Adega do Mestre André – A Dinner at André’s Cellar
It is always a please when visiting a new city to get a solid and excellent recommendation for a restaurant. This was the case in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel Island in the Azores. The concierge at the hotel recommended Adega do Mestre André.
This square is home to a statue of Goncalo Velho Cabral, the Portuguese explorer who discovered the islands. The three Baroque arches represent the gateway to the city.
A walk through various cobblestone avenues to the small boutique Adega do Mestre André restaurant where reservation are required. We took the first seating at 7 pm and were the first to arrive. Within 15 minutes the entire restaurant was filled. While we ate dinner more people popped in and were turned away than those seated!! We knew this was going to be a great treat!
We started the evening out with local fresh baked bread served with a garlic spread and fresh green olives. Also an order of sautéed mushrooms were heavenly.
This was followed with the freshest and best Lapas grelhadas, grilled limpets in butter and lemon sauce which we so enjoyed.
Entrees’ included Filetes de Abrotea fritos (fried Forkbeard fillet), Filetes de Peixe Porco (Grey triggerfish fillet), another fish and a chicken breast. The meal came and was consumed so quickly as the aromas were so inviting and it even tasted better, no pictures were taken!!
To go with the limpets and seafood, a white wine was suggested by our server. It was the 2019 Eruptio from the Cooperativa Vitivinicola Da Ilha Do Pico. While normally not a person impressed with labels, this truly stood out representing all that makes Pico such a wonderful island. Showing its history with whaling, volcanic Mt Pico, the vines of Pico bringing forth the deep minerals and with all the wonderful fish available. This was tied for the best white wine from the Azores!!
The second wine was a 2017 Inevitavel, a blend of Alicante Bouchet and Syrah. The 2017 Inevitavel was aged 14 months in French oak barrels and from the south central region of mainland Portugal called Alentejano. This wine provided such a depth of character and layers of flavors and structure we had this almost like an after dinner drink. This also tied for the best red wine during our visit.
The light drizzle of moisture on the stroll back to the hotel brought us to a local square. The square was framed by boutique shops, café’s and this beautifully lighted church. On one of the corners in the shadows a man was playing a mellow jazz sax solo, embracing the drizzle without fanfare and the melodic sounds bouncing off the cobblestones and filling the square for all to enjoy. What a perfect way to end the evening. It is one of those memories that will be forever etched in my mind
Sláinte,
Michael
California Wines & Wineries 
August 19, 2022 at 12:44 pm
Wow, I so loved this article….made me almost feel like I was there with you. This indeed would be a lovely place to visit.
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