CURA

In his open kitchen, Bastos is intent upon bringing “more joy and soul” to CURA’s offerings than are typical of fine-dining fare. He works with small local suppliers to source ingredients of superb flavour and condition, and he plucks others such as crunchy reindeer moss, marbled meat from Alentejo Iberian pigs, and “the best chickpeas we can find” directly from the wild. His menu highlights a dozen or so dishes at a time, changing with the seasons, and he tries to work with just two or three ingredients “and one really sharp knife” at a time, the better to ensure that guests taste the food as it is meant to taste.

Lopes oversees the all-local wine list at CURA. The wine collection, like Lopes’ focus, pairs exquisitely with the exuberantly local, seasonal cuisine of Chef Pedro Pena Bastos. Distinct from those more celebrated wine countries, the winemakers of Portugal are known for creating blends, sometimes mixing five, six, or even seven different types of grapes. Pairing complex blends with dishes from the kitchen is “the fun part” of Lopes’ job, he says, noting Bastos’ unique way of cooking with “out-of-the-box” ingredients sourced from farmers and fishers or foraged by the kitchen team.