Dunas Verdes: rustic Portuguese bar food
You have probably walked past Dunas Verdes, on James Street North not far from the intersection with Barton.
It has a window displaying the name of the restaurant with “Portuguese Cuisine” written beneath. The evening we came, it was warm but not too hot — the seats on the patio were full and stayed that way.
When we went inside, there were two options: alongside the bar overlooking the patio, or up one level to where a computer video game sat, near pictures of the Portuguese national soccer team.
I asked a server if they’d been watching the World Cup and she said it had been crazy busy for the tie with Spain. But on this night it was just a couple of guys sitting at the bar watching the soccer highlights on TSN, sipping beer.
That made us thirsty so we checked out the drinks. A handful of bottles of wine along with house wine by the glass, and the standard domestic and import selection of beer. However, they had Nickel Brook on draft, so I got Cause and Effect. A little hoppy but not too hoppy — perfect for a spring/summer day. My partner said her house white was “refreshing.”
The main menu is a mix of casual Portuguese bar food (apps, sandwiches, salads), and entrées that range from mussels with rice to a seafood platter that serves three, to some Portuguese meat dishes. Suitable for a quick lunch or casual dinner or date night.
We began our evening with Chicken Picadinho and some grilled calamari while pop dance music played in the background. The grilled chicken was coated with a shiny, deep red sauce with a touch of heat. Served with grilled onions and peppers, the dish was sweet and savoury.
The grilled calamari paled in comparison. The rings of calamari were grilled nicely but hardly seasoned and the light olive oil sauce was too subtle. A bit of lemon or other acidity would have gone a long way but still, the dish was a nice concept: black olives brought a briny note, and red peppers and parsley were a natural fit.
We munched on that and some Portuguese buns with butter while a foursome who looked like they had just knocked off work waited for a patio seat. We had limited seating options because