Blood and guts.

Returned from Santa Luzia yesterday to a very grey and overcast Leeds.

Despite the lateness of the year English voices were to be heard in most of the bars and restaurants of SL.

Many businesses have taken advantage of the quiet time to enjoy a well earned break after the rigours of the summer season. Casa De Polvo, Casa Do Abade and restaurant Sol Y Mar among others were closed for the month.

Bar meia Pipa on the other hand reopened on 31st of October following something of a remodel.

The bar has been moved forward 20cms and extended by a couple of meters and a food preparation area has been added so the range of snacks available can be widened. Along with refurbished toilets, replaced woodwork and a generous splash of paint, proprietor Alvaro has invested more than 10,000 euros............no small beer by Portuguese standards.



On this visit we were determined to behave less like tourists and more like residents so there were more meals taken at home than in the excellent eateries of the village ( we have however to admit to treating ourselves to a slap up dinner at Vincents on our last night in town).



The Portuguese tend to eat out far more often than we English and when you use what in Portugal is called a snack bar or Casa do Pasto you can see why.

With a far more limited menu and much less of the frills of a restaurant these establishments provide wholesome value for money meals with genuine informal hospitality.

One of the best of these in Santa Luzia has to be Snack Bar Tridoce.

Situated in Urbanization Gilberto Ferro just on the left hand side of the road from Tavira at the very beginning of the village this friendly little place is sadly overlooked by many visitors though well patronised by residents both Portuguese and foreign.
Much of the produce used to prepare the dishes at Tridoce is sourced from the family farm so freshness and quality are assured, no oven chips here.
Returning early one afternoon from a shopping trip in Tavira we elected to lunch at Tridoce and duly ordered a portion of grilled chicken, a portion of grilled belly pork a mixed salad and a generous helping of their delicious home made chips.

As we were hungrily enjoying the traditional bread olives and sardine paste starter we were approached by the proprietor Virgilio who enquired if we would like to try a little home made chourico. We willingly accepted and our lavish praise of this moorish tidbit encouraged Virgilio to confide in us that the family had in fact slaughtered a pig only the day before and he had in his kitchen something very special prepared from the beast's blood.
This information was imparted to us in hushed tones as, Virgilio confided, many English people seem a little unsettled when confronted with the fact that animals have to be slaughtered to provide their lunch.
We in turn informed Virgilio that back home in Yorkshire we have a saying that when it comes to the pig "we eat everything but the squeal" and we would be delighted to try his delicacy which we know as black pudding.
Minutes later what can only be described as a plate of congealed blood with a dressing of chopped herbs, onion and oil and vinegar was proudly presented for our delectation.
Unlike English black pudding it was not formed, sausage like, in a skin along with pork fat and seasoning but rather appeared to be simply boiled pigs blood spooned straight from pan to plate.
With a very creamy almost blancmange like consistency it suddenly became evident to us how this dish came to be called a pudding.
Slightly bland in comparison to it's heavily seasoned english counterpart it was nonetheless very palatable when salted and consumed with a morsel of chopped onion.
Probably not to everyone's taste and definitely not for the squeamish this dish however is truely an eating experience worth repeating.
You just need to be fortunate enough to arrive the day after the pig has departed.

All in all an excellent lunch and at just 18 euros (including a very acceptable bottle of white wine selected for us by Virgilio) outstanding value for money.

For un-rivalled Portuguese hospitality, authentic local cuisine and exceptional value for money Tridoce has to be very close if not at the top of the list of places to eat in Santa Luzia.

VISIT..........EAT.........DRINK.........ENJOY.