Eating In Translation

Portugal Day Festival

Featuring a guest star from Bahia.

Another Slice out of the Ironbound

Though the young Tony Soprano lived here, today you're likely to hear Portuguese or, increasingly, Spanish in Newark's multi-ethnic Ironbound neighborhood. It's certainly much easier to find comida Ecuatoriana than a pizza Margherita.

The former Roberto's Pizza Café
165 Ferry Street, Newark, New Jersey

Betel Bakery

It's a welcome resting spot near the eastern end of the Ironbound.

Just Rugelach

Come to think of it, rugelach is one thing of theirs I haven't had.

Argyle Restaurant

At the Argyle, even the fish sometimes turn their gaze toward the haggis.

Sip-N-Dunk

Coffee ($1), no donuts. Despite the sign and the other lingering fixtures, like footrests on the stools at the lunch counter, the menu is almost exclusively Peruvian. Nothing stood out, except for the curious display of orange gelatin desserts in the display case by the door.

Sip-N-Dunk
147 Kearny Ave., Kearny, New Jersey
201-997-3994

Dig In on Robbie Burns Day

Every January 25 (and thenabouts), folks of Scottish descent celebrate the birth of the poet Robert Burns, especially by preparing and enjoying traditional dishes such as haggis with neeps and tatties  — minced sheep's offal with turnips and potatoes.

Kearny (Car-knee), New Jersey, is one of the few towns in the New York region with a sizable Scottish expat and Scots-American population, and its Argyle restaurant will be adding haggis to its casual-dining menu. A small party from The World Food Lovers Dining Out Group will gather there for an early dinner on Saturday, January 26; if you'd like to join us, we have a few seats available.

Stewart's of Kearny

There's just not much call for haggis anymore, Al Stewart told me on a recent visit, at least not 'round here.

The Thistle Restaurant

Disconcertingly rectangular slab of fish in my cod and chips (lunch portion; $9), though under its batter, the fish was flaky and very tasty. Fries were fine; the cole slaw was only slightly less liquid than the tartar sauce.

The Thistle Restaurant
87 Kearny Ave., Kearny, New Jersey
201-998-3443

O Pão Quente da Avenida

The flavor of this thin firm custard ($1.75) was nothing out of the ordinary — just your usual Portuguese-bakery egginess — but I liked the browned top and crispy edges.

O Pão Quente da Avenida
244 Kearny Ave., Kearny, New Jersey
201-246-8790

Teixeira's Bakery

Visit Teixeira's when you're hungry, and your appetite may be utterly spoiled by sweets like this little number ($1.35), which folds browned, sugar-sprinkled spongecake around egg custard.

Teixeira's Bakery
186 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey
(one of several locations)
973-344-0103

A.J. Seabra's Supermarket

One-stop destination for Portuguese food and drink; witness the extra-large assortment of bacalhau. If salt cod isn't on your shopping list, Mimoso drinkable yogurt, coconut flavor ($1.49) is a pretty good thirst-quencher.

A.J. Seabra's Supermarket
260 Lafayette St., Newark, New Jersey
973-589-8606

Pic-Nic Barbeque

Lip-smacking grilled sardines ($1.25 each) — lovely, if picking around the bones isn't a bother.

Pic-Nic Barbeque
233 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey
973-589-4630
At the Portugal Day festival in the Ironbound District

Casa do Pão de Queijo

Forsook the namesake cheese bread for a cup of sugarcane juice ($3), fresh-squeezed from bundles of the cane fibers rather than from the full stalks.

Casa do Pão de Queijo
220 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey
(one of several locations)
973-344-3232
At the Portugal Day festival in the Ironbound District

Casa Nova

The muscled-up texture of the beef on this espetinho, or skewer ($2), was well served by dense farofa and a few dollops of A-1 sauce.

Casa Nova
262 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey
(one of several locations)
973-817-8712
At the Portugal Day festival in the Ironbound District

Vai Brasil

Friendly little Portuguese-Brazilian-Latin grocery — a candies-on-the-counter kind of store — where I picked up Vilma brand cashew-apple drink mix (240 g.; 95 cents; makes 2 liters). There's some flavor in it apart from apples, but I don't know that I'd ever guess cashew.

Vai Brasil
315 Ferry St., Newark, New Jersey
973-578-8376

Brasilia Grill

Rolled my beef churrasco ($2) in fine-ground farofa — toasted meal made from yuca (also called manioc and cassava) — which helps satisfy your daily starch allowance and also holds the hot sauce in place.

Brasilia Grill
99 Monroe St., Newark, New Jersey
973-589-8682
At the Portugal Day festival in the Ironbound District