Tasting Menus in Cobblestone Alleys: Cava in Portsmouth

Portsmouth, New Hampshire has always been my favorite place to get away from the city. Every once in awhile we need that fresh snap of chilly air, a beer flight at the brewery, quiet sleepy nights and tugboats on deep blue water to wake up to. We do a little shopping at Market Basket and prep most of our own meals when we can. But Portsmouth has so many great restaurants and it'd be a shame not to make the most of it. Our favorite spot is a little tapas place down a small cobblestone alley. Cava serves up fantastic Spanish dishes and amazingly, it's completely affordable. On our last visit with friends, two of us ordered the $30 chef's tasting menu, which includes four plates, and we got a few other plates to share. Sidenote -- everything on the chef's menu is doubled, since it was intended for two of us to share.

First on the tasting menu was a crudo. I think this was the yellow tail tuna. Fresh and pretty.

There was beef sirloin with brussel sprouts and a little something extra we couldn't be certain about. The texture reminded us of chestnuts, but were they really? They don't look or taste like what we have at Christmas every year, but the waiter assured us that we were actually correct. 

Then a creamy soup, poured tableside.

There was this. I don't remember what it was. Was it the oxtail chorizo meatball? Maybe.

But how could I forget the poutine?

I think this one was an add-on. I can never resist scallops on the menu. Especially when they're sweetened with vanilla. The cauliflower added a salty contrast.

And the staple of tapas, patatas bravas. Comprendas?

The duck breast. Kumquats. Pistachios. This plate's a beauty.

The dessert was fantastic. I believe this was the almond torta with orange, mascarpone and white chocolate.

It has been a year and a half since our last real visit, so everything had that extra special magic feel to it. This meal fit into our weekend perfectly. We vowed that it won't be that long until our next mini road trip to our favorite zen spot. Who wants to come with us next time?

Cava
10 Commercial Alley
Portsmouth, NY

Also -- the chef has a pretty cool blog with the monthly-updated menu. The backlog is my favorite part!

Fun Summer Treats

Play doh ice cream from Hershey's in Nags Head, North Carolina

Lobster roll from the Lobster Joint in Greenpoint, Brooklyn

White chocolate nonpareils from Perkins Cove Candies, Ogunquit, Maine

Cashew caramel ice cream from Annabelle's, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Beer sampler from Portsmouth Brewery, New Hampshire

Popovers (with maple butter!) from Popovers on the Square, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Molasses taffy from the Goldenrod in York, Maine

Roquefort, cheddar and red pepper-studded sheep's milk Rustico Peperoncino from Corks n Curds, Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Coffee frozen custard at Kill Devil's, Outer Banks, North Carolina

Fresh Air and Fiery Chili in Portsmouth

I think most people in NYC can understand the need to get out of the city and breathe sometimes. For Rob and I, that place of refuge is Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It's the perfect New England port town with eclectic shopping, cozy coffeeshops and, of course, great food. We probably pay our sanctuary a visit about once every eight weeks or so. I can't think of many places I'd rather be.

We almost always start our day off at Colbys. This cozy little establishment has a fireplace, warm red walls and local art hanging on the walls. We partially come here because there aren't many other breakfast choices in the area -- the Friendly Toast always has a wait and isn't even very good, and while Popovers has puffed pastry the size of your head, they don't offer table service, or much beyond your standard bakery fare for that matter. Colby's it is, then.

But aside from the lack of choices in the area, Colby's has something very special to offer -- Lobster Benedict. It's on the specials list about 80% of the time, so there's always the fun anticipation of waiting to see whether or not it will be a lobster benny morning. They give you tons of lobster meat and top it off with lots of hollandaise, and for $12.99 a plate I can tell you that you'll pay a lot more for a lot less in Brooklyn.

Colby's

105 Daniel St.

Portsmouth, NH 03801

Our most recent visit was a perfect fall day, with the sun shining, a tiny chill in the air, and beautiful folliage abound. And because Porstmouth is a real-life Pleasantville, that Saturday just happened to be Portsmouth's Chili Fest day.

The chili here came in all shapes and sizes. Some were beef-based, some were chicken-based, some were made from pork, one was even made from steak (and, it should be said, not that good). They came with beans and without, with or without scallions, any variety of salsa, with or without cheese. Some had onions. Some had stations where you can add cheese or sour cream til your heart's content. Some were served with tortilla chips. One even had a zinfandel reduction sauce (it was actually served on the steak chili and again, not recommended). The chilis here saw no limits. My favorite was a simple ground beef chili, with beans and a lot of chili powder, that left me breathing fire. Oh, you wanted a water? You'll have to wait in that gigantic line over there to buy a ticket for $2. Well, everything has its price I guess.

On the plus side, we did meet some pretty nifty new friends.

There is so much more to say about Portsmouth's dining scene. Espresso-coated filet mignons at the Green Monkey, lobster rolls at Lobster in the Rough, pizza at the Flatbread Company, crab cakes at Cafe Mirabel, fresh flounder at Jumpin' Jay's. I'll have to save those for future Portsmouth installments. Or maybe you'd like to join us for our next getaway?