{"id":5061950,"date":"2025-08-27T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rilatinonews.com\/?p=5061950"},"modified":"2025-08-27T08:00:00","modified_gmt":"2025-08-27T12:00:00","slug":"sazon-de-rhode-island-aguardente","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/latinonewsnetwork.com\/riln\/2025\/08\/27\/sazon-de-rhode-island-aguardente\/","title":{"rendered":"Saz\u00f3n de Rhode Island: Aguardente"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Nestled on Governor Street in Providence, Rhode Island, Aguardente<\/em> <\/a>is more than a restaurant\u2014it\u2019s a vibrant cultural mosaic where Portuguese and Latin American traditions collide in a blaze of flavor, art, and spirit. With a name that translates to \u201cfire water,\u201d Aguardente lives up to its reputation, offering a dining experience that\u2019s both bold and deeply rooted in heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victor Pereira is the visionary behind Aguardente, bringing a lifetime of cultural exploration and entrepreneurial spirit to the table. Pereira was born in Portugal\u2014it\u2019s his deep-rooted desire to reclaim and celebrate his heritage that fuels the restaurant\u2019s soul. \u201cTogether with Magda Le\u00f3n and Natalia Neves, we\u2019ve built a place to celebrate our collective upbringings in Portugal, Guatemala, and the Azores through incredible food, meticulously sourced spirits, and Magda\u2019s moving art,\u201d he writes in Aguardente\u2019s mission letter. \u201cOver the years I\u2019ve learned that it\u2019s easy to forget and neglect our cultures of origin and get lost in the busyness of the American hustle. At Aguardente, we seek to reclaim the beauty of home and share it with you in a simple but heartfelt expression; through authentic food, traditional spirits, and passionate art.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alongside partners Paiva-Neves and Le\u00f3n, Pereira created a space that honors the immigrant experience through bold flavors, curated spirits, and evocative art.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The culinary vision at Aguardente is curated by Paiva-Neves<\/a>. She blends the rustic warmth of Portuguese cuisine with the zest of Latin American street food. Think spicy mussels, shrimp croquettes, and fried cheese balls alongside tres leches cake and green soup with chouri\u00e7o and kale. The menu<\/a> is playful yet reverent, honoring ancestral flavors while inviting modern interpretations. \u201cI truly believe anyone can cook but it is the PERSON cooking who brings feeling and soul to the dish. If you cook with feeling your food will show that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The space is curated with intention. Striking murals by local artist Le\u00f3n <\/a>infuse the restaurant with emotional depth and visual poetry. The Guatemalan-born multidisciplinary artist specializesin printmaking, installation art, and social practice art. Her work stems from a personal experience of living with a bicultural identity, which she cari\u00f1osamente refers to as \u2018De aqu\u00ed y de all\u00e1\u2019 (From here and from there). \u201cMy mission is to create art that honors the stories, resilience, and beauty of immigrant communities\u2014especially those from Central America like my own,\u201d she said in an interview<\/a> with CanvasRebel. \u201cThis mission is personal. It\u2019s my own family\u2019s journey, and it\u2019s also bigger than me. It\u2019s about using art as a tool for connection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aguardente\u2019s drink list is a journey in itself. Flights of rare mezcal and Portuguese aguardentes are sourced through travels across Latin America and the Iberian Peninsula. Seasonal cocktails\u2014like the Cucumber Rosemary Margarita or the Snow Dog Gin blend with Ruby Port\u2014are crafted with botanical precision and a wink of nostalgia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a chance to visit with Service Manager, Audrey Swanson and Bartender Dinaha about why Aguardente isn\u2019t just a place to eat\u2014it\u2019s a place to feel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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