YORK, Pa. — A local business owner is excited to share the vibrant flavors of Portugal with the York community during Restaurant Week York.
Steven Moreira, owner of Mesa Moreira, has honed his menu to preserve his Portuguese culinary heritage. He says his restaurant is the first Portuguese eatery in central Pennsylvania and only the third in the state. He and his wife Christie opened it to fulfill a promise to Steven's parents to own a restaurant.
"We try to make it very homey," Moreira said. "It's a very typical European restaurant where you come in, you're greeted, it's a different experience... We don't recommend to come in in a rush... It's somewhere where you want to sit down with a friend, have some sangria, have some good food, and be there for a while."
One of the Restaurant Week specials will be Bacalhau à Brás, or shredded cod fish with potatoes and eggs. This traditional recipe features tender flakes of succulent salted cod imported from Portugal, combined with thinly sliced fried potatoes, onions and eggs, all seasoned with garlic and parsley.
"Portuguese dishes are very large," Moreira said. "You'll find that when you come to the restaurant, you always have food to take home. It's always large dishes, it's always shareable dishes."
The restaurant owner recommends Pinta Negra Rose Lisboa and Visconde de Borba Red Alentejo for wine pairings with the Bacalhau à Brás special.
The restaurant is located at 58 W. Market St. in York and is open Tuesday - Sunday from 11 a.m. - 10 p.m., with brunch on the weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Restaurant Week is Feb. 16 - 25.