LaSalette Restaurant – A Taste of Portugal in Sonoma, California

by Tia Maria · Published April 29, 2013 · Updated October 13, 2015

LaSalette Restaurant/By Guest Editor, Dan Dias

I had always heard that California’s climate, the rich abundance of fresh seafood and locally grown produce made it similar to Portugal.

Perhaps that’s why the wave of Portuguese immigrant fisherman, whalers, and farmers who arrived there, soon made it their home for many generations to come.

Today, California has a large and thriving Portuguese community that embraces their culture and heritage.

On our second trip to California, my wife and I visited Napa Valley, toured the vineyards that truly reminded us Portugal and visited many other sights.

We ended our last night in Sonoma, California, with a wonderful cultural dinning experience at LaSalette Restaurant.

Owner/Chef Manuel Azevedo offers his own interpretation of modern Portuguese cuisine, which celebrates the immense flavors and dishes of Portugal while encouraging the use of fresh local, seasonal ingredients.

LasSalette’s old world ambiance, with it’s open hearth kitchen, generates home style comfort and appeal.The gracious Portuguese hospitality provided by the attentive staff as well as the familiar “Gallo de Borcellos” the LaSalette mascot, a national symbol of Portugal adorning the staff uniforms said to us; “Welcome to Portugal” as soon as we walked in the door!

The taste tempting menu with it’s quintessential Portuguese flavors, the home made breads, and tempting aromas in the air, left our pallets craving and anticipating our planned Summer trip to Portugal in August!

Our first bite of the amuse bouche (first bite) of Chourica with melted Sao Jorge Cheese with olives temped us with it’s spicy yet creamy taste. The appetizer of Scallops, chourico crusted Japanese sweet potato puree, with leek confit and Portuguese molho was superb.

We dived into the appetizer combination platter of succulent baby octopus, sweet tripe stew, fried goat cheese with compote jam, homemade bread and almonds all complemented by our Portuguese Douro valley wine selection; Vale de Bomfim.

Amuse Bushe – Chourica & Sao Jorge Cheese – LaSalette Cook Book

For my entree, I ordered the classic “Fisherman’s Stew” made fresh California coastal seafood of; juicy clams, mussels, shrimp and fish prepared in a rich broth with Portuguese chourica and spices.

My wife’s Wood Fired Branzino was simply the best she’s ever had!

Wood Fired Branzino

Whole Wood Fired Branzino – LaSalette Cook Book

Caldeirada – Portuguese Fisherman’s Stew – Sea bass, scallops,

clams, mussels, shrimp, fingerling potatoes, linguiça, lobster fumet

Vale de Bomfim

Chocolate Fetish – Chocolate mousse with almond tuile, chocolate soufflé

with ruby port geléeand bitter chocolate sorbet with caramelized banana

We smiled at each other as we overheard the couple at the next table who had never tasted tripe or Portuguese cuisine before, rave on and on about it’s goodness! We knew they would become adoring fans of Portuguese food just like many others before them.

The Chocolate Fetish dessert created a perfectly sweet ending to our diner that lasted during the taxi drive back to our hotel. We had a great experience dining at LaSalette and we plan on re-creating it again next year!

You don’t have to fly to California to taste the amazing dishes that Chef Azevedo has created for his guests, just visit the LaSalette website and order the LaSalette’s cook book because most of the dishes served at the restaurant are in it!

This book is not an ordinary cook book. It is meant to be used, shared and then passed down in the family. It contains 360 pages, over 270 recipes, and the beautiful photographs by Portuguese photographer Henrigue Bagulho will leave you craving the flavor of Portugal, and inspire you to try the recipes.

What a perfect gift for the special Portuguese foodie in your life!

*Order now for FREE SHIPPING ON COOK BOOK ONLY- for the month of MAY with SPECIAL CODE: “PICK UP”

*Free Shipping on cook book only – available in Continental USA-May only

*If purchasing book with other products you must order items separately to receive FREE SHIPPING on The Cook Book*

Here’s the video from the cook book!

“My personal mission is to do whatever I can to put Portuguese cuisine in its rightful place alongside other great cuisines in the United States. Because the truth is, if we want to survive and prosper as a culture, we need to make an impact, not merely be present.” Chef Azevedo/Owner – LaSalette