The Porkchop Riviera-A Coastline of Queijo, Sweet Bread, & Blade Meat

Tucked into the SouthCoast of Massachusetts and the northern tidal estuaries of Rhode Island, lies a string of nearly 20 waterfront towns bound by more than just New England geography. These communities share a deep Portuguese heritage evident in their food, drink and the traditions they’ve carefully preserved.

Don’t expect to find chilled Bandol rosé bottles beneath blue-and-white striped umbrellas on a pebbled beach or a terraced vineyards overlooking pastel fishing villages. Instead, along a 40-mile stretch from Buzzards Bay to the Taunton River, you will find a craggy coastline every bit as deserving of its own Riviera designation, shaped by Portuguese-inspired foodigenous, not tourists.

On Your Way to the Cape

There’s a good chance you’ve unknowingly caught the perfume of warm Portuguese sweet bread mingling with the aroma of freshly smoked garlic-and-peppered chouriço as you zipped down Route 6 toward your summer vacation. If it was morning, maybe it was the rich scent of a brewed Portela Café espresso, likely purchased at Portugalia, an Iberian wonderland just off the highway in Fall River. It's the kind of market where European ex-pats stock up on staples from the "homeland" and adventurous foodies go for hard-to-get tinned fish, wheels of queijos típicos and links of masterfully butchered Linguica sausage- a popular local pizza topping. #toppingigenous

Meanwhile, just minutes away in the Rhode Island town of Warren, brothers Tony and Don Amaral have been baking giant loaves of Massa (sweet bread) at their restaurant Amaral’s Fish & Chips for the last 40 years. This sturdy, buttery bread is popular throughout the “Riviera”, but Amaral’s golden-domed Smurf Houses are especially memorable. Stop by their quaint spot and rub elbows with locals as they wait for a warm loaf right out the oven. But as I learned from a regular, the real treat happens a few days later when the bread is allowed to harden, perfect for an elevated French Toast.

Portuguese Turf & Surf

It makes perfect sense that The Ocean State has incredible seafood. From its clear-style chowder with chunks of potato, herbs and clam, to thick cut calamari rounds tossed with hot pepper rings and lightly fried in an airy batter, to massive baked quahogs affectionately known as stuffies, Rhode Island might be small in stature, but its seafood is mighty. And its lesser known "turf" game might even be stronger. 💪

One of the country's most under the radar sandwich is the blade meat sandwich. Although it's rarely mentioned on any "must try" lists like the neighboring Fall River Chow Mein Sandwich or Woonsocket's Dynamite, it's my favorite of the three.

This Azorean- American pork dish is marinated for up to 24-hours. Every recipe seems to be a closely guarded family secret handed down from generation to generation. But having had a few in my day, I can confidently surmise that a large dose of paprika, garlic, black pepper, hot pepper flakes and either vinegar or wine -sometimes both are used. The pork is then sloooow-cooked at alternating temps for up to another eight hours resulting in a meat that's tender, juicy and bursting with flavor.

While my new friend's at Amaral's cooks their blade meat from scratch, it's not uncommon for delis to source their pre-cooked blade meat from local meat markets. Cabral's Chicken in Bristol RI proudly boasts he uses Michael's Portuguese Sausage Co so he can focus his time roasting some of the most succulent fall-of-the-bone rotisserie chicken you'll ever have.

The Meat Bar Marketplace in North Attleboro Ma takes it up a notch serving their insanely good Blade Meat Mac & Cheese combo Homemade, spicy, slow cooked pork shredded over a creamy classic mac & cheese is the perfect combination you never knew you needed in your life.

More to Come

Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts coast is a foodie's paradise, a Riviera worth eating your way through. And this is just the tip of the culinary iceberg. Prepare for more stories about unique Portuguese dishes like Shrimp Mozambique and Rhode Island's New York System hot dogs, quite possible the best "chili dogs" in the country.

TO BE CONTINUED...