Open Letter to SouthCoast Restaurants About Potato Skins

Dear SouthCoast restaurants: it’s time for linguica potato skins.

Let me start by saying that I don’t have a drop of Portuguese blood in me, but after living and working on the SouthCoast for 30 years, I feel like an honorary member of the Portuguese community. From the food to the music, doing my radio show every day has given me a front-row seat to what makes Portuguese culture so special.

With that in mind, I’m writing to you today about a topic that I believe concerns many people across our region: potato skins.

Sure, the classic version loaded with cheese, bacon, and chives is delicious. No argument there. But here on the SouthCoast, we have something even better: linguiça.

Substituting linguica for bacon on potato skins is an obvious upgrade. It’s something I’ve been doing for decades at restaurants around the SouthCoast, but recently it struck me that I’ve never seen a restaurant where linguica potato skins are the default option.

How can that be?

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You’d think that in places like Fall River and New Bedford, linguica potato skins (or as Gazelle calls them, "Portagee skins") would be a staple appetizer.

So, this is my challenge to you: make linguica the new bacon, at least on your potato skins. It’s a small change, but one that would make a big impact on SouthCoast menus. I don't think you'll regret it.

Remember, linguica > bacon in these parts.

Sincerely,
Michael Rock