Obrigado! . . . so many e-mails about my favorite Portuguese sausage, mentioned just briefly in today's column. Some writers claim to have purchased it in Maryland, too.

Kathy Bestany:
My husband and I loved your comments on linguica.  We are originally from Winchester, Massachusetts, but have lived in Columbia, Maryland for almost 30 years.  We still go home for our favorites--fried clams (with the bellies on, please), steamed pisser clams (not littlenecks), boiled lobster, scrod, Wellfleet oysters, codfish cakes, and of course linguica.  
One of our favorite breakfast places is Bonatt's in Harwichport on the Cape.  Originally a bakery famous for its meltaways (like a Portuguese sweet bread), it now serves awesome breakfasts, including linguica as a choice along with sausage, ham and bacon.  Of course, the choice is always linguica--you can get those others anywhere.  If you get to the Cape, try Bonatt's; it beats any Maryland diner by a mile.  In fact, my son, who has eaten meltaways his entire life, sent them as gift packs to his computer clients.
Another great linguica find is Land Ho in Orleans, a pub style restaurant in the middle of the center of Orleans with some of the best seafood and linguica anywhere.  
Let them eat their kielbasa--we New Englanders know what's the best.

J. B. (Bruce) Van Wely:
I discovered linguica during a holiday in White Horse Beach, MA, some twenty years ago. Since then I've sampled it in a number of exotic locations from Hawaii (with eggs over easy and "two scoop rice" for breakfast) to Macau to Newark, NJ. Good stuff! I used to buy it at the Potuguese supermarkets in Newark, but since moving to Baltimore I've found it in a number of markets that cater to Hispanics. Most recently that meant Markets at Highlandtown, 3801 Eastern Avenue, 410-563-7488. Enjoy!

Errol Dutton:
Your segment on linguica brought back pleasant memories and I just want to thank you for the info on its availability in York. My mother was from New Bedford (and still maintains a second home in P'town), so at an early age I was introduced to the Portuguese sausage, and we too stock up on it whenever we go to the Cape. For a few years, my wife had it shipped to me from Fragozo's in New Bedford (my family has always been partial to this brand).
I just wanted to mention to you that in the latter half of the 1990's, the Giant Food Store at Rolling Road (Catonsville) carried Fragozo's linguica for a few months but abandoned it I assume because of slow sales. (Their 90's price was much higher than the $3.49 price at Price Rite you quoted in today's paper.)
Thanks to your article, I think I will plan on visiting Price Rite this weekend and I can kill two birds with one trip: get Linguica and make a stop at another long distance favorite - the Sonic in Lancaster.

Cathy French:
You don't have to travel to York to buy Portuguese sausages.  You can drive to Shoreline Seafood in Gambrills and get it there.  I have been buying it there for many years.  It was originally brought to the area by Mr Lou Mello.  Lou brought it to the meat locker that was across the highway from where Shoreline is located.  On Saturday mornings Lou peddled sausage and a seafood truck came down from New England and sold seafood.  I think that is how Shoreline began.
While you are buying your sausage you can pick up some nice clams and fix a wonderful meal (a cataplan) from a recipe in Time/Life cook books in the Spain and Portugal book. Happy eating.