Cheap as chips

 There is so much more to the Algarve than just a sunny seaside destination.Besides sea,sand, and surf the Algarve offers the best value for money when eating out.This is a very important consideration when budgeting for one´s holiday. A recent survey showed Portugal to be 22% cheaper than last year in this respect.Last week the proof of this was in the cooking,things could not have got much better.Cooking doesn´t get cheaper than this. I took three very good friends out to lunch at a roadside restaurant.As is always the case, if you go slightly off the beaten track or head away from the coastal resorts, you will find prices become a lot cheaper.Our order consisted of a couvert ( fresh cheese sardine paste and bread),three dishes of liver and onions ( iscas encebolado), 1 plate of oven baked octopus (polvo no forno) all dishes served up with chips, 1 beer and 2 jugs of house wine.The bill for four people was €37.70.One could hardly cook and feed four people at home for this price.Liver and onions is a traditional English dish.Here I was in the Algarve  and I have to say this was the most tender and tasty version of liver and onions I ever had.This was no tourist trap and was far too remote for that anyway.To find quality family cooking at this price is a real discovery and once found should remain a well kept secret. I will be returning to work my way through the rest of the menu.

I already have my sights set on the picanha and maminha cuts of beef