By LINDA SALISBURY
For THE FREE LANCE-STAR
In Portuguese, "obrigado" means "Thank you." That's a word folks have been saying since Obrigado, the restaurant, opened in downtown Louisa.
Long before the papers taped in the windows to conceal renovations came down, word spread that the former popular executive chef of Tanyard Country Club, Jade Lourenco, and her partner, Debbie Wollett, were Obrigado's owners. The transformation from a long-vacant storefront restaurant to an outstanding smoke-free eatery is the talk of the town.
My Dining Partner and I have stopped for lunch on several occasions, and for dinner one night. We returned with two other couples for a festive evening and watched their eyes light up as they savored both the decor and the mostly Mediterranean-style cuisine.
The ambience reflects the theme. The owners retained the original wood floor (giving the restaurant a noisy atmosphere), and used a color palette of rusty orange, dark teal and mustardy yellow on the walls. The tables are copper-topped and poppies fill window vases. A bar and loungelike seating area are along one wall. The experience is like leaving Louisa and landing in Europe without a passport.
On each visit, the service has been friendly but without polish; perhaps that is the intent. Although the menu is uptown, the servers dress down in jeans and black shirts printed with the restaurant's name.
We started with "small plates," appetizers that could pass for main courses. I ordered vegetable Napoleon ($6.50). While the temperature of the food was warm rather than hot, the stack of grilled veggies (portobello mushrooms, a piece of sweet red pepper, eggplant and zucchini, held together with melted provolone cheese and drizzled with balsamic syrup) was delicious. It, like all the dishes, had the country-club touch of excellent plate presentation.
MDP ordered fried calamari ($7.50) with arrabiata (Italian for "angry") sauce. The squid was fresh and lightly battered, but it was served cold. The tomato sauce was feisty, but not angry.
Everyone raved about one couple's patatas nachos ($5.25). The crisp potato rounds appeared to be roasted, then lightly blanketed with melted cheese, scallions , bacon and a creamy garlic sauce.
Two friends ordered small Caesar salads ($3.95) which they felt were a little small and said the dressing lacked the typical Caesar spicing. MDP ordered a BLT salad ($3.50). This one, to his pleasure, included nice-sized chunks of bacon, cubes of tomato and a creamy garlic dressing.
I skipped the salad (I've liked their lunch salads, particularly one with cornmeal-crusted fried oysters for $7.50) and ordered a cup of homemade soup ($3.50).
Like the other times I have tried soup at Obrigado, the temperature was lukewarm, not hot. This one was pleasant but not memorable. It needed seasoning to go with the vegetables, chicken and broth.
On to the "big plates." Previously, I savored the grilled citrus salmon ($16.95) that came with a citrus salad, rice pilaf and baby spinach. This time I ordered Portuguese-style pork tenderloin ($14.95), described as smoked, paprika-marinated and grilled. It was topped with roasted sweet peppers and garlic, and served with roasted house potatoes.
The accompaniments, including thin zucchini medallions, were outstanding, and red peppers draped the pork like holiday bunting. My pork seemed dry, but one of our friends who ordered this dish said hers was perfect.
MDP selected the full rack of lamb ($23). The nine or 10 ribs, with a tall sprig of rosemary, came with mashed potatoes and the sauteed zucchini slices. The fresh-herb- crusted lamb was cooked to his liking--rare.
One friend ordered the 6-ounce filet mignon ($20.75), which was served with mashed potatoes and what was described as merlot-shallot butter. She was very pleased with the meat, its flavor and buttery consistency, and the fact that it was cooked as ordered. The reddish merlot-shallot butter was a mystery, however, for it seemed to lack the flavor of either.
Another winner was the pasta primavera ($12.50), filled with grilled vegetables and served over fettucine with a light rose sauce.
The homemade bread was in short supply, and not everyone received a piece, but given the bountiful portions of the entrees and appetizers, it wasn't needed.
Because the desserts are homemade, we felt obliged to sample them. One of our friends ordered a flourless chocolate cake, dense and fudgy and dotted with black raspberries. MDP tried the amaretto and blueberry cheesecake ($5.50), and I ordered the vanilla bean creme brulee ($5).
Each was excellent, although the cheesecake didn't have much amaretto flavor. My creme brulee was light and custardy under its sugary crust--one of the best I've sampled.
As one of our friends said, "Obrigado will put Louisa on the map." Given its popularity, reservations are recommended.
We say, "Obrigado, obrigado."
Linda Salisbury is the author of seven books, including a children's series. E-mail her at
Email: lgsalisbury@gmail.com. Or call 540/374-5448 with comments about today's review.
OBRIGADO Address: 109 W. Main St., downtown Louisa (across Phone: 540/967-9447 Hours: Lunch: Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; Dinner: Thursday through Saturday, 5:30-9 p.m.; Sunday brunch: Prices: Appetizers: $3.50-$7.50 Soups and salads: $3.50-$8.50 Sandwiches: $6.25-$7.50 Dinners: $10.50-$23 Desserts: $5-$5.50 Brunch: $7.25-$10.50 Beer, wine (including Spanish and Portuguese varieties) and mixed drinks available. Atmosphere: The earth-tone hues, artwork, copper-topped tables and dash of color from the orange poppies enliven the spirit upon entering this popular eatery. The downtown sidewalks are wheelchair accessible and there is no high step at the threshold. Payment: Major credit cards accepted. |