Santos’ Restaurant [Naugatuck, CT, USA] - NYTimes

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Mario Ferreira
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Santos’ Restaurant [Naugatuck, CT, USA] - NYTimes

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URL: http://events.nytimes.com/2007/05/13/ny ... inect.html

Connecticut
Portuguese Favorites, and Steak With a Twist


By MARK BITTMAN
Published: May 13, 2007

IF you know Portuguese food, you probably know grilled chorizo, pork with clams, caldo verde. You may not, however, know codfish Brás, a comfort-food mixture of cooked bacalao, potatoes and onions bound by egg. And you probably are not familiar with “steak on a rock,” the house specialty of Santos’ Restaurant — perhaps even “invented” there — and more Japanese than Portuguese in spirit. For my money, this is the best $16 steak in the state, or maybe in the country.

The steak is not on the regular menu, but it’s been offered as a special every time I’ve been to Santos’. Not only is it worth the trip from anywhere (the restaurant is in Naugatuck, about 30 minutes north of Bridgeport), it’s also worth the gamble, because so many of the other dishes are also favorably priced, and many of them are good.

The steak is a sirloin strip brought from the kitchen on an inch-thick superheated piece of marble, with a liberal sprinkling of chopped garlic between the two. When it arrives, the bottom side of the steak has been seared by the heat of the rock during its passage from the kitchen; the side that’s up is raw. You turn it over, let it sit for a minute, and start slicing. If it’s too rare, you take the slice and sear it on the marble about 10 seconds on each side, and then eat it. What you’re eating, once you get the hang of it, is perfectly cooked steak that is still hot. And by the way, it’s enough for two.

In the event that doesn’t appeal to you, I’d try the codfish Brás, or the pork with clams, each also enough to feed two — though I do think the cod is better suited for breakfast than dinner. I’ve eaten codfish Brás throughout New England, and the one served at Santos’ is my favorite (some use rice instead of potatoes, and those versions are markedly inferior, but not one has as liberal a serving of well-flavored bacalao). The pork with clams is uneven; the pork itself varies in quality, and can be dry, and I wish there were more clams, but the stew itself is so excellent in concept — it’s rounded out with garlic and fried potatoes, as are so many Portuguese dishes — that it’s difficult to be disappointed.

Along with the plain grilled bacalao — cooked over wood, by the taste of it, as are some of the other meat and fish dishes — those are my favorites here. You can start with grilled chorizo, which is served on a gratin dish equipped with bars to elevate the sausage over a small, brandy-fueled fire. Shrimp in garlic sauce is also good, as are the cod cakes. But you are not going to need any of this, really, because the main courses are so massive.

There are times the spirit here is lively, and times it’s dead beyond belief. There is a bar next to the dining room, and there are always at least a few people in there, which is lucky because there are times there is no one in the restaurant. The room itself is authentic bare bones: glass on the tables, plastic plants, linen supply napkins, scenic pictures of Portugal on the wall, a real hand-painted mural. There is comfort in all of this, and it’s so unpretentious that it borders on charming.

The ambience should definitely not deter you, nor should the fact that the food is not four-star. This is a very solid place, with high-quality food at bargain prices. The service is pleasant, and the wine — you should drink vinho verde, unless you feel like rolling the dice on a red — is reliable. I wish there were more places like Santos’.

Santos’ Restaurant
152 Church Street
Naugatuck
(203) 729-7850


THE SPACE
A plain, sparingly decorated room, but not unpleasant; bare-bones cafe chairs. Wheelchair accessible.

THE CROWD
Locals, mostly, with the occasional in-the-know people, mostly from New Haven. Service is exceedingly friendly and helpful.

THE BAR
It’s a drinking bar, with foosball and television; sit in the dining room if you want to eat. The wine list is not especially interesting, but the vinho verde — even the house one, served in a carafe — is adequate.

THE BILL
Appetizers and desserts are all under $10; main courses are all under $20 (many are under $15) and huge. Two people could share one appetizer and one main course and get away with spending about $25. Or you could order liberally and have lunch for a week. Amercian Express cards not accepted.

WHAT WE LIKE
Grilled chorizo, grilled bacalao, codfish Brás, pork and clams, steak on a rock.

IF YOU GO
Kitchen open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, 11 a. m. to 9 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Street parking.

Reviewed May 13, 2007
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Andy Velebil
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Post by Andy Velebil »

Thanks Mario...now if only someone would open a good Portuguese restaurant in the Los Angeles/orange county area I would be in heaven... :twisted:
Andy Velebil Good wine is a good familiar creature if it be well used. William Shakespeare http://www.fortheloveofport.com
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