Ferreira: A Father’s Legacy, Now in His Daughters’ Hands

Ferreira has held a special place in Montreal since opening on February 26, 1996. It belongs to that rare breed of establishments that, from day one, offers everything you look for in a restaurant: an elegant setting, delicious food — here deeply rooted in Portuguese tradition — and warm, attentive service.

On that last point, much of this restaurant’s success comes from the constant presence of its founder, Carlos Ferreira. From the very first day and for decades after, Carlos was there. Lunch and dinner, he welcomed every guest by name, knew whether you preferred a small glass of white port or red at the end of a meal. Every single day. For years.

Then one day, he managed to convince his daughters Claudia and Sandra to join him and the rest of the Ferreira team. They didn’t need much convincing — they knew the place inside and out and had deep respect for the exceptional work of everyone on staff. Today they hold major responsibilities within the business and carry forward the spirit their father instilled.

At Tastet, we have a deep appreciation for this kind of generational handoff, and we admire the graceful, respectful way it has unfolded at Ferreira.

The warmth and care that the daughters and their father show — toward their guests and their team alike — deserved to be celebrated in a meaningful way. The simplest and most direct approach was to ask Claudia and Sandra a few questions separately, and both answered with great generosity.

What follows are their answers, unedited, showing that beyond anything we could say about them, they are people of both heart and mind.

Just as at Tastet, where a father is enormously proud of his daughter, Carlos has every reason to be proud of his.

Enjoy.

1. Your earliest cooking memories at home? Claudia: I have a very specific memory of making pumpkin fritters with my grandmother Rosa, my father’s mother. I can still smell the cinnamon and sugar.

Sandra: Probably the ones with our Portuguese babysitter, Maria. She was a wonderful cook. One of my favourite dishes was esparguete com frango — simply pasta cooked in a chicken stew. We actually made it together last month so I could learn to make it for my own kids.

2. The first dishes you cooked at home? Claudia: I’m almost embarrassed to say, but it was probably Kraft Dinner.

Sandra: I remember making tuna and legume salads with friends in elementary school — something like a can of chickpeas, a can of corn, some peppers, a can of tuna, red wine vinegar and olive oil. The height of gastronomy! Haha!

3. Your first steps in the restaurant world? Claudia: Literally: I was three years old when the restaurant opened, so those were probably my first steps! Haha! Figuratively, I started working at Ferreira at 20 as a hostess in the evenings. It was my first experience in hospitality. Before that, I worked at a pet store.

Sandra: I was 15 when Café Vasco da Gama opened, and I worked there a bit during the summer launch. I was terrified of the espresso machine! Haha! Fortunately, I found my footing as a hostess at Ferreira a few years later.

4. Your favourite dish at Ferreira? Why? Claudia: I love the carabineiros! They’re red shrimp, quite rare, caught in the Algarve. The flavour is both powerful and refined — you have to taste them to understand.

Sandra: Grilled sea bass with a side of wild mushroom risotto and port sauce.

5. Your favourite dish when you’re in Portugal? Why? Claudia: The clams from the Ria Formosa, a coastal lagoon in the south of Portugal. Simply prepared with olive oil, coriander, white wine and lemon. It’s one of the few products we have difficulty importing to the restaurant, so I don’t get to eat them very often.

Sandra: Amêijoas à Bulhão Pato — clams cooked in a broth of garlic, white wine and coriander. We rarely, if ever, get clams of that quality in Montreal, so when I’m in Portugal, I make the most of it!

6. Your favourite dish when travelling outside of Portugal? Why? Claudia: I’m a huge pasta fan! It’s the ultimate comfort food. I could never get tired of it.

Sandra: A great lasagna! I have a real soft spot for pasta.

7. At what point did your connection with your father lead you to join the team? Claudia: When I finished my business management program, the position was offered to me. I thought it would be temporary, but I caught the bug quickly — especially once I realized how lucky I was to be working with my family.

Sandra: Long story. Short version: During CEGEP, I worked part-time as a hostess and loved it, but I wanted to continue my studies. I thought I’d build a career in marketing outside the family business. I graduated with a business administration degree from a university in Pittsburgh and then worked two years in New York. Every day, my father would call trying to recruit me, painting a picture of how much better and cooler life would be working by his side.

I ignored him… until the day I realized something was missing in my work — passion, pride, purpose. I realized there was an incredible business back in Montreal that carried my name, one I was truly proud of. From one day to the next, I made the decision. I was moving from New York to Montreal to take over.

8. What do you love most about Ferreira? Claudia: The wonderful positive energy the team brings. We’re truly fortunate to have people who are as good as human beings as they are professionals. Several of them are role models for me.

Sandra: The people. It genuinely feels like family — with my colleagues just as much as with our regulars.

9. When you have family over, what do you make? Claudia: My go-to recipe is massada de peixe — a classic Portuguese dish the way fishermen make it after a day at sea. Fish, macaroni, and fresh tomatoes; it’s hearty, quick to prepare, and affordable.

Sandra: I’ve been doing a lot of exploring with Arab cuisine at home, given my husband’s Egyptian roots.

10. What’s your sister’s favourite dish? And your dad’s? Claudia: My sister often talks about her pata negra sandwich recipe. Very simple: bread, olive oil, and Iberian ham. As for my dad — he loves (strongly) so many dishes. But I can really see him light up when the staff meal is a tripe stew made by Mr. José, our production chef. I have to admit, it’s absolutely delicious.

Sandra: Claudia is obsessed with carabineiros. We all are, honestly! Though we probably shouldn’t eat them every day — it would wreak havoc on the food cost. LOL! My dad is a big fan of traditional stews — like a proper cozido à portuguesa.

Written by Jean-Philippe Tastet
Photography by Nam Vo