The Daily Diary of a Wandering Restaurateur
Bright Lights, Big City
Transition days are mostly wasted. The morning is lost to packing and travel, the afternoon sacrificed to the work of
nesting in the new place, shopping for necessary supplies and generally getting re-oriented. That process was accelerated
a bit today because it's Christmas eve and we suspected most restaurants and shops would be closing early.
We turned our car in at the airport and took a cab downtown to find our apartment. Street numbers weren't very easy to see
and the driver made several passes before we spotted the right place. An english-speaking representative from the
management company was right there to help us get into the building. After completing the standard paperwork and explaining
how things worked in the unit, we were on our own.
The first thing I checked was whether my new WiFi connection would let me upload all the past trip report files. No luck.
If I can't come up with a fix, the next opportunity may come when we are changing planes in London on Thursday. Yikes!
The first stop was the Time Out market, a couple of blocks away. We expected an all-purpose shopping mall. Instead we walked into the most expansive food hall I have ever seen. There are 30-40 vendors in small stalls all around the main floor offering all sorts of food and drink. As you can see, the joint was packed! Alas, the seating was all high stools at long tables which Margene knew she'd never be able to get up on, even assuming we could find an empty seat. So we picked up a few of the famous pasteis de nata custard pastries at a stall that makes them on site and cranks them out by the thousands and went looking elsewhere for the items on our list.
By now it was mid-afternoon. We were hungry and I was feeling the need for a cold beer. When our route back toward the apartment brought us past Taverna Tosca and we saw people dining in the window, we checked it out. Turned out be a good move. It was a pleasant little place with a light but interesting menu, staffed by smiling people who seemed eager to please ... just like it is at your place, right? Right?
In addition to a beer bigger than my head, I ordered the beef tenderloin. It came pre-sliced
with a small pot of gravy for dipping. We shared an order of thick-cut potato slices, fried but not as crisp as chips. The
bread arrived in its own little bag and bucket. The server suggested we'd want bread to sop up the broth from Margene's
garlic shrimp. She was right!
For dessert we shared a potted cheesecake with pumpkin jam, not overly sweet and nicely presented -- a perfect way to
satisfy the sweet tooth. Two cups of espresso and we were set for the day. They brought the check in a small metal box,
certainly a more distinctive presentation than a register slip in a check folder. It reminded me of the many details that
could demonstrate your desire to go the extra mile and stand out from the herd. Tosca closed for the day just before we
left, open again at 7pm Christmas Day. It's just around the corner. We could be back.
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