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Dining & Spirits
The Rio Thing
"Churrascaria" and "rodizio" are the hottest buzzwords in today's restaurant whirl, where the booming Brazilian population has pioneered and popularized its traditional steakhouses featuring a non-stop parade of gaucho-clad servers bearing giant skewers of meats directly from the rotisserie grill to the tables for slicing to order. Beef in all its cuts is the headliner, but there's also skewed sausage, pork, lamb, chicken and even some seafood on the side.
 Chima Brazilian Steakhouse |
But before attacking that groaning board, you should salute your good fortune at being able to be in the Pampas of southern Brazil with a classic "caipirinha," a cocktail made with squeezed sugar cane liquor and lots of lime, sometimes with the infused additives of coconut, passion fruit and strawberry.
When you're finished with all the pork sausage, shrimp and bacon-wrapped chicken and the steaks, you can conclude the tour with a mousse made with passion fruit or a slice of rich cheesecake, Key lime pie or tiramisu. Accompanying such bounty is a good selection of reasonably priced wines, including some from Brazil and more from Argentina. The fare for your Pampas rodeo in the Brazilian lowlands is $24 to $35, and it's possible to skip all the skewers and concentrate on that tremendous banquet table at a reduced cost. National chains such as Texas de Brazil and Fogo de Chao are at the top of the tariffs.
While Chima is one of the most impressive design achievements to serve as backdrop for all the delicious drama, the three most recent arrivals compete for considerable recognition in their own right:
» Tento Churrascaria, Jacksonville Beach, 528 N. 1st St., 904/246-1580, where co-owner and grill master Carlos Lang is a native of the Pampas
» Gol! The Taste of Brazil, Delray Beach, 411 E. Atlantic Ave., 561/272-6565, spread out in the historic old Arcade Tap Room (golthetasteofbrazil.com)
» Brasa Grill, Tampa, 6507 W. Waters Ave., Suite 9, 813/866-7858 (brasagrillrestaurant.com)
