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The chances of successfully introducing an unfamiliar culinary
concept in
the heart of northern California's Wine Country were unsure for
Chef Manuel
Azevedo when he opened his LaSalette Restaurant in 1998. However,
LaSalette
Restaurant has thrived and is celebrating its twelvth year, now in
a new
location down a quiet via just off Old Sonoma's Plaza. Bay Area
restaurant
"goers and gurus" continue to discover the unique gastronomic
delights of
Azevedo's Cozinha Nova Portuguesa, Contemporary Portuguese Cuisine.
Everything about Chef Azevedo ~ his quiet demeanor, persevering
confidence
and intense focus on his craft ~ bespeaks the humility and hard
working
nature intrinsic to the people of his Azorean homeland. Unlike many
chefs
and restaurateurs steeled in the food arts with culinary education
and big
city cooking experiences, Chef Manuel is strictly home grown and
self made.
Azevedo embarked on his career with the distinct vision of owning
his own
restaurant. At the unemployable age of fourteen, he finagled his
way into a
dishwasher's position. By sixteen, he was head cook for a rib
joint. Over
the next several years, Manuel worked every position a restaurant
offered
him, from the front to back of the house.
In 1993, Azevedo took a sous chef position under an "old school"
Swiss chef.
For five years, Azevedo learned the trade, treating the restaurant
as if it
were his own. His self-styled culinary education continued with his
study of
the basics such as food physics, history and restaurant management.
His home
was his test kitchen.
When the opportunity came to open his own restaurant, instead of
choosing
the safe way and creating another California wine country
restaurant, Chef
Azevedo followed his passion for Portuguese cuisine. Naming the
restaurant
after his mother, LaSalette, and choosing a decor reminiscent of
the old
docks of Lisbon, Azevedo created his first of many modern
Portuguese dishes.
Today, Chef Manuel Azevedo's Cozinha Nova Portuguesa represents an
evolution
in Portuguese cuisine. His Bacalhau ~ a baked layering of thinly
sliced
potatoes and olive oil poached salt cod, caramelized leeks and
black olive
coulis finished with olive oil and sliced quail egg ~ will raise a
pleasured
brow in both a "steeped in tradition" Portuguese customer as well
as the
sophisticated, four-star restaurant enthusiast.
Since LaSalette's debut, its menu and service has garnered
significant press
attention and review from regional as well as national food editors
and
critics. Chef Azevedo's
inspiration to
put a little known and often misunderstood cuisine on the map has
proven
fruitful, born of his passion for cooking and confidence as a
restaurateur.
A Modern Signature for an Ancient Cuisine
Portuguese cuisine is one of the oldest yet least known culinary
achievements in modern society. Often confused with its Mediterranean
neighbors, Portuguese cooking has been confused with Spanish cuisine.
However, with a legacy dating back three centuries and a country
encapsulated from early mainland Europe, the Portuguese took to the
seas,
becoming pioneers in world exploration and building a trade empire
that
touched every corner of the globe. A distinctive fusion of spices
and food
preparations distilled in the kettles of the peasantry and emerged
to create
the basis of contemporary Portuguese cuisine.
To understand Portuguese cooking, it is important to know the
history of
Portugal and her former colonies. During the 15th and 16th centuries,
Portugal was the world's dominant sea faring and colonizing power.
Portuguese fleets traveled the world, establishing trade routes and
colonies
from the Atlantic islands to Africa and the Far East. Each new
discovery
added to and changed the character of Portuguese food. Today, the
cuisine of
Portugal evokes a voyage around the world, with such elements as
rice from
the East, hot peppers from Africa, rich spices from India, potatoes
and
tomatoes from the New World, and cod from Newfoundland. From the
savory
stews of Brazil to the fresh and diverse seafood of the Atlantic
coast,
Portuguese food is a truly global experience.
Driven by his passion for cooking and his Portuguese heritage, Chef
Manuel
Azevedo has transformed and refined authentic recipes of his
homeland into a
signature style he calls "Cozinha Nova Portuguesa." His dishes, in
keeping
with the Portuguese aesthetic, juxtapose ingredients in ways
uncommon to the
American palette ~ such as ham with trout, shellfish with pork,
fruits with
eggs, and so on. Each flavorful bite bespeaks exquisite balance and
freshly
picked, just off the docks freshness.
Any night of the week, one will find Chef Azevedo cooking up a
storm at the
restaurant's open, wood-burning oven, a meticulous eye given to
each and
every presentation. The aroma of house-baked bread intermingled with
sizzling sardines and Portuguese spices wafts through the casual,
contemporary restaurant decor and out to the terrace beyond.
Patrons feel as
if they are dining in the Chef's own home ~ a welcoming atmosphere
made warm
and cozy amid hanging brass cookware, wooden tables fashioned from
old wine
boxes, burlap draperies, and Portuguese hand painted pottery. By
day, diners
enjoy a casual lunch on the terrace of wood oven baked sardines, or
linger
over an evening meal served al fresco under the stars while
listening to
Fado, the traditional music of Portugal.
LaSalette's menu varies with the seasons and the available fresh
market.
However, favorites such as Azevedo's Bacalhau are ever-present.
Another
soul-comforting favorite is Feijoada Completa, a traditional
Brazilian black
bean stew of oxtail, pork shoulder, pork belly and linguica.
LaSalette Restaurant's wine list consists mainly of Portuguese and
Sonoma
favorites, carefully selected to complement and enhance the menu. The
offerings include a large selection of Ports, Madeiras, and
Muscatels.
Today, we live in a globalized world of communication and cultural
exchange
where it has become more difficult to find original experiences to
lift our
spirits with a sense of discovery. Few Portuguese restaurants
exist in
America; authentic Portuguese cuisine remains a fresh, tantalizing
treasure
in the culinary milieu. Chef Manuel Azevedo's LaSalette Restaurant is
leading the way in the northern California fine dining scene, as
well as
defining Portuguese cuisine with his "Cozinha Nova Portuguesa"
signature at
a national level. Awards, reviews and accolades for LaSalette
continue to
blossom as food writers, restaurant reviewers and discriminating
diners
seeking exemplary gastronomic experiences discover the rewards of
exploring
this relatively unknown cuisine.
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