It was a windy day in October, back in 2002 and Aljezur was our last destination on our way back to Lisbon, a last stopover full of atmosphere after a nearly two months trip through Portugal. We were sitting in the restaurant “Ruth o Ivo”, we had enough to eat and felt content and were about to order the bill, as suddenly the door opened and two gumboots entered the room. The gumboots belonged to one of those venturous cliff-anglers, who we watched at work that morning from safe distance. In his hands he held a big plastic bucket full of fresh fish, obviously his catch of the day. Fair enough, back home it happens rather rarely that firstly people in gumboots access a restaurant, and secondly least often carrying a plastic bucket full of fish. Here in contrary, no one seemed to be surprised. After a big hello, some handshaking and a quick expresso at the bar, the fish ended up in the fish counter while the gumboots left into the night. Chapeau! It was a very sensational scene and a clear demonstration of “reliably lived freshness- and quality-guarantee”. We were deeply impressed and ever since returned to this place to enjoy fresh fish and nothing else. As we did on this particular sunny day in July on which we were ascertained happily: Nothing’s changed.
A very good feeling, which we experienced the very next day again. Also the “L-Colesterol” generously did not change. We adapted with pleasure and ordered what we always order: baked goat cheese from the oven, some tapas depending on our moods and afterwards the plate of the day (“prato do dia”). This time, they served pan-baked prawns à la maison. Only a couple of weeks ago, the L-colesterol celebrated his ten-year-old anniversary, wherewith it belongs to the culinary institutions along the Costa Vicentina as Ruth o Ivo does. And according to us, it shall stay exactly like that!
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