Solmar ... Seafood for the Soul

We arrived at Solmar with nine hungry diners and high expectations as we had heard good things about this Brazilian and Portuguese restaurant across the street from the Tarrytown Music Hall. The owner, Carlos Mendonca greeted us warmly and seated us at long table in the front window of this airy, pleasant site. Out to celebrate our friends’ recent relocation to Tarrytown, we brought our own champagne and the restaurant agreed to open it and serve it for a modest corkage fee. But there is not need to BYOB as they have a full bar.

With our large party we were able to taste many of the offerings on the menu and everyone cleaned their plates. Shrimp, clams and mussels as well as pork and sausage featured prominently and there was an interesting mix of both Brazilian and Portuguese fare.

To begin the meal we started with “Steamed Clams Bulhao Pato” which were clams in the shell, steamed in white wine, garlic, cilantro and

mustard. The clams were cooked to perfection and the sauce was good to mop up with the crusty bread that was served along with it. For mussel lovers, there were Prince Edward Island mussels cooked in white wine with sausage and tomatoes. We also tried the grilled calamari …. large pieces of squid cooked in olive oil and served with sun dried tomatoes. Another winning appetizer was the crab cakes that were served with two sauces – pictured here – one a sweet red pepper sauce and the other a butter cream sauce.

We skipped the salad and soup courses and moved onto entrees. A couple of us ordered the “Camarao A Baiana,” a rich mixture of large shrimp sautéed in tomato sauce, palm oil and coconut milk. A signature dish from Brazil is "Bacalhau," which is dried codfish and Solmar’s version included black olives, onions, and roast peppers and is served with hard boiled eggs crumbled on top.

Another delicious entrée was the sardines – which are marinated in olive oil and garlic, grilled whole and served with roast pepper, baked potato and zucchini.

Still more fish was available – there was grilled salmon in a white wine and mango sauce as well as "Penne a Cachaca" with shrimp and scallops. Cachaca is Brazilian sugar can rum and in this dish the sauce is a rum reduction.

There’s plenty available for meat eaters too, including Porco Alentejano, pork stew with little neck clams, Frango Solmar … chicken breast

with sautéed shallots and chorico and Churrasco Oswaldo Aranha, grilled shell steak in garlic to list a few.

Proprietor Carolos Mendonca is a native of Rio de Janeiro and has always worked in the restaurant business. Starting out as a waiter, he served and saved to build his own place. Sol Mar opened its door on St. Patrick's Day in 2008 is now three years old.

Solmar’s attentive service, flavorful dishes and fresh ingredients all add up to a memorable dining experience. If you’re in the mood for a new taste, Solmar is a short drive away – and well worth the trip. Reservations are recommended!

Solmar
12 West Main Street
Tarrytown, New York
914-333-0151
http://www.solmartarrytown.com/