It had been awhile since Mark had eaten a hotdog, so I agreed to take one for the team and join him one evening at Frankie. You can get a choice of frank, brat, chicken, or soy dog which is great but I am not too big into fake sausage so I opted to go all out with the Vietnamita: a frank with peppers, kimchi, cilantro, lime and caramelized pork belly. It was so great to eat something spicy as it does not exist in Portugal. Even the asian restaurants we have tried haven’t been spicy, so it was nice to get a warning when I ordered this dish. Alas, it was not as not as hot as advertised, but it was good to eat something with heat for a change. The cheddar fries were amazing and the beer really cold. Another meal that came in under 20€ for the both of us with drinks. It is easy to get some fun food here without breaking the bank.

There are a hundred places to get Kebab/Falafel in town, but Divan is the best we tried. We went on Christmas day, the place was completely packed with locals enjoying pizza, kebab and drinks. There is a cool bar area upstairs that has unique lighting and a completely different vibe from their downstairs dining room. The service is warm and friendly, I also highly recommend their curry fries with unusual sauce smothered in sliced raw onion.

Looking back I am realizing that most the food we ate out was a but in the junk food territory, but there are some really special offerings in this town. We eat so healthy during the week that come weekend time we are ready to splurge on something cheap and tasty. Munchie’s sandwiches are insanely good, the Vegetariano I had was filled with lettuce, cheddar, grilled tomato, eggplant and zucchini, confit mushrooms and both fried and caramelized onion with a fried egg and garlic aioli. They serve their sandwiches with fresh homemade kettle chips. Add a large cold beer and your meal is still less than 8€. Their sandwiches are ridiculously over the top, but they are delicious and unique!

The Francesinha, a quintessential Porto sandwich made of layered sausage, ham and steak topped with bread, smothered with melted cheese then topped with an egg and drenched in special sauce. The sauce is a blend of tomatoes, broth, piri piri spices, beer and port wine. The sandwich is always served with a pile of french fries which are great to dip in your leftover francesinha sauce. This is still by far Mark’s favorite dish we have had abroad and he is wondering if there will be anything that matches it. Quite obviously I did not partake in this masterpiece/monstrosity, but I do pick a random meat dish a month to enjoy. The great thing about Portugal is that there are always a vegetarian option available. At the cafe where we first discovered this delicacy, I had a veggie burger which consisted of a patty of zucchini, carrot, potato (no bun) served with rice, a small salad and fries. A lot of Portuguese food is like this, a serving of meat, tiny salad, rice and potatoes. The Almada cafe is a local favorite, always packed with locals and amazing dishes for 5€.

Porto is such a fun and youthful town. It is also has a huge coffee and drink culture. At night the town is alive with musicians playing in the cafes and the buzz of conversation. We stayed in an ideal location with a dozen cool bars and restaurants in our neighborhood. Aduela was the best place to get a cold stout and espresso for 4€, a lively little bar with outdoor seating. All times of the day this place was packed, but you can always stand and enjoy your drinks in their outdoor space. If you are looking for an unusual beer, Baobab is the place for you. Run by a lovely Slovakian couple, they host the most extensive array of world craft beers. Denby is extremely knowledgeable and will have something for any beer lover. We saw a tower of cans when passing by his window one day, recognizing many breweries from our time in the Pacific Northwest.

Our favorite brewpub, A Fabrica da Picaria was just a stones throw away from our flat. The service, food and beers here were exceptional. Everywhere we went people make sure their patrons are having a great time. Mark was also happy they had a hotdog Francesinha to eat. I enjoyed one of the best veggie burgers, made with beet and garbanzo beans on a fuchsia brioche. Both beautiful and delicious.

Drinks in Porto are ridiculously inexpensive. Best bar goes to Moca, in particular their signature shot which was a rainbow of coconut rum, midori, curaçao, chambord and cinnamon whiskey. It sounds insane but is surprisingly good. The main bartender is making these crazy concoctions all night as they are only 2€. All of the bars and cafes are packed until the early AM, you can hear people singing and laughing at all times of the night. People spill over into the small streets when the bars become too crowded, it is like a never ending block party each night, no matter what day of the week it is. Portugal is one of the greatest places in the world and we can’t wait to return. Our last night was filled with nostalgia and stories as we lamented our two month say could have easily been three.