This weekend, in Hollister, CA, I was magically transported to Lisbon. We went to a Fado Dinner at Léal Vineyards with a bunch of Portagees, some honorary Portagees, and a handful of culturally curious white people for good measure (it's not often I can make such a joke, and I realize my duplicitous identity crisis as I type it, but when I'm with the Portuguese family, things are just different, despite my skin's translucency).
It was a rather elegant affair, the people and the tables dressed up as if we were attending a fancy wedding. The owner of the winery (yes, he's Portuguese, too) also owns the mansion where Ashley and Ryan had their reception, and it was the same chef they used, as well. Dinner was delightful, and all the dishes were very gourmet with a touch of Portuguese flair, for instance the Alcatra-style Short Ribs, or the Kale Salad with Linguiça.
There were two fado singers for the evening, a man and a woman, who each sang two sets, with a couple of duets thrown in. The favorite song of the night was probably Uma Casa Portuguesa, sung in this link by Amália Rodrigues, Portugal's most classically renowned fado singer. The music was terribly moving, as all fado is, in a way that transcends language. Closing my eyes and opening my heart to the music I could practically feel the ocean breeze in my hair and see the fishermen setting off from the dock. If you ever have the opportunity to listen to live fado, please take it-you won't regret your choice. For more rantings on my love of fado, please see my post on fado in Lisbon.
They say you are born a fadista...I wonder if I had been raised speaking Portugese, if I would be on a different career path right now. Maybe in another life.
It was such a lovely evening spent with family enjoying food, wine, and beautiful music. From what I hear Léal also does a Notte Italiana...so we might be back!
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