Baleia takes Boston on a Portuguese holiday
Where to: Baleia, serving refined Portuguese food on the edge of the South End.
Why: Your people are Portuguese and you need to see if the sweet bread is legit. You recently traveled to Portugal (and wish you were still there) or are planning to go soon. You are looking for a new date night somewhere stylish but not stuffy.
The backstory: Baleia is the latest from the Coda Group, which is also behind Gufo, the Salty Pig, and SRV. As such, it is a departure from a steady diet of Italian fare. The restaurant’s name means “whale” in Portuguese. Despite its high ceilings, Baleia feels warm and golden, with Dijon yellow banquettes, black-and-white tile floors, and netdraped lights. Executive chef and partner Andrew Hebert has worked at Gufo and the Salty Pig, as well as Jody Adams restaurants Porto and Trade.
What to eat: The menu specializes in upscale, cheffy takes on classic dishes like salt cod bolinhos, shrimp Mozambique, and the seafood-pork stew cataplana. The bolinhos, crisp and light football-shaped fritters, come with luxurious saffron mayonnaise. The sweet bread appears in roll form (resembling Hawaiian sweet rolls, another product of Portuguese immigration), with chamomile butter. The shrimp Mozambique are served in their shells, perfectly cooked, garnished with microgreens; the sauce is the color of something that might occur in nature, rather than bottled hot sauce. Other highlights include octopus carpaccio, grilled sardines, seared cod and crispy potatoes in a caldo verde-inspired sauce, and zesty grilled piri piri chicken with fries. There are dishes here for the vegetable-focused diner, too: roasted cauliflower, grilled mushrooms, a charred eggplant with harissa and saffron rice. For dessert, it’s hard to resist pasteis de nata, egg tarts.
What to drink: A cocktail inspired by Portugal like a Port-and-tonic, or a Sagres beer, might hit the spot. Then explore the Portuguese wine list, ranging through the country’s regions and grapes.
The takeaway: A pretty room, good service, and a well-conceived menu: Baleia hits the mark for anyone in need of a nice dinner (or a quick holiday in Portugal).
264 E. Berkeley St., South End, Boston, 617-505-3243, www.baleiaboston.com. Small plates $6-$20, entrees $26-$42, desserts $4-$14, cocktails $13-$16.