Luso is a Portuguese petiscos (small bites or tapas) culinary pop-up concept created by Chef Matt Gaston. The pop-up will take place Sunday 6/16, starting at 6pm, marking his return to the kitchen at SH. Matt was the original chef is residency for Shanklin Hall's food incubator program, upon our opening in May 2023. This ticket provides complimentary RSVP access, however does not guarantee seating nor cover costs of food/beverage items. See you soon!!

Chef Matt Gaston started EatSapphire as a hospitality venture with food as the focus. "Food is a conduit for expression and storytelling in my life. I wear many hats: for most of the year, I am a science teacher, and in my time away from school, I like to develop my own recipes and collaborate with local businesses to run my own pop-ups. This is all in the hopes of bringing new and exciting ideas to the DMV, centered on my travels and personal experiences growing up. Now I like to imagine different concepts and bring them to life."

Why Luso?
I wanted to build a concept centered on Portuguese food. Coming from Connecticut, there is a large population of Portuguese people, and growing up I had the opportunity to try the food and get exposed to Portugal's culture and diaspora. As an adult, I got the chance to travel in Portugal and it struck me that more people were not talking about this cuisine that has had such a large impact worldwide. During the Age of Discovery, the Portuguese ended up in Africa, India, China, Japan, and South America; to name a few. This has led to some unique crossover of culture and taste. The menu focuses on local seasonal ingredients that provide a look into the world of Portuguese cuisine.