Made in Brazil

Happy Meal

Project Runway has just ended, and I already find myself hooked on another show not available in Brazil: Top Chef. Aside from it being highly entertaining and from Padma being one of the sexiest women on TV, this season Top Chef features not only one, but two chefs who are seriously too cute: Spike and Ryan.

Watching Spike shirtless for several takes last night was the icing on the cake (no pun intended).

I hate that now that iTunes no longer offers Bravo shows for sale I am going to have to watch the rest of the season illegally on YouTube as soon as am back in Brazil.

Mi Buenos Aires Querido, Part III

My Sunday in Buenos Aires was off to a rough start after getting home at 7 am from Glam. To recover from the sleep deprivation and excess of vodka redbull still running through my veins, we decided to have brunch in Palermo.

We walked a few blocks to Mott (El Salvador 4685), and got a table facing the street to watch the crowd. The food is simple, affordable, and pretty good. The place is exactly what Argentinian style means to me: understated, casual, and yet sophisticated. The high ceilings, dark wood furniture, and bottles of liquor lined from floor to ceiling at the bar create a relaxed and cool atmosphere.

After hanging out at Mott for over two hours, we took another stroll around Palermo Soho, checked out a couple of stores, hit the street fairs, and stopped by Freddo for helados (my favorite flavors in case you are wondering are banana and crema tramontana). More on dinner and nightlife after the jump.

Mi Buenos Aires Querido, Part II

Continuing my little review of this past weekend in Buenos Aires, we woke up after 11 on Saturday to another sunny day. Since we had lunch reservations at Cabaña Las Lilas in Puerto Madero, we headed that way for a stroll before lunch (basically an attempt to recover from a hangover).

Lunch at Las Lilas is a gastronomic orgasm. As soon as you sit down, cheese breads, flat breads, and antipasti are served (and they keep on getting replaced at the table every five minutes or so). The meat is superb there, and there are several options of salads and side dishes to go with it. My top picks are the asado de tiras and the ojo de bife. After eating non-stop for about two hours, don't forget to order coffee or tea. Even if you are not in the mood for coffee, the sweets that come with it are worth it. Make sure to call in advance and ask for a table outside by the veranda, with a view of the water (and of Calatrava's Puente de la Mujer).

We left the restaurant and stopped by Galerias Pacifico to do some shopping, digest, and give one of my friends a much needed haircut. If you are going to stop by a mall in Buenos Aires though, I would recommend Alto Palermo or the more upscale Patio Bullrich instead of Pacifico.

Next stop was Recoleta for a walk around the neighborhood and a helado break at Freddo. Recoleta has a lot of old world charm, with cute restaurants and designer boutiques.

From Recoleta we went straight home for a power nap before dinner, and hitting the bars. More after the jump.

Mi Buenos Aires Querido, Part I

Thanks to a national holiday last Friday, I got to spend the weekend in Buenos Aires with friends. I had not been there in ages, and had a really great time (partially thanks to four days of amazing weather and the current exchange rate).

Since I received several emails with travel tips last week, I figured I would compile a list of places I visited this weekend, and share them with some of you who may be heading to Buenos Aires anytime soon or at the end of the year.

We landed on Friday morning, and after a 45-minute taxi ride, and settling nicely in Palermo, we decided to explore the area a little and have lunch at Olsen (Gorriti 5870). The very cool 60's mod decor at the restaurant, which is set apart from the street by a huge indoor patio with fountains and all, is unfortunately unmatched by the quality of the food. The Scandinavian-inspired cuisine ended up being the most disappointing meal we had over the weekend, so I would recommend sticking to the place for drinks at night exclusively. There is a huge selection of vodkas, as well as a nice selection of cute waiters and a fireplace. It is a good thing we stopped at Freddo for some banana icecream afterwards.

After lunch, we took advantage of the sunny skies by going shopping around Palermo. The neighborhood is filled with shops such as Adidas, Diesel, and Puma, but also features a nice mix of local designers.

Felix (Gurruchaga 1670) was by far the best men's store, with some great t-shirts, jeans, and shirts at some very reasonable prices. The canvas beach bags at the store are some of the best I have seen in a long time, a must-buy if you are happen to go there. I would have actually bought a lot more than just a short-sleeve shirt if the clothes were just a little larger. Even at my mere 5'10", a lot of larges and X-larges still did not fit me (and I could not get my legs through any of the shorts on display).

More from last Friday in Buenos Aires after the jump.

Less Churrasco In New York

Park Ave South churrascaria Porcão has been seized by the State for non-payment of taxes. Thanks David for the tip.

Gross Domestic Product: Amendocrem

Because there are so many creative products available in this country, I am going to do my best to introduce you to some of them whenever I am here.

Since there is no peanut butter available at groceries in Brazil, I am currently dealing with a somewhat similar product called Amendocrem. It can be described as a funky concoction made of honey and some sort of a peanut paste which does not even come close to Skippy or Jif. And fyi, it does not go well with strawberry jam.

Whenever I tell my Brazilian friends that I miss peanut butter, they look at me as if I were craving monkey brains. I guess that is a sign I have been Americanized after several years in New York. After having Amendocrem for a week, I am certainly going to be smuggling normal peanut butter (the chunky kind) into this country in the very near future.

A Taste Of Brazil In New York

If you happen to be in New York this month, you don't have to go to Casa or Porcão to experience Brazilian cuisine. From March 6 to 10, Cafe Boulud is importing two renowned Brazilian chefs to bring a taste of Brazil to the Big Apple. The three course lunch menu is priced at $38.

Heart Attack Waiting To Happen

Bad weather Punta del Este means only one thing: churros filled with cream, chocolate, or dulce de leche at Manolo.

José Ignacio

José Ignacio is one of my favorite places to spend the day in Punta del Este. It is about a 45 minute drive from the Peninsula, but certainly worth the trip. I have watched it develop over the past few years, and become an area full of amazing beach houses painted in the most dramatic colors. I took the pictures below at the beach on the last day of 2006 when several men were preparing a fireworks show in the sand.

According to January's Vogue, La Posada del Faro is the place to stay if you decide to spend a week there.

And according to me, Marismo is the place to have dinner. It is in the middle of nowhere, incredibly simple and yet very sophisticated. The tables are all on the sand, and lit by candlelight and a bonfire. Order the chipirones as an appetizer and the cordero as a main course.

Rio Restaurant Guide

Since New Year's is less than a month away, and many of you will be taking off to Rio, I asked my girlfriend (and restaurant conoisseur) Marcele to put together a guide of the best the city has to offer your palate.

In alphabetical order:

Antiquarius: one of the most traditional restaurants in Rio, known for its Portuguese cuisine and its celebrity clientele. Address: Rua Aristides Espínola 19, Leblon Phone: 21.2294.1049

Aprazível: one of the hidden gems of Rio, located in Santa Teresa, and known for its great views of the city and for its Brazilian nouvelle cuisine. Live music on Thursday nights. Reservations highly recommended. Address: Rua Aprazível 62, Santa Teresa Phone: 21.2508.9174

Bar d'Hotel: offers a beautiful view of the beach and a nice atmosphere, plus good food and drinks. Address: Hotel Marina All Suites, Avenida Delfim Moreira 696, 2nd Floor, Leblon Phone: 21.2540.4990

BB Lanches: juice bar. Great place for a late bite since it is open until 5 AM. Address: Rua Aristides Espindola 64, Leblon Phone: 51.2294.1397

Bibi Sucos: great spot to grab a fruit juice or a quick bite. The bowl of açaí is a must-have after a day at the beach. Address: Rua Ataulfo de Paiva 591-A, Leblon Phone: 21.2259.4298

The list continues after the jump with more options.

Food For The Soul In São Paulo

I love the fact that in São Paulo there are great little restaurants like in New York. Of course you can opt for the likes of Fasano for an amazing dinner, but if you are looking for a laid back meal in the city I can suggest a few other options.

I had to pick up my tickets for The Week at Mercadinho on Saturday, which was a good excuse to eat there for the first time. If you are walking down Rua da Consolação, and need to stop for a quick bite, I highly recommend you try the "escondidinho," which is a Brazilian version of a shepperd's pie with pureed yucca and dried meat.

On Sunday my girlfriend Maria Paula (who knows a thing or two about good chefs) suggested a late lunch at Brasil A Gosto. The restaurant on a small treelined street in Jardins offers an more refined approach to tradicional Brazilian dishes, and the menu sounds so delicious it is hard to pick something. It is Brazilian comfort food done right.

Then there is always Ritz, which has the cuttest staff in the city, and is the only place I always go to when I am in São Paulo. The menu doesn't change, but I really like the atmosphere. Their caipirinhas with sake and red berries are so good you can't order just one. I only wish I had my camera to snap a group picture of the waiters.

Herchcovitch Does McDonald's

Brazilian designer Alexandre Herchcovitch has just signed a 6-year deal with McDonald's to design a series of new uniforms in an effort update the image of the fast food chain, which employs 34,000 people in the country. Since he has been given total creative control, I can't wait to see what the uniforms are going to look like... Is he going to go for latex or sequins? Or both?

Clericot

Despite being invented in the 19th century in India, clericot is the drink of choice in Punta del Este (and the reason why I have to take a nap everyday after lunch). Here is my favorite way to make it:
1 bottle of white wine (preferably dry and not very sweet)
1 diced apple (no need to peel it)
1 peeled sliced orange
2 peeled and diced peaches
1/2 pineapple peeled and diced
A few cut strawberries
A few seedless grapes
1-3 spoons of sugar
Prepare all the fruit in a pitcher, add sugar, and enough white wine to cover the fruit. Let the fruit absorb the alcohol for a couple of hours in the fridge. When ready to serve, pour the remaining wine and add a lot of ice. You can also add more sugar (or Equal) if you feel like it.