JENNIFER MARIE LEWIN / jennifer@vueweekly.com

The scenic coast line caught and held our attention. Amazingly warm people welcomed us with open smiles. However, one of the first things we noticed on our trip through Portugal is how the Portuguese love to eat.

Food and drink is everywhere—from snack bars and coffee shops to fine restaurants and innumerable kiosks selling roasted chestnuts and freshly made nougat. It was refreshing to be offered samples of almonds and figs (plus liquor and port) without warnings of food allergies or signing a waiver promising not to sue. Our daughter received more fresh oranges, candies and pastries on a single walk past a seniors’ complex than she did on Halloween. This was my kind of country.

Portugal’s food is as diverse as the castles and churches scattered across the land. We spent the majority of our time in the Algarve area in southern Portugal, so seafood was the dominant entrée of choice. And, we were told, nowhere could we find a more traditional and unforgettable meal then in A Ruina, one of the most renowned restaurants in the Algarve.