Chef Telmo Faria (Tacolicious, Chino) called on his Portuguese heritage to open Uma Casa, a sunny, spacious restaurant in Noe Valley. Even if the pastel de nata doesn’t equal the best we’ve tasted in Portugal, standout dishes come in the form of shrimp turnovers, grilled sardines, red wine braised short ribs and, of course, salt cod fritters.
As Portugal creeps to the top of Europe’s hottest travel destinations, food lovers are embracing the distinct dishes and famed seafood of the country from the traditional creamy egg tart pastry, pastel de nata to the ubiquitous bacalhau (cod in all forms, from dried to salted). If you can't make it across the Atlantic, head to these five Bay Area restaurants for an authentic taste of Portuguese food on the West Coast.
