TASTES great

some crushed pistachios. The oyster mushrooms were huge and delicious.

The wine for this course was an Amber Orange – Vinhos Aparte from Lisbon (€9.20 a glass or €48 a bottle). This was fantastic, full of flavours and aromas.

As Simon is a more of a red wine man, Phillipa (our server) brought out the Pirata Castelão, which is a young and fresh wine, fruit forward, that benefits, in Simon’s view, from being served chilled. The final savoury dish we sampled was pork strips, great for all those coriander lovers out there.

Travia, Lagos

Words: BEN AUSTIN

LAGOS IS A hip and happening place. As Loulé residents, it is rare for us to venture all that way West but wow! Simon Dedham and I were impressed. The town is bustling with a cool crowd; it feels authentic and real.

We navigated the back streets and little alleys to arrive at Travia, a restaurant that is in keeping with the whole vibe. We sat outside, as it was a mild evening, so we could take in the general ambience of the town.

Travia is more of a tapas place, serving tasty dishes that compliment the wines. And Simon knows his wines and cuisine. First off, we were served two glasses of zesty Duck White – Duckman,

Bairrada (€5.50 a glass or €27 a bottle), which was paired with crispy balls containing fresh tuna with a dollop of coriander – a strong composition, as was the chef’s roast potato gratin, which came with a topping of fruity mango chutney.

The next dish – and the best one –was the smoked mackerel served on rustic toast, the tastes and textures working well together.

The following dishes were also excellent and to be recommended: thinly-sliced and lightly-seared tuna strips with some crackling for a suggestion of crunch; sea bass served in cold soup – a bit too earthy perhaps, but still tasty – and roasted carrots, sitting atop a bed of labneh (which is a sort of Greek yogurt) and

Our final course was two types of cheesecake, one of which was a favourite – chocolate. They were good, light and delicately-flavoured with a deep, chewy base, again, not everyone’s choice, but those who love it will be coming back for more.

During the meal, Simon and I were entertained by three street musicians who were great, and we enjoyed the ebb and flow of people passing. Overall, the food was flavoursome, organic and locally sourced, three markers of today’s trends, demanded by an evergrowing audience.

The wines were young, light, and full of aromas that paired excellently with the tapas on offer. Pricewise, the food was reasonable, the wine perhaps a little on the dear side for Lagos, but well worth the extra spend to try something a bit different that comes from the small producers.

Maria, the owner, popped by with her chocolate Labrador dog, Baloo, who being a big pup was – like us –soaking in the sights and smells of the vibrant streets of Lagos.

Janet Jackson

The youngest of ten siblings, Janet began her career starring in the US TV show The Jacksons in 1976. The family hailed from Gary, Indiana, and was headed by a father who was ambitious for his children, helping his daughter to a recording contract in 1982. Pop stardom followed, with Janet as a ‘crossover’ star, combining disco, funk and rhythm ‘ n ’ blues.

By the early 1990s, she was one of the music industry’s best-paid stars. According to Billboard magazine, she was the second-most successful 1990s musician after Mariah Carey. In 2004 she appeared as a guest artist at the Superbowl alongside Justin Timberlake, and this led to what became known as the ‘wardrobe malfunction’ incident where he tore part of her dress off, exposing her nipple. A huge backlash followed and Janet had to apologise for what some commentators saw as a mere publicity stunt.

Shortly afterwards she began to take control of her own career, releasing more highly-successful records which, she hoped would cross the racial boundaries in the music business. Janet, sister of the late Michael Jackson, has been married and divorced three times and gave birth to her only child, a son, in 2017. She now says that although she loves her work too much to give it up, being Mom to Eissa is her priority. Janet is based in Los Angeles but co-parents with Eissa’s father who lives in London.