Rio de Janeiro Brazilian Buffett - Marietta, Georgia

The Dining Companion and I have been checking out local Brazilian restaurants. Recently we had lunch at Rio de Janeiro. Rio de Janeiro is a small buffet restaurant located in a strip mall.

The first thing we heard after we greeted the staff was "I don't speak English." That's ok I replied, I don't speak Portuguese, I'm sure we'll figure it out. And we did.

We sat down and with the help of an English speaking employee, got the lay of the land. Rio de Janeiro's buffet is available for dine in or take out. As a matter of fact, while we were there, no one else joined us for lunch but many people stopped by for take out.

I managed to get one, only one, halfway decent picture of the food. 

Clockwise from the top: Layered chicken dish, pasta salad, a lovely rice and bean dish and boiled yucca

The Dining Companion and I are familiar with a few Brazilian dishes. None of those dishes were on the buffet. I'll be honest, I asked what these dishes were and I was told.(Muito obrigada!) I didn't write anything down and the dishes aren't really listed anywhere. That said, everything we tried was good. (MENU)

From what I understand, Rio de Janeiro, is a typical quick service Brazilian lunch spot. Something you might find in Brazil.

The buffet is small with a handful of items. Some items change depending on the day of the week. At some point we'll get back to sample some of the other choices.

Was this my favorite Brazilian restaurant? No, but it was a serviceable lunch option and a good way to try a few new things.

As it happens the Rio de Janeiro buffet is located in the same strip mall as the Brazilian Bakery Cafe. When filling up at the buffet for lunch be sure and save room for some tasty pastries a few doors down.

 Jantar feliz!
(Happy dining!)

Brazilian Bakery Cafe - Marietta, Georgia

All I know about Brazilian food I learned from a waiter at Fogo de Chao. Well, mostly. It was on his advice that the Dining Companion and I sought out our first Brazilian restaurant that wasn’t a churrascaria.

Poking around the local dining scene, the Dining Companion found that there are a few Brazilian restaurants in the area. Armed with that knowledge we set out to try a couple. The Brazilian Bakery Café was first up.

We were there early on a weekend morning. It wasn’t overly busy which was great for me. I was able to ask about some of the delicious looking things on offer without holding up a line. The guy behind the counter was very helpful. (I wish I had his name) We looked over the options in the cases and chose a few things to try.(menu)

Coxinha are deep fried drumstick shaped fritters filled with chicken

We had one of the split pastries above. Filled with vanilla cream.

So many things to try!

There were cakes as well and flan

We ended up with a coxinha, a small shrimp pie and a ham and cheese pastry called an Americano. The coxinha we’d had before but the other two were new to us. We enjoyed all of the things that we tried.

Clockwise from top: Ham and Cheese pastry, coxinha and a shrimp empadinha

I did end up getting a sweet pastry as well. It was so good that it didn't last long enough to get its picture taken.

I asked about the feijoada and found out that we were there too early. We’ll be back for it another day. From what I can tell most of the local Brazilian places serve it on Saturday. Brazilian Bakery Cafe has it both Wednesday and Saturday.

The cafe also offers different soups and salads daily and bacalhoada on Fridays. Bacalhoada is a dish that consists of salt cod, onions and potatoes. There are sandwiches too. A little something for everyone. Judging by the steady stream of people coming in and out while we were there it's a popular weekend stop.

Chocolate Easter Eggs

I saw several foil wrapped packages hanging here and there in the bakery. I asked about them and was told that they're chocolate Easter eggs, a tradition in Brazil. They each have a hollow space inside that can be filled with a small toy or something. I'm sorry I didn't get one.

Sitting in the café was what I imagine being on vacation in Brazil would be like. Everyone it seems, but the Dining Companion and me, were speaking Portuguese. It's the kind of thing that can transport you right out of your everyday and into something new. We love that.

There are a couple of other places that we're going to try. One of them is a buffet place and the other appears to be a market with a place to eat attached. They both look interesting.

Stay tuned, the Brazilian food adventure is just beginning.

Happy dining!

Emporio Brazilian Cafe - Houston, Texas

After almost two months spent hanging out at home the Dining Companion and I were finally able to get out a little bit recently. One of the places we visited was a Brazilian restaurant, Emporio Brazilian Cafe.

The restaurant is located in a small shopping center. The interior is nice and there is a full bar.

 That brings me to our other Brazilian favorite, the Caipirinha. A great warm weather drink made with limes, sugar and cachaca. Just delicious and hands down one of my favorite drinks.

I've mentioned before that both of us really like a traditional Brazilian black bean stew called feijoada and we were happy to see it on Emporio's menu.

While we decided on dinner we were served a basket of traditional Brazilian cheese bread. Typical of what you see in many of the Brazilian steakhouses.

 We started off with the Coxinha de Frango. (these are little stuffed croquettes) and a sausage plate that included sauteed onions and olives.

The small dish next to the sausage holds farofa. Farofa is a toasted flour that is flavored and served alongside various dishes, including the feijoada.

One of my favorite parts of the meal was the hot sauce we were served. I never really did find out what is was, but I do intend to. It was spicy, full of heat and had a great flavor.

Another sauce on the table looked a lot like pico de gallo but was actually pickled. Not a sauce I've had before but one I enjoyed.

Finally we got to the main event. The waiter asked if he could show me how feijoada is eaten in Brazil. How could I say no.

So delicious - Feijoada

Around the plate: fried bananas, an orange slice and steamed greens

The lower photo shows the way feijoada is typically eaten. (As explained by our waiter) Any way you eat it, it's fabulous. If you can find it in your area do give it a try. I also learned to make it at home. It's surprisingly simple to do.

The Dining Companion had the stroganoff which while very tasty was not very photogenic. But in the looks or taste contest I'm glad taste won.

While we might not make Emporio Brazilian Cafe a frequent stop I'd definitely go back for the feijoada and that amazing hot sauce.

It was so nice to get out again. I'm glad that most of my recovery is now behind me.Thanks for hanging in there with me.


Happy dining and as always Happy Travels!

Let's Eat!

If there is a best part of being on the road it just might be the chance to try some great food. Over the years the Dining Companion and I have had the good fortune to dine all over the country. Today I'm going to run down some of the best places we've tried. Places worth seeking out if you're in the area and some places worth a journey all their own.

I've written about this before but my hands down favorite breakfast place is the Red Eyed Mule in Marietta, GA. A small breakfast and lunch spot run by a great group of people. The food is fresh and imaginative and doesn't disappoint.

Sometimes finding the goods means getting out of the city. One of the best places to find something good to eat is along the Buford Highway that runs from Atlanta to Buford, GA.The Crawfish Shack had some of the best Cajun style seafood we've eaten anywhere. A trip out to the Buford Highway is a must do when in the Atlanta area.

Our vote for the best barbeque is still Franklin Barbeque in Austin, TX. We can't compare this to anything else because it's in a class by itself. All we can say, is that if you love BBQ and want to experience the best, head to Franklin in Austin.

Having eaten at many Brazilian Steakhouses it was a revelation to eat at a restaurant that served other traditional Brazilian food. On the recommendation of our server at Fogo de Chao we tried Sao Paulo's in Austin. The food we had was flavorful and interesting. It brought another ethnic food to our awareness and something else to seek out in our travels.

One of my favorite things to eat has got to be a cheeseburger. Cheeseburgers are pretty ubiquitous and we've eaten them everywhere. The ones that stand out are not necessarily the fanciest or most gourmet. One of my favorite places to get a cheeseburger is the Northgate Soda Shop in Greenville, SC. A nostalgia filled diner that serves up some regional favorites. Specifically the Carolina Slaw Dogs and the Pimento Cheeseburger. Worth seeking out. A local favorite and a fun stop.

An honorable mention here for The Vortex in Atlanta. It served up one of the most memorable burgers for sheer size and ridiculousness. Grilled cheese sandwiches for buns, multiple patties, bacon and cheese. A crazy over the top plate of goodness.

In the last but not least category we have Corea Kalbi in Newport Beach, CA. This was our first encounter with Korean BBQ. All types of meats are grilled at your table and served with a large variety of condiments. We'd never had anything quite like it and haven't really since. If you're lucky enough to have a Korean BBQ restaurant in your area you should give it a try. One of the most fun and interesting dining experiences we've had.

These are just of a few of the places that have stood out for us over the years. Places that I would return to again given the opportunity.We're looking forward to more interesting and exciting dining in the future. When we find the gems, whether hidden or smack in the middle of the tourist districts, you'll read about them here.

Happy dining!