My resolution this new year is to stop spending so much money. This is certainly easier said than done, especially for someone who loves restaurants as much as I do. That’s why, for this issue, our dining guide is covering a restaurant that prides itself on its affordability: Alves meats.
The name might ring familiar to you if you’re either a long time Hammer Monthly reader or are someone who works downtown. We did cover Alves as part of a tapas and taps a year or two ago, and this place is downright famous to anyone who works anywhere near it. That is because Alves really isn’t kidding about being affordable. For this meal we got a large meal combo with a little bit of everything, a small order of torresmos, a bifana sandwich, and a little personal cheesecake. All of this food - which fed 3 people, mind you - was only a little over 30 dollars after tax. Keep in mind, that was us splurging. Every time I’ve gone there for lunch before, it's come out to less than $10 per person.
For our large lunch special we got both rice and potato balls, and once piece each of chicken and fish. I unfortunately didn’t get a chance to eat the fish myself before it was snatched from my clutches, but it certainly looked golden and crispy. The chicken (a breast and wing quarter) was fantastic. It was a massive piece that was cooked wonderfully. The skin was crackly and golden brown, with rich flavour permeating all the meat. Combine it with the peri-peri sauce they give you to dip and it is an absolutely stellar meal. The rice was warm and fluffy with a mild seasoning to it and the potato balls were delightfully soft with a slightly sweet and smoky flavour. This whole, gigantic container of food only ran us back $12.99, and that’s only because we got the largest size. The torresmos are little crispy bits of pork fat, fried until they’re dark and crunchy. They are so salty and fatty and decadent that you don’t even mind how messy your hands get eating them. 
The real star of the show, though, was the bifana. It was genuinely one of the most delicious sandwiches I’ve ever had. A fat, fresh, fluffy Portuguese bun. An unreasonably generous amount of flavourful, thin-sliced, marinated pork. Strips of onion and pepper fried alongside the pork, softened from the meat juices. Slices of banana pepper to break through with a crunch and a touch of spice. This sandwich is unreal. Just thinking about that masterpiece is making me genuinely emotional. It is smoky and juicy and so, so hearty. The giant portuguese bun absorbs the sauce and juices from the tender pork. The meat is piled on so thick you’ll be struggling to keep it all in the sandwich. It is a marvel. And, bafflingly, it is, somehow, only $6.50. This is a sandwich so big and rich and filling that two grown men struggled to finish a half each. For less than $10. Insane.
|
