweed Pesto, Salmon Roe, São Jorge Cheese-Brined Smoked Scallops).
The Spanish and Portuguese have captured the essence of the sea in a can through conservas, a centuries-old preservation technique. At Porto, guests can try berberechos, navajas, sardinillas, buttery bonito del norte belly, almejas, zamburiñas and more. Campos and Mallet have also evolved their conserva dish Mejillones Escabeche made with La Brújula Mussels Conserva, Escabeche-Compressed Watermelon, Ajoblanco, Crispy Chicken Skin and Herb Oil.
Following Campos’ lead, the desserts at Porto from Executive Pastry Chef Shannah Primiano find inspiration in classic Spanish and Portuguese sweet dishes before channeling more contemporary techniques and ingredient pairings. Her seasonal desserts include Leche Merengada (Crispy Milk, Meringue Ice, Burnt Cinnamon Gelato, Lacto-fermented Plums), Mil Folhas (Banana Peel Bacon, Mushroom Caramel, Rye Cracker, Madeira, Chocolate Wafer) and Seaweed (Nori Ice Cream, Candied Sea Lettuce, Mango Caviar, Squid Ink Rice Puff). Two different kinds of seaweeds are used: nori in the ice cream for a subtle oceanic flavor profile, and sea lettuce, which is candied for a sweet-and-salty crunch. A dessert with a balance of tartness, sweetness and saltiness with slight savory hints that pay homage to the shores of Galicia.
WEEKLY TASTING MENUS
For Porto’s five- and seven-course Weekly Tasting Menus, Campos will tap into the close relationships he’s developed with purveyors and producers in Spain and Portugal with a constantly rotating selection from the sea. Where Campos’ regular menu incorporates hyper-seasonal ingredients, the tasting menus will take this one step further with a number of hard-to-source items, ranging from sardinas, centollos and bogavantes to percebes, a Galician specialty considered one of the most exclusive seafoods in Europe, that will arrive weekly via air freight as “care packages” from friends and family in the trade.
For dessert, Primiano offers Tarta Requeson (Toasted Barley Frozen Mousse, Estrella Galicia Syrup, Malt Spanish Peanuts, Sour Cherry), a modern riff on a traditional Spanish ricotta cheesecake that finds inspiration in Spain’s agricultural history with its use of barley, Spanish peanuts, and the roasted malts and hops of Estrella Galicia lager beer.
WINES & WINEMAKERS OF THE MOMENT
Porto launched with a comprehensively curated cellar of 300-plus wine selections from Spain and Portugal. The last few months have given the wine team the opportunity to expand this inaugural program with even more hand-picked imports, returning with a progressive supplementary list celebrating Wines & Winemakers of the Moment. This boutique collection of 100 wines hails from a new generation of winemakers who are reinvigorating and reinventing the vintages across the mainland and island regions of Spain and Portugal, and focuses on small-production bottlings.
“These women and men are passion and authenticity to the core. They’re taking the tradition and the heritage of their region and infusing it with this progressive craft mentality, where they’re constantly experimenting and trying new things,” says Daniel Alonso, Bonhomme Group’s founder. “In addition to the strong character and sense of place that they share, these vintners all have another thing in common: They are farmers, first and foremost. When you’re farming the same land not just year after year but generation after generation, all kinds of wisdom and intuition develops, accumulates and gets passed down from generation to generation. Our new list is stocked with these incredible individuals, including Raúl Pérez, Luis Seabra, Laura Lorenzo and Joana Maçanita.”
Porto’s Wines & Winemakers of the Moment journey through the Canary Islands, Azores, Alentejo, Ribeira Sacra, Bierzo, Dão, Douro, Extremadura and Rías Baixas with a selection of wines that meditates on the techniques, grape varieties and traditions of the pre-industrial past, just as the founders of the biodynamic and organic movements did with agricultural practices.
SEA-INSPIRED CULINARY COCKTAILS
For Beverage Director Jesse Filkins, these down months have afforded more opportunities to refine his culinary-focused cocktail program and further connect with the kitchen team. That relationship has led to new cocktails that explore Porto’s emphasis on the sea and live-fire cooking, including the Queimada De Verano made with Galician Orujo Blanco and Licor de Hierbas (Rum, Queimada Syrup, Watermelon, Mint, Lime, Bubbles) and the Humo y Sal that incorporates nori, sherry barrel-aged whisky and smoke (Whisky, Quinquina, Nori-Infused Demerara, Cherry Wood Smoke). “I’m trying to incorporate into our cocktails the freshness of being on a boat and the essence of the sea,” says Filkins.
SUNDAY DINNERS AT “CASA DE CAMPO(S)”
Beginning in August, Porto will expand its days of operation to include Sundays for two ticketed multi-course family-style dinners: a late lunch seating (2pm) and an early dinner seating (6pm). "For many of us, Sundays are a day to host large lively dinners with family and friends. We plan to channel that energy, combined with the vibe of dining in a “casa de campo” (country house), where the offerings are decadent and abundant." At Porto, our Casa de Campo(s) ticketed dinners will offer guests the chance to dine as though they were at a dinner party at Executive Chef Campos’ home.
Porto’s atrium, located off the main dining room, will be the setting for these dinners, with the sound of wood burning in a nearby wheel grill filling the room with aromas. Large granite tables and an antique 20th century French truck panel table will be available to five groups of diners in parties of up to four per seating (tables can also be combined to host parties of up to 10). The atrium’s entire façade along Ashland Avenue is comprised of sliding windows that allow the space to become indoor-outdoor.
For Porto, the seafood restaurant and wine bar that gives the Atlantic coast of Galicia and Portugal attention, closing in March provided unexpected opportunities. These last four months have given Executive Chef Marcos Campos, Chef de Cuisine Erwin Mallet and Pastry Chef Shannah Primiano an abundance of the resource: time.
“We’ve had time to elevate Porto to an even more progressive culinary journey,” says Campos. That includes everything from delving more deeply into the preservation techniques — smoking, curing, pickling, dry-aging — that are central to the restaurant’s approach to spending hundreds of additional hours experimenting with Porto’s multiple wood-burning ovens and grills. “In many ways, the last few months have been a blessing,” adds Campos. “They have given me invaluable time to work more peacefully and profoundly with chefs Erwin and Shannah and our beverage director Jesse, to develop ideas, sharpen our skills and improve our supply chains in Galicia, Portugal and locally.”
Some highlights the Porto culinary and beverage teams are offering guests include:
v New Dishes & Conservas
v Weekly Tasting Menus
v Rare Collection of Wines & Winemakers of the Moment
v Sea-Inspired Culinary Cocktails
v Sunday Multi-Course Family-Style Dinners at “Casa de Campo(s)”
NEW DISHES & CONSERVAS
The new dishes include: the revised Cangrejo & Rodaballo Rillette (Smoked Wild Galician Turbot, King Crab, Crème Fraîche, Trout Roe, Rye Bread), Tartar De Vaca Vieja (8-Year-Old Dry-Aged Spanish-Style Grass-Fed Beef, Oysters, Anchovy Garum, Tomato Vinegar, Radishes, Sea Beans) and Pasta Do Mar #2 (Galician Seaweed Spaghetti, Baby Zucchini, Seaweed Pesto, Salmon Roe, São Jorge Cheese-Brined Smoked Scallops).
The Spanish and Portuguese have captured the essence of the sea in a can through conservas, a centuries-old preservation technique. At Porto, guests can try berberechos, navajas, sardinillas, buttery bonito del norte belly, almejas, zamburiñas and more. Campos and Mallet have also evolved their conserva dish Mejillones Escabeche made with La Brújula Mussels Conserva, Escabeche-Compressed Watermelon, Ajoblanco, Crispy Chicken Skin and Herb Oil.
Following Campos’ lead, the desserts at Porto from Executive Pastry Chef Shannah Primiano find inspiration in classic Spanish and Portuguese sweet dishes before channeling more contemporary techniques and ingredient pairings. Her seasonal desserts include Leche Merengada (Crispy Milk, Meringue Ice, Burnt Cinnamon Gelato, Lacto-fermented Plums), Mil Folhas (Banana Peel Bacon, Mushroom Caramel, Rye Cracker, Madeira, Chocolate Wafer) and Seaweed (Nori Ice Cream, Candied Sea Lettuce, Mango Caviar, Squid Ink Rice Puff). Two different kinds of seaweeds are used: nori in the ice cream for a subtle oceanic flavor profile, and sea lettuce, which is candied for a sweet-and-salty crunch. A dessert with a balance of tartness, sweetness and saltiness with slight savory hints that pay homage to the shores of Galicia.
WEEKLY TASTING MENUS
For Porto’s five- and seven-course Weekly Tasting Menus, Campos will tap into the close relationships he’s developed with purveyors and producers in Spain and Portugal with a constantly rotating selection from the sea. Where Campos’ regular menu incorporates hyper-seasonal ingredients, the tasting menus will take this one step further with a number of hard-to-source items, ranging from sardinas, centollos and bogavantes to percebes, a Galician specialty considered one of the most exclusive seafoods in Europe, that will arrive weekly via air freight as “care packages” from friends and family in the trade.
For dessert, Primiano offers Tarta Requeson (Toasted Barley Frozen Mousse, Estrella Galicia Syrup, Malt Spanish Peanuts, Sour Cherry), a modern riff on a traditional Spanish ricotta cheesecake that finds inspiration in Spain’s agricultural history with its use of barley, Spanish peanuts, and the roasted malts and hops of Estrella Galicia lager beer.
WINES & WINEMAKERS OF THE MOMENT
Porto launched with a comprehensively curated cellar of 300-plus wine selections from Spain and Portugal. The last few months have given the wine team the opportunity to expand this inaugural program with even more hand-picked imports, returning with a progressive supplementary list celebrating Wines & Winemakers of the Moment. This boutique collection of 100 wines hails from a new generation of winemakers who are reinvigorating and reinventing the vintages across the mainland and island regions of Spain and Portugal, and focuses on small-production bottlings.
“These women and men are passion and authenticity to the core. They’re taking the tradition and the heritage of their region and infusing it with this progressive craft mentality, where they’re constantly experimenting and trying new things,” says Daniel Alonso, Bonhomme Group’s founder. “In addition to the strong character and sense of place that they share, these vintners all have another thing in common: They are farmers, first and foremost. When you’re farming the same land not just year after year but generation after generation, all kinds of wisdom and intuition develops, accumulates and gets passed down from generation to generation. Our new list is stocked with these incredible individuals, including Raúl Pérez, Luis Seabra, Laura Lorenzo and Joana Maçanita.”
Porto’s Wines & Winemakers of the Moment journey through the Canary Islands, Azores, Alentejo, Ribeira Sacra, Bierzo, Dão, Douro, Extremadura and Rías Baixas with a selection of wines that meditates on the techniques, grape varieties and traditions of the pre-industrial past, just as the founders of the biodynamic and organic movements did with agricultural practices.
SEA-INSPIRED CULINARY COCKTAILS
For Beverage Director Jesse Filkins, these down months have afforded more opportunities to refine his culinary-focused cocktail program and further connect with the kitchen team. That relationship has led to new cocktails that explore Porto’s emphasis on the sea and live-fire cooking, including the Queimada De Verano made with Galician Orujo Blanco and Licor de Hierbas (Rum, Queimada Syrup, Watermelon, Mint, Lime, Bubbles) and the Humo y Sal that incorporates nori, sherry barrel-aged whisky and smoke (Whisky, Quinquina, Nori-Infused Demerara, Cherry Wood Smoke). “I’m trying to incorporate into our cocktails the freshness of being on a boat and the essence of the sea,” says Filkins.
SUNDAY DINNERS AT “CASA DE CAMPO(S)”
Beginning in August, Porto will expand its days of operation to include Sundays for two ticketed multi-course family-style dinners: a late lunch seating (2pm) and an early dinner seating (6pm). "For many of us, Sundays are a day to host large lively dinners with family and friends. We plan to channel that energy, combined with the vibe of dining in a “casa de campo” (country house), where the offerings are decadent and abundant." At Porto, our Casa de Campo(s) ticketed dinners will offer guests the chance to dine as though they were at a dinner party at Executive Chef Campos’ home.
Porto’s atrium, located off the main dining room, will be the setting for these dinners, with the sound of wood burning in a nearby wheel grill filling the room with aromas. Large granite tables and an antique 20th century French truck panel table will be available to five groups of diners in parties of up to four per seating (tables can also be combined to host parties of up to 10). The atrium’s entire façade along Ashland Avenue is comprised of sliding windows that allow the space to become indoor-outdoor.
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