The Paulus Hook section of Jersey City located downtown near Exchange Place is a mix of old and new brownstones and hi-rises, small and big businesses, and restaurants and bars tucked inside the nooks and crannies of this beautiful neighborhood. One charming and cozy bistro is the Lisbon Bar & Restaurant on York Street, a tiny gem of a restaurant that serves traditional Portuguese cuisine to its neighborhood clientele and regulars who have been dining at Lisbon since it first opened around the corner on Warren Street 20 years ago.

When the lease ran out on their space on Warren Street a few years ago, the Lisbon re-opened its doors around the corner on York. That seems to be the only big change, says Joe Cunha, Lisbonâ€s manager. The menu has pretty much stayed the same, traditional and modern Portuguese and Spanish cuisine featuring seafood, meat, poultry and pasta dishes using fresh ingredients and flavored with the spices of Portugal and Spain.

The restaurant is warm and welcoming with a busy bar partitioned off from the dining room which seats around 40 guests at tables covered in burgundy and white linens. The service is impeccable – friendly and efficient – with dishes briskly cleared between courses. And along with the many dishes on the menu, the Lisbon has a wine list that features wines from Portugal, Spain, Italy, California and more. The house Sangria is a delicious mix of Merlot wine, brandy and fresh fruits like strawberries and apples, spices and seasonings.

As soon as guests are seated in the dining room, the waiter brings over a basket of hot and crusty Portuguese bread that is absolutely delicious and hard to resist. I used some of it to dip into the balsamic vinaigrette dressing served over the Lisbonâ€s hearty house salad of greens, onions, tomatoes and olives. For an appetizer, I tried Shrimp in Garlic Sauce – fresh crunchy grilled shrimp seasoned just right and Stuffed Mushrooms, which were stuffed with crabmeat and very tasty. For an entrée, I tried the Shrimp and Chicken Francaise served over Linguini and this hearty dish was so big, I had to take half home in a doggie bag.

Hereâ€s a sampling of the menu:  Appetizers include Shrimp in Garlic Sauce; Shrimp Cocktail; Fried Calamari, Sauteed Portuguese Chourico; Stuffed Mushrooms; Clams Casino with Bacon ($9.95). Fish dishes include Fried or Broiled Filet of Sole; Stuffed Flounder Filet; Fried Seafood Combination; Broiled Red Snapper Filet; Broiled Sea Bass and Grilled Salmon ($14.95-$19.95).

Shellfish dishes include Paelha Marinheira (lobster, shrimp, clams, scallops and mussels); Twin Broiled Lobster Tails; Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp; and a Grilled Shellfish Combination or Parrilhada de Marisco ($16.95-$39.95).

Pasta dishes feature Linguini with White or Red Clam Sauce; Cheese Tortellini with Garden Vegetables; and Mussels or Calamari over Linguini or Ziti ($13.05-$14.95.)For Steak lovers, thereâ€s the 18-oz. Filet Mignon cooked “On the Stone” where the chef cooks the steak on a hot stone right at your table ($28.95).  Other Steak dishes include Roast Prime Rib; Flame-Grilled 24-oz. T-Bone; Grilled Shell Steak; Grilled Sirloin Steak Lisbon Style and Boneless Sirloin Portuguese Style with Ham and Fried Egg ($17.95-$24.95).

Pork dishes feature Grilled Pork Chops in Garlic Sauce; BBQ Spare Ribs with a piri-piri sauce; and Sauteed Pork with Clams – a specialty at Lisbon ( $13.95-$15.95).  And there are Veal, Lamb and Chicken Dishes like Grilled Veal Chops ($24.95); Grilled New Zealand Rack of Lamb ($24.95); and Chicken Francaise ($13.95).

Thereâ€s a lunch menu, specials and desserts like the homemade Flan which was the best I have ever tasted. At the Lisbon Restaurant & Bar, the service is fine and the food divine. Next time youâ€re looking for a cozy bistro, visit Lisbon for some of the best Portuguese cuisine in Hudson.

Lisbon Bar & Restaurant

100 York Street

Jersey City, NJ 07302

(201) 432-9222

www.thelisbonrestaurant.com

Open 7 days;

Kitchen is open Sun-Thurs from 11:30 am – 10 p.m.;

Fri and Sat. until 11 p.m.

Tell us what you think of the Lisbon Restaurant riverviewobserver@gmail.com

The post Restaurant VIEWS: The Lisbon Bar & Restaurant In Jersey City-A Paulus Hook Bistro serving Fine Portuguese Cuisine first appeared on River View Observer.

Traditional Portuguese Dining and a Bar Lounge with Flair

By Sally Deering       Photos by David Bayne

 If you’re looking for a hip and sexy bar lounge or a great place for Portuguese dining, Port-O Lounge Tapas & Wines on First and Newark Streets fits the bill. Located close to the Grove Street PATH Station in Jersey City, Port-O Lounge Tapas & Wines serves traditional and flavorful Portuguese fare in a sexy and alluring atmosphere just right for dinner with friends or a date with that special someone.

 Filipe Costa, who was born in Portugal, opened the Port-O Lounge in June 2010 and created the beautiful and cozy downtown Jersey City restaurant out of an old Newark Avenue  warehouse. He exposed the red brick, painted the original tin ceilings and added suede-covered chairs, glass-top tables and cozy sitting areas in the lounge. The dining room is formal, yet warm, with linen-topped tables where guests dine by candlelight. The bar is long, sleek and roomy enough for friendly conversation and the kitchen is located at the end of the bar, where the chef prepares traditional Portuguese cuisine and the aromas fill the lounge and restaurant with the scent of  freshly cooked garlic that teases the palate.

 “The idea was to make it as comfortable as possible for our customers,” Costa says.

 Along with a fantastic atmosphere, Port-O Lounge offers a large selection of traditional Portuguese Tapas on its menu that are as yummy as the décor. Tapas, which originated in Spain, are small appetizer-style dishes of pork, seafood, beef and vegetables that can be enjoyed over cocktails, a bottle of wine or a pitcher of Sangria.  As a sampling, Port-O Lounge serves Chorizo Flambe, a smoky, succulent sausage that’s crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside ($9) Fresh Cockles, a small clam dish, very tasty and very traditional in Portugal ($11.50) Fresh Asparagus wrapped with Smoked Salmon ($11.50) and a very typical Portuguese dish, Shredded Codfish with Onions, tiny chopped Potatoes and Scrambled Eggs ($9.50.)

 The dinner menu ranges from $12 to $21.50 and entrees include Seafood Linguine with Scallops, Shrimp and Clams ($14.50) Paella made with Lobster, Shrimp and Clams ($18.95) the traditional Portuguese dish of Marinated Pork Cubes sautéed with Clams and Potatoes ($14.50) Veal Scaloppini and sautéed Spinach topped with Mozzarella with Portuguese Risotto ($19.50) and a Sizzling Strip Steak topped with sautéed Mushrooms and Maitre d’ Sauce ($18.50.)

 For dessert Port-O Lounge serves the Serradura, layer cake with Maria cookies infused with Espresso ($6) the classic Portuguese Almond and Egg Yolk Pudding ($6) White Chocolate Mousse ($6) and the Orange Tart ($6.) Special dessert coffees are just right for after dinner and Port-O Lounge serves Spanish, Italian, Irish and French Coffees ($6-$7.50) and the House Special Port-O Coffee made with Espresso, Portuguese brandy and Portuguese liqueur.

 The Wine List features Portuguese wines from five different regions that range from $20-$180, French wines including a Pinot Noir and Bordeaux from $30-$80 and Italian wines, Chianti and Pinot Grigio from $28-$80.

 Familiar with the many Portuguese restaurants in East Newark, Costa specifically chose downtown Jersey City for his restaurant’s location.

 “I like Jersey City,” Costa says. “I like the feeling of the neighborhood. There’s a lot of activity in the downtown area.”

 And very few downtown restaurants that serve authentic Portuguese cuisine.

 “Portuguese cuisine incorporates many of the ingredients of Mediterranean food,” Costa says. “The ingredients have to be fresh and then we prepare them as simple as possible. We don’t overdo it with ingredients, spices and sauces. If you’re having fish, you have to be able to taste the flavor of that particular fish.”

 Port-O Tapas & Wines

286 First Street

Jersey City, NJ

201-420-9550

www.portolounge.com

Hours:  Tues, Wed, Thurs, Sun: 12 noon-Midnight

Fri, Sat: 12 noon-3 am

Kitchen is open noon to 11 pm, Tues-Sun

The post Port-O Tapas and Wines Lounge in Jersey City is a Sexy Hotspot Serving Fine Portuguese Cuisine first appeared on River View Observer.