By JOAN GORDON

For the Norwich Bulletin

If you were asked about your favorite food, chances are your answer would not be Portuguese. You might change your mind after one trip to O'Porto in Hartford.

In this country, Portuguese food is generally overlooked. Big mistake; the cuisine showcases pure, simple ingredients, which, when prepared right, produces some remarkable dishes.

A friend who is as enamored as I with Portuguese food suggested the visit.

O'Porto opened about nine months ago in a retrofitted factory, and someone did a first-class job with the decor. Out front, a high wrought iron fence cordons off an area for outdoor dining. Entering, a spacious bar lies to the left. (Behind that, you can peek into the sparkling new kitchen.) On the right is the spacious dining room, with a few private areas to the side. A large party room is available as well.

The original brick walls, illuminated by spherical lights hanging from the high ceiling, add warmth. An old steel walk-in vault houses a wine cellar. Wall-mounted decorative ceramic plates, one featuring the stylized rooster found across Portugal, offer discreet nods to decor. A large tapestry depicting a country scene is displayed on a rear wall.

Lacquered table tops with a metallic finish in the center work beautifully against the simple surroundings. Oversized windows along the front wall are softened with fabric shades.

Delicious carbs

Our waitress, Luiza, brought generous individual loaves of hot-from-the-oven bread and a rich, fruity olive oil. Luiza instantly made us feel welcome. She let us know the menu heavily favors the country's famous regional seafood dishes, and was wonderful in guiding us throughout the meal.

Our first question concerned spuds. Yes, in Portugal the potato is anything but lowly. An appetizer order of batata frita provided thick rounds of small potatoes deep-fried crunchy outside and soft inside. Four different dips flanked the platter: blue cheese, spicy tomato salsa, piri-piri (spicy chilies) and guacamole.

Juicy clams were served in a very traditional way, steamed in a small casserole with white wine and chopped cilantro. Hunks of bread were perfect in sopping up the broth.

A small combinado (antipasto) was a treasure: mild, silky ham; a very different, garlicky, smoked hard salami; a square of mild cheese; pimento; hearts of palm; mild black olives and quince paste. We loved the flavors.

The salmon entree amazed with its delicacy. The pink fish was partially poached and lightly roasted before resting on a bed of grilled eggplant. Steamed clams and a side of roasted potatoes accented the plate. A light tomato broth bathed everything.

More seafood to savor

Tender morsels of the grilled grouper entree seemed to swoon onto the fork, begging to be tasted. A melange of wilted spinach, sauteed mushrooms, broccoli florets and asparagus tips allied with roasted potatoes completed the assemblage.

Two of our friends decided on the Mariscada Portuguesa, one of several dinner entrees designed for sharing. A terra cotta casserole was filled with all sorts of seafood. A base of saffron rice was infused with broth from the heads-on prawns, mussels, clams, calamari, scallops, even bits of chicken. The broth, perfumed with white wine, cilantro and spicy chorizo, wrapped all the other flavors together masterfully.

Michael and I also shared a dish made for two. Steaming hot Paelha Portuguesa was served in a low iron casserole. Yellow rice surrounded open clams, mussels, shrimp and large pieces of a small lobster hacked apart in its shell.

The soft sweetness of the lobster meat contrasted perfectly with the briny shellfish and the earthy saffron threads clinging to the rice. However, beware of bits of shell detritus if you order this creation. Fresh peas and peppers added to the rainbow of colors.

Though dinner was superb, I wondered about dessert. In Portugal, a visit to a pasteleria, a combination cafe/pastry shop, would offer an array of delectable pastries.

O'Porto did not disappoint. All the desserts we tried were first class. A thick slice of pineapple had been macerated in ruby port (what a great way to get an aperitif.). Flan, a staple of the region, had been soaked in 10-year-old Fonesco, a tawny port.

Lemon tarte had an airy lemon mousse sandwiched between layers of sponge cake. Chocolate mousse was dense and rich. Blueberry cheesecake had just a skin coating of blueberry baked over a not-too-sweet or dense cheese mixture.

The crowning touch was the pear and almond tart. Just thinking of those flavors baked together and ... who am I kidding? Wow.