Mercado do Campo de Ourique, Lisbon, Portugal

I never would have found this place on my own.  Many thanks to a group of locals that invited my friends and I along to watch the Euro Cup final match, pitting Portugal against France.  And a hell of a time, it was!

This is along the lines of the many food markets you see around the world that mixes fresh items with stalls or bars that cook/prepare food.  Something like Barcelona’s Boqueria or New York’s Chelsea Market.  For the Euro Cup final, they set up several televisions, including a huge projection screen.  We sampled many of the wares – from slow roasted pork reminiscent of Cuban lechón, to sushi, burgers, and a gorgeous Portuguese charcuterie board – everything was on point.  The wine purveyor had a great selection from several regions of Portugal and nifty little vinyl bags he would fill with ice to keep things cool.

Needless to say that after Portugal triumphed, there was much dancing, singing, kissing, and the beer flowed and flowed . . . free of charge of course.  Having had a great experience here during a very hectic, overly-packed moment, I would highly suggest any gastronomy fan to pay it a visit.

Mercado do Campo de Ourique, Rua Coelho da Rocha 104, 1350-074, Lisbon, Portugal

Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad, Cartagena, Getsemaní, Colombia

Yes, this is a plaza in front of a church. Yes, street drinking is legal. Yes, you were just offered drugs by a teenager (thank him warmly as you decline). Yes, that is a cop in head-to-toe body armor carrying a crowd-dispersal beanbag shotgun. Don’t worry. Go buy yourself a few cold ones from the guy with the cooler, step over to the food cart where the most insanely delicious burger you will ever have is being made. Talk to some strangers. Make some new friends. This is how we do it in Cartagena, because “Colombia es una chimba!”

Address: Plaza de la Santísima Trinidad, Calle 29 between Carrera 10 and 10b, Cartagena, Getsemaní, Colombia