Where To Eat If You're On Jury Duty in Brooklyn Visited 9/19-9/23/2016 3 - 4.5 Forks

My first listsicle!  Instead of individually reviewing a bunch of places, I’m going to give you a list of the good/bad/ugly of places to eat if you have to serve jury duty in Brooklyn.

I’ve had the “honor” of serving grand jury duty for the past 2 weeks in BK.  It’s actually quite an eye-opening and frankly, scary view into how fucked up our judicial system is.  But this is a food blog and not a political blog, so I will stop here.  But being stuck in jury duty for 2 weeks means 2 weeks of finding lunch options in the depressing downtown Brooklyn neighborhood.   At first glance, there aren’t a lot of great options as the immediate area of Fulton Street Mall is packed with fast food places like Burger King and cheap pizza joints.  But there are a few gems and if you are willing to take a 10 minute walk.

Potbelly – Yes, it’s fast food but it’s one of the better sandwich places around and it’s fast and very cheap (you can get a sandwich for <$10).  It’s a definite go-to if you’re looking for something that isn’t burger and fries.  My go-to is the Roast Beef and there's just something about the toasted bread that makes it tastes that much better.  They also have killer cookies and milkshakes if you need a sugar high in between cases.  4 Forks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Juice Shop – This is right next door to Potbelly and it was a healthy lunch life saver.  This isn’t Tribeca or Soho where you can find a bougie salad place every 10 feet, so it's slim pickings out here.  The only place I saw within a 10-15 minute walk that served real salads (I’m not talking about the kind at Hill Country Chicken where you can basically put fried chicken in your salad), was The Juice Shop.  They only have kale salads and they have a variety of combinations but the one that I got (Baja Verde) which amazing.  Topped with kale, quinoa, corn, beans and an addictive verde dressing, I definitely became hooked on this place.  Everything tasted fresh and healthy and it was actually really filling.  I came back two more times and and now actively looking for other locations in the city so that I can get my free freaking salad (only 7 more to go!)  4.5 Forks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Yaso Tangbao – I was shocked to find this place in the middle of downtown Brooklyn.   It bills itself as Chinese street food but it’s a very clean and well run joint.  It has a very similar vibe to Xian Famous Foods but the focus on the food is less on spicy noodles but more on soup dumplings and other noodle dishes.  I got the beef noodle soup which is a dish that I remember loving in Taiwan.  This one was ok – it was a simple beef broth with sliced braised beef, nappa cabbage, bok choy and these pickled Chinese greens.  But what makes this dish is the broth and this one needed more salt and flavor to it, it was just kind of bland.  It could have also had more sliced beef but at the very least it was a nice change in a world of sandwiches and salads.  3 Forks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Hanco – When I lived in Park Slope, this was a favorite go-to place because they made a solid Banh Mi sandwich.  It’s a 10 minute walk towards Brooklyn Heights but the food is quick so even if you have an hour, you can still make it.  I got the classic sandwich and summer roll.  The summer roll was nicely done with shrimp, lettuce, rice vermicelli wrapped in rice paper and served with oh so delicious peanut sauce ($5.25).  The classic sandwich comes with ground pork, Vietnamese ham, pate, mayo, butter, cucumber, pickled carrot, daikon radish and cilantro on a soft and toasted French baguette ($6.75).   It’s a delicious sandwich although it is super messy with the ground pork falling out every time I took a bite to eat.   It’s a cheap and delicious and makes me sad that I no longer have one in my neighborhood.   3.5 Forks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Sophie’s – Ahh Sophie’s.  I have been going to Sophie’s (not this location) since I first came to NYC and worked at Goldman Sachs downtown.  It’s straight up Cuban comfort food and it is seriously addictive.  I always get the exact same thing:  baked chicken with yellow rice and beans.  It’s a chicken thigh/leg served on the bone, which is why it’s so moist and delicious.   But the absolute best part of the dish is actually the green sauce that they give you in a bottle at the table.  It is seriously the most addictive sauce I’ve ever had – it’s got a hint of spice but it mainly tastes like a cilantro sauce (they won’t tell you what’s in it or sell it by the bottle).  I seriously go through half a bottle when I eat there and if I do take out, I will pay extra for more of it (they only give you 2 small servings of it).  I slather it on everything, the chicken, the rice, the beans.  Honestly, the rice and beans are just a vehicle for me to get to the sauce.  The food here is heavy and every time I eat here for lunch, I want to take a long nap afterwards, but it is so worth it.    4 Forks

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Mission Ceviche Visited 9/15/2016 4 Forks

Mission Ceviche  353 W 14th St., New York, NY 10014

Ever since I was in South America a few years ago, I become obsessed with ceviche.  While the city is undergoing a poke insanity right now, ceviche which is kind of like a red headed step-sister dish, hasn't quite picked up around the city.  But when I was at Gotham Poke, I noticed Mission Ceviche in the same food hall so I made a mental note about it.  Luckily, Allison had also made a mental note of it and we made a little field trip out there on a Thursday night.  

In case you haven't been to Gansevoort Market before, it's a casual food hall near the MeatPacking District and each stall has a few seats and then there's a slightly larger seating area in the back. Mission Ceviche is smack in the middle of the food hall, so you can't miss it.  The menu has 2 sections to it:  make your own ceviche and then a few Peurivan style main entrees.  Allison and I shared 1 classic ceviche ($12) and 1 chicken dish   ($12) and got a homemade ginger ale ($3).  We got the ceviche with the catch of the day which was a nice fluke; it is an excellent fish to use for ceviche because it's mild and you can really taste the acidity and citrus of the classic "marinate" or they call it "tiger milk" we got.  You can choose lettuce or quinoa as your base (we got lettuce), so it's quite a healthy dish.  On top of it, it comes with red onion, cilantro, sweet potato mash and giant corn kernels which is very traditional.   It was fresh and tangy and I felt really healthy during the whole process.  My only complaint is that the portion size is a bit small but then again, I was sharing it with someone else when it's really made for 1.  

As for the chicken, I really enjoyed it although it's a totally different dish from the ceviche.  It's a warm dish and much heavier because it's got a curry-like cream sauce to it - it's juicy shredded chicken simmering in a yellow chili pepper cream, parmesan cheese and aioli and you can get it on a base of rice, beans or quinoa (we got the quinoa).   It was like a very hearty chicken stew and the smells and flavors were fantastic - I could see it being a good cold winter night type of dish but probably not something for a hot summer evening. 

Overall, I was really pleased with the food here.  It's hard to find good ceviche not at a sit down restaurant, so I can definitely see myself swinging by here to grab a quick bite to eat.  I just wish the place was a bit more lively and exciting inside - the 2 times I've been there, it's been kind of dead. I'm not sure if it's because they don't really have a great facade outside that indicates all the cool food inside but for now, it's kind of nice to have the place to yourself.  Total bill:  $36 for 2 people with tax and tip

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Llama Inn Visited 3/19/2016 4 Forks

Llama Inn  50 Withers St. Williamsburg, NY 11211

While I have never been to Peru before, I have been a fan of their food for a while, starting with ceviche and obviously their roast chicken.  But you actually don't see a lot of Peruvian restaurants around town - so I was intrigued when I read about this place which was a  <10 -="" and="" apt.="" decor="" from="" gorgeous="" huge="" in.="" is="" light="" lots="" min="" modern="" my="" nbsp="" of="" pouring="" space="" span="" the="" very="" walk="" windows="" with="">

It is one of the hotter restaurants on the scene now, so it took me over 2 weeks to get a reservation on a weekend that was at a decent time - ok, it was 6pm on a Saturday but that's better than 10pm or 5pm.   Even though I knew it was hard to get a reservation, I was still shocked by how incredibly crowded it was at 6pm - almost every table was taken already.   The menu is all shareable and is broken out veggies, fish, meat and large format dishes (there were only 2 options, either the whole roasted chicken or the beef tenderloin) as well as some anticucho which are basically skewers.  Paige and I opted to get the pork belly anticucho ($5), the ceviche ($18) and the large format beef tenderloin ($48).  As you can see from the prices, they are a wee bit high for what they are.  The pork belly skewers were as what you would expect - fatty, meaty and juicy.  There were 3 skewers that came with pickled chilis and spicy mayo.  They were a nice start to the meal.  The ceviche was a corvina fish (similar to a croaker or mild white fish) served thin with plantains, habanero, red onion and cilantro.  There was tons of acid and sourness to this dish, which I actually don't mind but it was very prominent.  I usually like my ceviche with cubes of fish - these were sliced very thin and was more like a carpaccio dish then ceviche but not a real deal breaker to the overall dish.  

As for the star attraction - the beef tenderloin dish came out and Paige and I were both like WTF did we just order?  I had read about it on The Infatuation, so I was prepared that it would be this crazy dish but it didn't really prepare me for it when I saw it in person.  It is basically a heaping sizzling plate full of cuts of beef tenderloin marinated in soy sauce topped with freakin FRENCH FRIES and covered in a spicy mayo type sauce and then served with scallion pancakes on the side so that you can wrap them all into a mini taco of sorts.  They they also serve fresh sliced avocado and pickled chilis for you to garnish the dish with.  It was all sorts of crazy - who tops a dish with french fries?  But you know what? It was heart stoppingly deliciousness and apparently it's some kind of national dish in Peru.  I mean, you feel terrible afterwards when you've realized what you've eaten but the combination of sizzling beef, french fries with spicy sauce wrapped in a scallion pancake is kind genius.  I was really pushing it at the end, but you can get 3 tacos each per person out of this and you'll still be left with french fries on the plate. 

Despite this monstrosity of food, Paige and I still managed to order bread pudding for dessert and it was a very solid moist bread pudding.   The only reason why I didn't give this place a higher review is that the service was super super slow.  We waited forever on every aspect of our meal - getting our drinks ordered, ordering our main meal, to getting more drinks and getting the bill.  The waiter was very nice but the meal just took way longer than it needed to.  It's definitely a lovely addition to the Williamsburg neighborhood, hopefully they can get their service in check a bit!  Total bill: $100/pp with tax, tip and lots of wine

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Casa Restaurant Visited 2/20/2016 4 Forks

Casa Restaurant  72 Bedford St., New York, NY 10014

I'm a big fan of South American food with all the ceviches, fish and great steaks.  But I will admit to never really craving Brazilian food very often.  Not necessarily because I don't like it but because there just aren't that many authentic Brazilian restaurants around that aren't BBQ places.  So I was pleasantly surprised when Aarti made a reservation at Casa which was literally right around the block from her.  I can't believe I had never heard or seen of it before!

It's on an adorable street in the West Village and it's quite cozy inside.  As I'm waiting, the waitstaff is having a heated debate in Portuguese - love the authenticity of this place already.  The menu is very traditional Brazilian food which is great - but a word to the wise, someone thought it was a smart idea to print the menu in all cursive so it's a bit hard to read...make sure you bring your reading glasses because it'll take some time reading it.  While I loved my time in Brazil last year,one big regret I had was never having their national dish, Feijoada while I was there.  Big miss.  So I figured this was as good of a place as any to finally try it.  We started with a nice assortment of fried snacks ($9.95), a basked of pao de queijo ($8.95) because how can you go to a Brazilian restaurant and NOT order that and the hearts of palm salad ($14.95).  As I mentioned, I got the feijoada ($26.95) and we also got a side of sautreed chayote ($6.95).  While I'm trying to be better about my carb intake, the fresh roll they serve you in the beginning is to die for.  Warm, soft and pillowy and it goes so well with the salted butter they serve.   The snack basket consisted of the coxinha - which is like their version of a croquette.  It's got shredded chicken packed in a fried dough ball.  Delicious - I remember loving these while in Rio too.  The basket also had risoles de camarao, which is another fried dough ball but stuffed with shrimp.  But both of these snacks are basically just vehicles for you to shove chimichurri-like sauce in your mouth.  It's spicy as hell but you keep going back for more. And of course there is the pao de queijo - simple, delicious puffy cheese bread but made with cassava root.  It's a staple snack in Brazil and I forgot how addictive it is to pop a few in your mouth without even thinking about it. 

Next came the star of the show - the feijoada.  Feijoada is a black bean stew with offal in it (leftover pork and beef bits) and served with white rice, collard greens, farofa, and a very addictive vinaigrette (in fact whenever Will and Aarti come here they get a whole helping of it).  I will say it was a bit intimidating to dive into a black bean stew with random meat parts in it since you can't really see/tell what kind of meat it is.  But when you mix it all together with the beans, rice, and vinaigrette, you could care less what part of the animal you're eating.  I can see why this is a lazy Sunday meal in Brazil because it's super hearty and I was definitely ready for a big nap when I was done with it.  It was very filling and satisfying.  It's definitely a bit of an adventurous eat, but just think in your mind that you're eating sausage or pork belly and you'll be fine. 

This restaurant review also wouldn't be complete without a mention of the caipirinhas ($12).  I have yet to find any bar in NYC that does a decent caipirinha - it always super icky sweet or not made with real cachaca. But this one is legit - it was tangy, sweet and strong as hell.  I had one of them plus a glass of wine and I woke up with a raging headache the next day (ok, fine, I also had a stein of beer too, but who's counting?).  I would come back here a million times just to have a caipirinha and some pao de queijo.   Overall - this was a lovely find and while I don't crave Brazilian food all that often, if I do, I know exactly where to go.  Total bill:  unknown as it was kindly paid for by my friends

Photo Credit:  Yelp

Sao Paulo, Brazil - Day 9 (Dec14, 2014) 3.5 Forks

Bar do Mane - Rua da Cantareira, 306 - 3.5 Forks

If there was one thing I was hell bent on eating in Sao Paulo, it was the famous mortadella sandwich. I saw it on an episode of No Reservations and immediately took note of it.  We didn't have much time in Sao Paulo at all -  which was fine because it's kind of a concrete jungle of a city that wasn't so interesting after spending time in beautiful Rio and Paraty.  But it is known to be a culinary wonderland, so I was a bit bummed that I wouldn't have time to eat at many, if any, places while I was there.

But I made it a priority to check out the Mercado Municipal because I am a huge sucker for large farmer's markets and this one is a doozy.  It's a huge space filled with dried cod, seafood, and exotic fresh fruit stands as well as lots of food stalls that are full of locals and tourists alike.  I'll be honest and say that I made a bee line for Bar do Mane without doing much research on the other options but I'm sure that any of the other places in the market also make a fine sandwich - and there are lots of options, so take your time and see what speaks to you.  Bar do Mane is on the 1st floor and you can't miss it with all the crowds.  They are known for their famous mortadella sandwich but they also have a bunch of other sandwich options if eating 1,000 pounds of hot meat isn't your thing.  You can order the sandwich hot or cold - I opted for hot.  When it first comes out, it doesn't seem so bad but once you start eating it your realize what a beast it is.  It comes with epic layers of thinly sliced mortadella (which is pork that tastes a bit like baloney) with a gooey hot layer of cheese sandwiched between a soft warmly toasted roll.  It is probably THE best hangover food you'll ever eat - too bad I wasn't really hung over despite drinking a ton the night before.  It's quite a salty sandwich, so be prepared to wash it down with either a cold beer or coke.  I could barely eat half of it and ended taking the other half back to the hotel.  It wasn't too great after it had been sitting out a bit but it helped to fill my stomach before a long red eye flight home.  It was seriously the only thing I ate in a 24 hour period because that's whole filling it is. 

While the sandwich might not be the most mind blowing thing ever, it is a classic dish that you should try at least once.  I loved the market - it was filled with lots of color and wonderful visuals of fruits you'll never see anywhere else - and is absolutely worth a stop even if you don't go to Bar do Mane.   Total bill:  $8 USD

Paraty, Brazil - Day 7 (Dec 12, 2014) 3-4 Forks

Dito e Feito - Kiosk along the Pontal Beach - 3 Forks

While I greatly enjoyed my time in Paraty, I was disappointed that there weren't any good local beaches within walking distance.   You really need to take a boat out to the islands to get to anything nice but they do have a very basic local beach, Pontal Beach, where it's lined with a few seafood kiosks and they have lounge chairs for you to hang out in if the weather is nice.  All the kiosks seem to offer the same type of food:  seafood.  Strangely the menu is geared towards food for 2 or more people - so they really kind of make you feel self-conscious when you are by yourself, which I was.

Since all of the kiosks looked the same, I picked the one that was most crowded and busy.  I had a wait a bit for a table but it wasn't a big deal.  It's a super casual beach side hut, so imagine plastic tables and stools and everyone is in some kind of beach wear.  As I mentioned, the menu has a lot of "for 2" dishes and the English translation is very spotty, so I basically picked the only thing I saw "for 1" which was a fish stew ($11 USD) and I got a coconut juice ($3).   While the beach is not pretty there at all, there is something nice about just chilling by water in a run down hut eating with the locals.  The stew that came out was huge.  It was a large filet (with bones) of some kind of mackerel like fish and it was covered in a sweet onion and tomato sauce.  It was served with a side of white rice and a tomato manioc (cassava) paste that seems to come with every Brazilian dish.  It was a pretty filling meal with all the starch and carbs going on.  The type of my fish wasn't my absolute favorite since it was a bit on the oily and fishy side but I could tell that it probably something that they plucked out of the local waters.  I had really wished that I could have gotten some of the other dishes like the shrimp and mixed seafood dishes but alas, this is the problem with being a solo eater. I was a huge fan of the coconut juice as it wasn't just a young coconut with a straw in it.  It was like a coconut shake with lots of shredded coconut flakes in it.   Overall, it was a peaceful meal that was very much off the beaten path but I would definitely recommend that you come with at least one other person so that you can try a bunch of other dishes.  Total bill:  $14 USD

Thai Brasil - Rua do Comércio, 308A - 4 Forks

There are weirdly enough 2 Thai places in Paraty, Thai Paraty and Thai Brasil.  After being unable to find Thai Brasil on our 2nd day in Paraty (thanks a lot Google Maps), I was determined to locate and eat there.  Turns out it was actually 5 mins from our hotel and fairly close to the center of town.  It's a bright, colorful and adorable restaurant that I immediately loved.  

At this point in the trip,  Lav and I were so ready for some Asian food or food that had some kind of spice and flavor to it.  So Thai food was right up our alley.  I was surprised that the menu was pretty authentic and not some kind of Thai/Brazilian fusion deal.  They had curries, pad thais, papaya salads and rolls but it was a pretty small menu with only about 6-7 dishes total.  The waitstaff is super nice - they seem to all be young travelers who spoke at least 3-4 languages.  We had no problems conversing with our waitress and she made sure to point out what was vegetarian for Lav.  I opted for the spicy squid ($17 USD) and a frozen mint lemonade ($4 USD) and Lav got the pad thai with veggie and tofu.  

The mint lemonade was quite re-freshing and it was nice to drink something that was loaded with cachaca.  My dish was served with lots of large pieces of squid and stir fried vegetables and rice.  If I was missing spice during this trip, this one dish made up for all of it.  It was packed with flavor and spice but in a good way -  I didn't feel like I couldn't eat the dish but it definitely cleared my sinuses. But it was exactly what I needed after days of eating grilled meat and fish stews.  It tasted very similar to the type of Thai food I can get in NYC and dare I say, even parts of Thailand?  I had a small bite of Lav's noodles and it wasn't quite as good as my dish - a little bit on the oily side with the noodles and it definitely didn't have the heat of my dish.  

All in all, it was a great respite from all of the Italian/Brazilian type food I was eating and it was just a nice fun restaurant that lots of people were just relaxing and having a great time in.  It a great place to check out if you need a bit of Asian kick to your trip.  

Photo Credit:  Zarpo.com.br

Paraty, Brazil Day 5 & 6 (Dec 10-11, 2014) 4-4.5 Forks

Miracolo Praca da Matriz 8, Paraty - 4 Forks

After spending 4 wonderful days in Rio, Lav and I moved our adventures onward to Paraty, which is a small colonial town along the coast 4 1/2 hours away from Rio.  The town is adorable - imagine tons of cobblestone streets and old churches.  Surprisingly for such a small town, they have quite a few restaurants to choose from.  I had run into a very nice American exchange student while I was taking a walk and she had said that her favorite place was this Italian place right on the main square. Not that I was sick of Brazilian food yet, but it was kind of a nice reprise to have Italian food for once and we knew that it would be easy for Lav to find something to eat off the menu. 

It's located right in the heart of town off one of the main squares in Paraty.  They have some nice seating outside, so if the weather is nice, it's a great option to grab a table and people watch.  The menu has your 2 standard Italian dishes:  pasta and pizza.  Wonderful.  I wanted to get the fresh mozzarella pizza but they had sadly ran out of it for the night so I got a medium mushroom pizza and Lav got a spicy spaghetti and we split an appetizer of tomato bruschetta.  The bruschetta came with extremely fresh crushed tomato and basil - I wasn't starving so I didn't eat the bread it came on, but I was very surprised at the quality of the food given how far away we were from everything.  The pizza came out and it was enormous.  I could tell by the looks of it that it would be good.  It was a nice flour-y crust with TONS of gooey cheese and what looked like canned mushrooms.  Now normally I don't like canned vegetables but there's something about canned mushrooms on pizza that I love.   The crust was thin but held its own with all the cheese and mushroom on there and yet still had a nice crunch to it.  I have to say that I was really pleasantly surprised by my meal here in both quality and quantity.  The spaghetti dish was also huge and Lav mentioned that it hit the spot as well.  This isn't a Babbo or anything but it certainly can fill your Italian craving in a small fishing town in Brazil.  In fact, it was good enough that we went back there the next day for a quick bite after our boat outing because we knew it would be good, cheap and filling.  Total bill:  $16/pp

Photo Credit:  Tripadvisor

Le Castellet Rua Dona Geralda 44, Paraty - 4.5 Forks

I may have actually found the world's cutest restaurant and it's Le Castellet.  This place was literally across the street for our hotel and the minute I saw it, I knew we had to eat there.  The place is beyond adorable and transports you to the heart of Paris.  I mean just look at the picture - can't you imagine being in France?  They have 2 small tables out front (they will bring more seating if requested) and they have 3 chalkboard menus and a cute decorative bicycle out front.

The menu is strictly French with lots of sweet and savory crepes and traditional dishes like croque madams and croque monsieurs.   I went for a croque madame because of the egg that comes on top of it and Lav got a ratatouille crepe.  I should note that the very nice waitstaff here does not speak any English and very little Spanish, so there was a lot of confused looks and pointing.  Luckily, what little French I do remember from high school came in handy here when reading the menu.  It should also be noted that if you eat here you MUST get a caipirinha because they are enormous,  albeit a little on the sugary side.  The croque madam was good - very soft bread, lots of melted cheese and a perfectly fried egg on top.  The ham and gruyere cheese were perfectly melted and made for a a great salty combination.

As with a meal at an Italian restaurant, you need to save room for dessert when dining at a French restaurant. We got the profiteroles for dessert and it was heavenly - definitely the highlight of the meal.  The pastry puffs were soft and light and sandwiched with sweet vanilla ice cream and then covered with warm chocolate on top of it.  It was amazing and a great way to end the night.  It wasn't too sweet but left you feeling like you still had a winning dessert.

This place is the perfect French bistro cafe to just sit outside with a bottle of wine, read a book and maybe have a croissant or two and yet be in an adorable side street in Brazil.   Total bill:  $23/pp

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Day 3 & 4 (Dec 8-9, 2014) 3.5-4 Forks

Fellini  Rua Gal Urquisa 104, Rio de Janeiro - 3.5 Forks

When people think of Brazilian food, they mostly think of the all-you-can eat steakhouses, but they are also very big into buffet style food.   Their buffets are usually the kind where you pay for the weight of your food which can be dangerous if your eyes are bigger than your stomach.  Fellini is located on this dark, quiet street in Leblon and the customers there are generally local families.  

You basically walk in, grab a plate, load up with whatever you want and then weigh it at the end.   You can go back as many times as you want and each time you weigh your plate, they give you a sticker with the price of each weigh so that when you check out, they know how much to ring you up for.  There is a fairly large variety of food here ranging from salad, sushi, pastas, meats, fish, seafood, fried food and dessert.  The ingredients seemed fresh and the food looked like it was constantly switched out and not like it had been sitting there for hours.  I went straight for the sushi - the Asian mentality of me was trying to figure out how to get the best bang for my buck.  I loaded up on sushi, poke and some sliced meat.  This is also a great place if you are traveling with vegetarians or have other dietary restrictions because there literally is a little bit of something for everyone.   My first round of food was $12 USD and I must say that the quality of the food was pretty good.  I was a big fan of the salmon poke (or it tasted a lot like poke since it was cubes of raw salmon with soy and sesame oil with scallions) and the sushi wasn't too bad either.  The cut of meat was fine - it was a bit well done for me, but you can't expect too much for buffet style meat.   In all honesty, I most likely could have (and should have) stopped eating here but I went back for a second round of poke and spent another $10 for no real reason.  

I wouldn't say this was a culinary highlight of my trip but I did like that it was a no frills, easy meal. Sometimes you just don't want to eat at a full service restaurant and for those occasions eating at Fellini is just right.  Total bill:  $22 USD

Photo Credit:  Tripadvisor

Porcao R. Barão da Torre, 218, Rio de Janeiro - 4 Forks

Ahh - yes.  A trip to Brazil wouldn't be complete without a visit to a Churrascaria/Rodizio des carnes. It's essentially an all-you-can-eat steakhouse and you must come hungry.  Lav and I came for lunch after visiting Sugar Loaf Mountain and I'm sad to say that I probably wasn't hungry enough for it but I made it work.  Unfortunately there is no lunch price, so it was a very expensive lunch and they also don't have a price for just the salad bar for vegetarians.  So Lav really took one for the team by coming here because she ended up paying a lot for the salad bar which really isn't worth it.  But for me, I was in pig and cow heaven.  I started with a caipirinha as an afternoon beverage and they make it table side for you and really see all the god damn delicious sugar that they put in there but it was one strong drink.  Next I headed to the salad bar and again, loaded up on sushi and sashimi here.  Despite being called a salad bar, the really had a lot of seafood based dishes, which sucked for Lav and honestly I was so focused on getting to the meat portion of my meal that I completely skipped over them.  The sashimi was actually very good and was a good palate cleanser for me in between bites of meat.  

On to the meat.  I've been to Churracaria's in New York before and they work the same way here. You have a card and if you want them to come over with the meat, you turn the side green.  If you're full, then turn it to the red side that says stop.  But since we were here for lunch and it was pretty empty, they kept pushing meat on me the whole time despite having it turned to red when I was trying to clean my plate.   The waiters come around with all sorts of mouth watering meat on a skewer and then they slice off generous portions on to your plate.  I must have eaten every cut of beef known to man and they were all pretty delicious and juicy.  They also had sausage and chicken (it was like fried chicken but not totally battered) but I would say that if you have limited stomach space, stick with the meat.   I was able to put away almost 2 full plates of meat and a few rounds of sashimi and that was all I could handle.  The cuts of meat were flavorful on their own as none of it needed any sauce to it.  With your meat, you can get sides of fries, tomatoes, shrimp and some other appetizers but to me that's all just filler for the main course. 

Annoyingly, dessert is extra.  Lav got a slice of cheesecake to top off her meal but I couldn't eat anymore food.  While this place is great for meat eaters, it's a definite bummer for vegetarians.  They should either offer a lower price for just the salad bar or include a price with dessert for them.  I left lunch feeling uncomfortably full but I'm still glad I went.  I'm sure the scene would have been totally different at night for dinner but lunch was a much calmer experience which was just fine with me as I rolled home drunk and full. Total bill:  $63/pp with drink and dessert

Photo Credit:  Yelp

El Born R. Bolivar, 17, Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro - 3.5 Forks

So this is a bit of an unfair review because I barely ate anything there because I was in in a meat coma from my lunch at Porcao earlier in the day, so there's not much for me to review.  But from what little food and drink I had, it seemed like a very lovely place to grab some tapas and sit outside with a lovely cocktail.  The tricky thing is that also also pass around  random tapas while you eat and at first we weren't sure what was going on.  Was it complimentary?  Well the answer is no, they are not free.  They like to pass around different types of house tapas and if you are interested, they put it on your table and write it down on your bill.  Luckily the food is pretty good here, so when we grabbed some kind of potato dish, we weren't too upset.  For our main dishes, we got our usual order of potatoes bravas and a tortilla and both were solid dishes.  

The location of the restaurant is on a lively and fun strip in Copacabana.  After checking out this neighborhood, I'm glad we chose to say in Ipanema as it's not quite as touristy and crazy as Copacabana.  But this restaurant would be a fun place to check out on any other occasion, just not after I had eaten an entire cow for lunch.  Total bill:  $25/pp 

Photo Credit:  Yelp