After a weekend in Lisbon without Ice the Dog, I had two items on my Monday checklist upon our return:
- pick up Ice the Dog at the dog hotel;
- eat a francesinha.
In that order.
Picking up the dog is a situation anyone with a dog knows well: once the door opens, I have to plant my feet firmly and brace myself for the blur of fur, this vibrating creature whose sheer enthusiasm nearly bowls me over with excitement. Telling him “Calma! Calma!” seems to have zero effect — he’s wiggling and twisting so much he’s about to achieve lift-off. Once Ice the Dog comes down to earth, it’s on to Item #2.
We really don’t eat francesinhas as often as it may look from my pictures. I don’t think we even average one per month. But if you’re hungry it’s extremely filling, and the fact that it’s also supremely unhealthy (tons of everything doctors advise to eat sparingly) just adds to the caloric appeal of consuming one.
There’s also the fact that it’s a very Porto dish that is found almost nowhere else (or at least nowhere where they make it properly), so a return to the city almost necessitates a reunion with this cheese-and-meat-fest.
I sound like a shopaholic trying to justify a purchase, but there is no real justification for the francesinha. Once ordered, it must be eaten guilt-free, in good conscience, preferably with a beer. (Begging dog under table optional but useful if you can’t finish the francesinha.)
July 24, 2017
Album: Portugal [Summer 2017]
For more posts/photos of Portuguese food and drink:
https://gailatlarge.com/blog/tag/portuguese-kitchen
https://www.pinterest.com/gailatlarge/portuguese-food-drink/
https://www.instagram.com/gailatlarge/
