Liberal Club

20 Star St.

Fall River, MA 02724

(508) 679-2460

Mom and I usually go out of town for lunch, forgetting that our own hometown has quite a list of restaurants that we have yet to review. With the addition of Fall River Eats, a new food blog that features the city's best dining establishments, Mom and I felt that we needed to step up our game. She started thinking of places that had been recommended to her by family members. One name that she came up with was the Liberal Club, a large banquet hall/bar/restaurant that supposedly has great Portuguese food. I had been there once before, but since it was quite a long time ago and somewhat of a blur, we decided that this would be a perfect opportunity for us to do an official review of the place. Located in the center of a residential area, the restaurant is hard to find if you do not know the city. Luckily for us, I knew just where it was and we pulled into the large parking area at just around 2:15 p.m.

front of the building

dining room entrance

Since there is no entrance to the dining room at the front of the brick building, you have to park at the far left side - almost behind the restaurant - where you will see an arrow pointing toward the correct door. Once inside the small lobby, which had a list of specials hanging in the waiting area, we walked down the ramp and into the dining room. Paying attention to the "please wait to be seated" sign, we patiently waited until a friendly waitress - who we later learned was named Kris - came over and showed us to a table/banquette. She placed two plastic-covered menus in front of us and gave us a few minutes to look them over. Since there were so many things on the menu, I had trouble deciding what to get. When Kris returned, I had to ask her for a few more minutes so that I could make up my mind. Both Mom and I wanted to get a Portuguese dish, so when Kris returned, I chose the cacoula sandwich with red pepper ($6.95), and Mom chose the chourico and chip dinner ($7.95). Mom suggested that - if they offered it - I try a small cup of their kale soup. Luckily for me, they did ($2.95). After Kris retreated back to the kitchen, an older woman appeared and asked us what we would like to drink. We ordered two Diet Cokes, which were brought to us in cans along with two plastic cups of ice. We were asked to pay for the drinks right away ($2.50 for the two), which is something that I remembered from my previous visit. After I paid the woman and she went off to another table, I asked Mom if I should have tipped her. Neither of us knew! Oops. We need to brush up on our tipping etiquette.

Both Mom and I were very impressed with the size of the menu at the Liberal Club. Mom was expecting a bar menu with a couple of options, but this was a fully operating restaurant complete with everything from appetizers to desserts. Appetizer choices include boneless buffalo wings and mozzarella sticks; soups ($2.95-4.95) include New England and Manhattan clam chowders, seafood bisque, and baked French onion; and salads include Caesar, garden, and chicken Caesar. There was also a long list of specials and a list of various chicken, steak, and seafood dishes like the Bourbon steak tips, baked scrod, scrod casino, fish and chips, fried sole, and a fried clam plate. Other choices include the cacoula plate, chourico meat plate, shrimp Mozambique, chicken parmigiana, and spaghetti with marinara sauce. The prices were about average for a nice restaurant, although the seafood dishes ran a bit high (the clam plate was $20.95). This is probably because the market value of seafood is very high right now. However, where indicated, some dinners come with soup or salad, your choice of potato and vegetable, and rolls. You do get a lot for your money.

Although we've never been in any of the fancy banquet rooms or the bar of the Liberal Club, Mom was quite pleased with the attractiveness of the dining room. In her mind, she was picturing a little dive with a couple of dinky looking tables. This was actually quite the opposite. The beige dining room was decorated with several local photos and Red Sox memorabilia. Portuguese music played in the background while diners relaxed in very large, wooden booths. From afar, it almost looked like an area filled with cubicles. There were no table cloths, but there were place mats featuring local businesses on each table. Everything was very neat and clean, and the waitresses all seemed very attentive and friendly. I had a hard time getting a clear picture because of the overwhelming booths, but I was surprised at how many people could actually be seated comfortably in the small space.

In a matter of seconds, my cup of kale soup arrived along with four fresh Portuguese rolls and butter in a basket. Not only were the rolls outstanding, but the kale soup was extremely tasty. It was served very hot and was filled with fresh kale, kidney beans, potatoes, roast meat, and chourico. I kept dunking my roll into the soup to ensure that I soaked up every drop. So what if I looked like a pig? I was enjoying myself. Mom also couldn't get enough of the rolls, which most likely come from one of the many Portuguese bakeries in the area.

Boy, the service here is fast. I hadn't even finished my soup when I spotted Kris walking over with our plates of food. Both dishes looked and smelled amazing. She asked us if we would like a bottle of ketchup for our fries, and I said yes (Mom doesn't do ketchup). It seemed like there was about a pound of cubed chourico sitting on top of an equal amount of crispy fries on Mom's plate. She was very surprised and impressed by the portion size, especially since it was only $7.95. The dish was accompanied by some sliced banana peppers, which she quickly handed over to me since she's not a fan. Once she tasted the dish, she found that the chourico was lean, nicely spiced, and very well done. She even enjoyed the fries, which were served very hot - just like she likes them. There was so much food on the plate that Mom ended up taking half of it home to Dad, who thoroughly enjoyed it as well.

Portuguese cacoula (spelled several different ways) is nothing more than marinated, shredded pork. Stuffed into a large torpedo roll, my sandwich was fabulous. I threw Mom's banana peppers into my sub along with the large red pepper that was already laying across the top. The pork was tender, deliciously spiced, and surprisingly not messy to eat. There was so much meat that I thought the bread would eventually get soaked and I'd be wearing half of it. This never happened. Everything stayed together and, with the peppers, had a very spicy, terrific taste. The handful of fries that came with it was also very good and for $6.95, this large sandwich was definitely a steal.

After I swiped some cubes of tasty chourico off of Mom's plate, Kris returned to the table to clear away the dishes and pack up the rest of Mom's dinner. She offered us coffee or dessert, but we were too full to accept. Kris then brought the bill, which came to:

Chourico and chip dinner - $7.95

Cacoula sandwich - 6.95

Kale soup - 2.95

Subtotal - $17.85

Tax - .89

*TOTAL = $18.74

*Remember, we already paid for our drinks.

We left $22.50 on the table for Kris, which included a 20% tip. Before leaving, Mom decided to check out the ladies' room, which was located right next to the dining room entrance. She said that the single unit was simple, but immaculate.

As we carried Mom's Styrofoam back to the car, we laughed at the fact that it had taken us years to visit a restaurant that the rest of the city is very familiar with. I'm almost positive that every Portuguese family in Fall River has had at least one wedding or birthday party in the banquet rooms, and it's no surprise because the food is outstanding. Mom has been full of great ideas lately, and I'm really glad that she suggested the Liberal Club. Her expectations were exceeded, and we will definitely be coming back again.

The Liberal Club is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday. The restaurant is closed on Sunday and Monday.

Antonio's Restaurant

267 Coggeshall St.

New Bedford, MA 02746

(508) 990-3636

A second trip to Antonio's Restaurant was just what the doctor ordered on this beautiful Saturday. Since I wasn't feeling up to par, Mom and I decided to revisit Antonio's today at 3 p.m. to see if we could get an official review completed. We were lucky this time - no one was staring at us! Thank goodness for that, because I was not in the mood to be seen. I just wanted to have a good meal, and that's just what I got.

We parked in Antonio's large lot located across the street from the restaurant. We entered through the red dining room door (on the far left) and were quickly seated by one of the waitresses. She left us with two plastic-covered menus and a paper list of daily specials. Mom and I were hoping to get the very last seat by the window (so adorable), but alas, we were seated on the side of it. Maybe next time. We were soon joined by a waitress, who we later found out was named Rosa. Rosa asked what we would like to drink, and Mom and I both ordered a Diet Pepsi. The two drinks quickly arrived in plastic glasses. The soda was actually fountain soda, which I love because of the sugary sweetness. Even Mom really enjoyed it, and she really only likes soda when we go out to eat. Mom asked Rosa if we could have a few minutes to narrow down our choices because there were just so many. When we finally made our decision, Rosa reappeared to take our order. Mom chose the cacoila platter ($7.95) which came with fries and rice. I ordered the crab cakes ($8.95) which also came with rice and a side salad, which I chose to have with Italian dressing. Also, because we loved them so much the last time, Mom and I ordered a plate of four meat croquettes ($.75 each) as our appetizer. As Rosa took away our menus, Mom and I both commented on how busy the restaurant was, and apparently always is (according to our fans).

For a Portuguese restaurant, Antonio's is sprinkled with American country decor. Big wreaths with dried flowers, large paper mache grapes, porcelain plates decorated with lobsters, wooden mirrors, and beautiful floral curtains surrounded the dining room giving it a very homey feel. What I liked about all the knickknacks is that they were placed high on a large shelf that seemed to go all the way around the room, making the small space actually look taller. The calming green paint and side shelves used for keeping condiments off the tables seated next to the walls were a great touch, as was the oddly matched instrumental jazz music playing in the background. All the waitresses were dressed in white shirts and black pants, which I assume is the unofficial uniform of Antonio's. There are no booths in the dining room, and each wooden table had a mauve top and was covered by place mats featuring local businesses. The bar area, although located next to the dining room, was separated by a large wall with a built in window.

Rosa returned to our table to bring over my salad. The greens, tomatoes, and onions were very fresh, as was the Italian dressing that came on the side. After what seemed like a few seconds, Rosa came back with our meat croquettes and a basket of Portuguese bread (one bun and some sliced pieces). Just like on our last visit, the meat croquettes were outstanding. Made with a mixture of beef, pork, and chourico, the croquettes are formed into little log shapes. They then are lightly coated and deep fried, giving them a nice crispy exterior with a delicious, moist, meaty interior. They make a fantastic appetizer, but Mom said she could sit there with some fries and make a meal out of them. They're just that tasty.

Since there are a lot of Portuguese people in this part of Massachusetts, no one is surprised to see a plethora of Portuguese restaurants in both Fall River and New Bedford. However, Antonio's is really something special. Starters include cod fish cakes ($.75 each), shrimp croquettes ($1.25 each), fried squid ($7.95), and little necks bulhao pato ($10.95) which is little necks steamed in olive oil, garlic, and parsley. Soups include kale (bowl - $2; quart - $4) and chicken and rice. Sandwiches include the fish ($5.25), pork steak ($5.25), grilled sirloin tip ($6.25), and the linguica ($5.25). For the main event, chicken dishes include the boneless fried chicken ($9.95), sauteed chicken with little necks Spanish style (dinner - $11.95; lunch $7.95), and the chicken Antonio's with shrimp ($12.95), which is chunks of chicken breast and shrimp steamed in a zesty saffron sauce served with fried sliced potatoes. Meat dishes include the barbecued meat ($10.95), pork meat ribatejana ($13.95), surf and turf ($17.95), grilled lamp chops ($17.95), and the steak chef's choice (for one - $16.95; for two - $22.95), which is pan seared beef tenderloin, steak, and chicken breast with a beef flavored brandy sauce and four battered fried shrimp. Fish dishes include the sardines ($9.95), salted codfish ($11.95), grilled native scallops with lemon butter ($10.95), broiled scrod ($11.95), and the paella (for one - $16.95; for two - $22.95), which includes an assortment of lobster, scallops, mussels, little necks, shrimp, chicken, beef, and rice simmered in a saffron broth. Antonio's also has a children's menu, as well as a list of homemade desserts including their delicious caramel pudding flan custard ($2.95) and the cheesecake with strawberries ($3.95). Party platters are also available, where you can order large "hotel" pans of cacoila ($60), paella ($75), and other delicious dishes. You can even order dessert in bulk!

In another flash, our food was ready. On both visits to Antonio's, our food has arrived at our table in record time. Mom's cacoila plate was huge! She said that it was really enough for two people. Cacoila, in case you don't know, is boneless, cubed pork marinated in a spicy sauce until it's fall-apart tender and absolutely delicious. Half of the plate was loaded with the cacoila, while the other half contained a mound of fries and a pile of yellow rice. Needless to say, Mom couldn't finish the meal, and ended up bringing half of it home to Dad. The meat was so tender that no knife was needed. You could literally just pull it apart. She would definitely order this meal again, and maybe even get it in the sandwich that they offer ($5.25).

At first, I was a little concerned that I hadn't gotten enough crab cakes. In reality, I'm fatter than I have ever been in my life, yet I am always worried that I'm going to starve in a restaurant. Go figure. I was just disturbed at the amount of rice that covered my plate versus the number of crab cakes that were sitting there. However, once I started eating the cakes, I realized why they had only given me three - they were FILLING. Stuffed with a ton of crab meat, you could actually see the minced veggies and taste the delicious bread crumb topping with every bite. A side of tartar sauce accompanied my dish, and that was delicious as well. The cakes were so good that I gave a piece to Mom to try, and she vowed to order this dish on our next visit. The crab cakes were really excellent, and I certainly did not go hungry (thank God).

Before our meals had arrived, Mom and I had contemplated ordering a piece of lemon cake that we saw on the list of specials ($3.95). That idea quickly went out the window because we were stuffed. Rosa came over to see if we wanted anything else, but we did not. She took the rest of Mom's meal, put it in Styrofoam, and brought us over a couple of take-out menus (I asked her for one). She also brought the bill, which came to:

4 meat croquettes - $3

Cacoila - 7.95

Crab cakes - 8.95

Food total - $19.90

Beverage total - 3

Subtotal - $22.90

Tax - 1.15

TOTAL = $24.05

For all the food we had, this price was definitely a steal. We left $29 on the table for Rosa, which included a 20% tip. On this particular day, we did not visit the restroom. However, since the dining room is very clean, we expect that the bathroom is of the same standard.

On every local restaurant Web site that Mom visits, they always mention Antonio's for the best Portuguese food. Now that we've visited twice, we can definitely agree with the high rating that everyone gives it. With great service, food, and prices, you should definitely check out Antonio's Restaurant, but get there early! Waiting in line on an empty stomach is just torture.

Antonio's Restaurant is open from 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

************
Date: 3/1/08

Well, here is a picture of the outside of Antonio's Restaurant, a highly recommended Portuguese restaurant located in New Bedford, MA. Mom and I had every intention of doing an official review of Antonio's for our readers, but guess what? Staring eyes prevented me from taking pictures of the interior and our delicious food. Perhaps I was looking extra interesting in my blue sweatpants, but whatever the reason, I couldn't take any photos. Let me give you a quick synopsis of what we had:

Mom and I decided to try a meat croquette and a cod fish cake for an appetizer ($.75 each). They were OUTSTANDING. The meat was a blend of pork, beef, and chourico, while the cod cake was flavored with minced vegetables. For my entree, I had the junior (8 oz.) Antonio's steak ($9.95), which arrived on a platter framed with a pile of homemade fries and yellow rice. The steak itself was topped with a piece of ham and a fried egg. Mom ordered the fish and chips ($8.95). Both meals were fantastic. Mom's fish was very white, flaky, and not at all greasy. My steak was cooked perfectly and the ham and egg complimented it very well. We both enjoyed the fries. For dessert, we each ordered a piece of flan. I'm not sure if it was homemade, but we each received a large piece topped with a dollop of whipped cream. It sat in a caramel-like sauce and was very flavorful. The bill came to $30.80, and I left $37 for the waitress. The service was excellent, the dining room was packed, and parking was a breeze with the extra lot across the street.

We will DEFINITELY be going back a second time - maybe even this Saturday. Both Mom and I now understand why everyone has been recommending Antonio's to us. I promise you - next time there will be pictures! Lots of pictures of delicious food, and delicious food it was.

Lusitano Restaurant

822 King Philip St.

Fall River, MA 02724

(508) 672-9104
www.lusitanorestaurant.com

My mother is not a very adventurous eater. This fact is clearly noticeable in our reviews as she tends to order the same types of dishes on a lot of our adventures. My friend, Scott, even jokes that she only eats spaghetti and coffee ice cream. However, today was going to be different. Since we were continuing our "Tour of Fall River," we decided to have lunch at Lusitano because 1) we heard a lot of good things about their food, and 2) Mom had a coupon. As we chatted about what we would get on the ride to the restaurant, Mom vowed that she was going to walk on the wild side and maybe get the steak. I've gotta see this!

This was going to be my first visit to Lusitano, but it was Mom's second. She came here for a birthday party for my cousin, and when she came back home, told me about how good everything tasted despite her picky ways. We arrived around 3 p.m., and I pulled into the huge lot they have across the street from the restaurant. I think there were only about four other cars in the lot, so I was sure that the place wasn't going to be packed.

When we got inside the dining room entrance, we were facing a mirror. To the right of the mirror was the main door, and we quickly went inside. A polite waitress came over to us, grabbed two very heavy, pleather-bound menus, and brought us over to table 9. Aside from one couple seated just behind the mirror, Mom and I were the only other people in the dining room. We opened our menus and began to examine the possibilities. Although the menu is not large, it does boast every typical Portuguese dish that you can think of. Bacalhau ($11.95-14.95), scrod ($11.95), broiled salmon ($12.95), shrimp kabob ($13.95), shrimp Mozambique ($11.95), and a variety of beef, pork, and poultry dishes that sounded amazing. Everything was listed in Portuguese, but thankfully the descriptions of each dish were written in English. Their appetizer list consists of chicken wings, soups, salads, kabobs, shrimp, fish cakes, and something called Chouriço á Bombeiro, which is Chourico Fireman Style ($5.95).

When the waitress came back over (we had asked for a few extra minutes), Mom and I had finally made our decision. She broke from the norm and ordered the Bife a Regional, which is marinated Azorean style steak topped with a fried egg and red pepper ($11.95). I chose the Filetes a Lusitano ($11.95), which is scrod smothered in spicy tomato sauce and topped with peppers and onions. The waitress left a basket of two Portuguese rolls and some butter on the table and went back to the kitchen, but not before taking our order for drinks, soup, and salad. We both ordered Diet Pepsis, and Mom chose the salad while I chose the Portuguese kale soup. When the waitress came back to the table, she brought with her a contraption with three little bowls attached to it. In the bowls were French, Italian, and we believe Thousand Island dressing. After Mom scooped a couple of teaspoons of French onto her greens, the waitress took the dressings back to the kitchen. I found my soup to be delicious. Piping hot, the broth was spicy and the potatoes, beans, and kale were fresh. The slivers of chourico and beef were tender and melted in my mouth. Mom's salad was crisp and fresh and the French dressing was cool and tangy. As we waited for the food to arrive, we scoped out the interior.


It is quite elegant in the dining room, and even more so in their large banquet room (which we could see through a sliding door). Mom and I were seated next to the dining room dance floor, and every table was covered with a white tablecloth, cloth napkins, and attractive tableware. By the dance floor there was quite a large stereo system that was playing Portuguese music quietly in the background, a disco ball, and a few microphones that were probably used on those drunken karaoke filled nights. Their banquet facility is called Royal Gardens, and on their Web site you can find a variety of information about the different packages they offer. While we were there, we saw a couple examining and later signing up for their wedding reception, and we also saw a few customers go back there to peer at the beautiful setup.

When our food arrived, we were very pleased with the presentations. Mom's steak was hidden under a fried egg and centered on a plate flanked with homemade fries and yellow rice. She said that her steak was very tender and did not have any pieces of fat. She also raved about how good the steak tasted topped with the egg. I was so proud of her! She enjoyed her fries very much and said the rice was quite appetizing. All in all, she had a very delicious, and adventurous, lunch. A far cry from spaghetti!


My meal was fantastic. My fillet arrived with white potatoes (which I didn't expect) and yellow rice. The potatoes were delicious because they had soaked up some of the spicy Portuguese sauce that my fish was topped with. The fish was extremely flaky, white, and tasty. It also absorbed the flavor of the sauce and of the peppers that sat on top. The veggies were fresh and the rice was tasty. The only complaint I have was that the waitress did not come over once during our meal to see how it was. If she did, I would have asked her for water because my dish was spicy!

After I managed to track down our waitress to ask for some water, she brought me a pitcher of it, but neglected to give me a separate glass. At this point, my mouth was on fire so I didn't care if there were Pepsi remnants in the glass or not - I just wanted to cool down! This was literally the last time we saw this woman for a good 15 minutes (or maybe even more). She seemed to disappear into oblivion, and I was confused as to why because we were the only ones in there. It's not like she was busy serving other people. I don't know what was going on, but I was starting to get a little antsy. Finally, she appeared and cleared our plates. My mother then informed her that we had a coupon, but the waitress told us that we could save it to use for another time (at first we didn't think she was going to take the discount off our bill, but we figured out that she meant for us to keep the coupon to use again). Another five or ten minutes went by before she brought the check:

1 beef - $11.95
1 fillet - 11.95
Total = 23.90
Discount - $9.95
Total = $13.95
Sodas - $4.00
Total = $17.95
Tax = $.90
Total = $18.85
*$23.90 = Gratuity?

*Figure it out? Yeah, I can't either, ha, ha. The total is off, but I could see that she did take off the $9.95 from the coupon (the coupon read "free dinner," but the value was only up to $9.95, and conveniently all the dinners started at $10.95). The total is exactly what it should be for two meals without sodas and tax. Whatever. I was just glad that we finally got the check and could pay. The slow service was really putting a damper on my delicious experience. I do like that they added in the 15 percent gratuity, but I usually leave 20, so in this case the rule kind of screwed our waitress. As we left the restaurant stuffed, both Mom and I remarked that we would love to come here again to try the Chouriço á Bombeiro, and I would like to get a steak for myself as Mom's looked so good. Although the service could be a little faster, we enjoyed ourselves and would definitely visit again. I'm glad Mom's walk on the wild side resulted in a very satisfied customer.

Lusitano is open Wednesdays and Thursdays from 3-9 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 12-9 p.m., and Sundays from 12-9 p.m. They are closed on Mondays and Tuesdays, and they have a Sunday Lunch Buffet from 12-4 p.m. There is live music on Saturday nights, and the restaurant was featured on Emeril Live in 2003! This is really a great place to get some of Fall River's delicious Portuguese food, or to host a fabulous wedding reception.

Inner Bay Cafe & Grill

1339 Cove Road

New Bedford, MA 02744

(508) 984-0489

www.innerbay.com

This was a surprise! We really didn't know anything about the Inner Bay restaurant, but we won a coupon on MenuJoy.com, so we decided to go and see what it was all about. It's a very pretty little restaurant that specializes in Portuguese cuisine. They have several American dishes as well. Laura and I went there for lunch, and the place was nice and quiet. The interior was very pretty, the decor was very European, and there were a lot of white tablecloths and crystal. They didn't have the chourico appetizer that we had wanted to get, so we had just gone with our meals - two orders of fish and chips. It was delicious. We also shared flan for dessert that was also delicious. The service was great, and we'd definitely go back again!