Tales on the table

On the way back to Punta Del Este from Jose Ignacio, you can almost smell from the highway the aroma of freshly baked bread coming out of this little bakery (is it Ok to call it a bakery?) in La Barra.

Medialunas are a very traditional pastry in both Uruguay and Argentina, that is often compared to its more internationally famous sibling, the croissant.

The pastries here are light, fluffy, sweet (but not-too-sweet) and delicious. Oh, and very aromatic. They sell it plain or stuffed with different options of savory and sweet fillings. I am all for the simple and traditional plain version of this carbo goodness, which is clearly their flagship item if you care to take a look around.

While medialunas are a great option for breakfast, the pro-move for me here is to have them in the afternoon, sit back and breath in as much as possible of that unforgettable smell before hitting the road again.

@mlcalentitaslabarra

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Na estrada voltando de Jose Ignacio para Punta Del Este quase que dá para sentir o aroma delicioso de pão saindo do forno desta pequena padaria (será que posso chamá-la de padaria?) em La Barra.

As medialunas são uma tradição nacional tanto no Uruguai quanto na Argentina, sendo frequentemente comparadas ao seu irmão internacionalmente mais famoso, o croissant.

Aqui elas são leves, fofas, doces (mas não muito doces) e deliciosas. Ah, e muito aromáticas. Eles as vendem simples ou recheadas com diferentes opções salgadas e doces. Eu prefiro a versão simples e tradicional deste tesouro na forma de carboidrato, que você logo vai perceber que claramente é o carro-chefe da casa.

Embora as medialunas sejam uma ótima opção para o café da manhã, para mim a tacada de mestre aqui é deixar para comer uma (ou várias) no meio da tarde, desfrutando e inspirando o máximo possível daquele cheiro gostoso antes de pegar a estrada de novo. Less

Great steak grilled the Uruguayan way on an impressively large parrilla, with a good bottle of red wine or local beer to wash it down. What else can you ask for?

Ok… there is more. Dulce de leche pancakes for dessert and a happy ending to a hearty and pleasant meal.

@elpalenque.pde also has a unit in Montevideo, which I am hoping to visit at some point.

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Uma ótima carne grelhada à moda uruguaia em uma parrilla impressionantemente grande, acompanhada de uma boa garrafa de vinho tinto ou uma cerveja local para acompanhar. O que mais você pode querer?

Na verdade, tenho certeza que tem algo mais que você vai querer sim. Panquecas de “dulce de leche” de sobremesa vão ser o complemento perfeito para uma refeição farta e deliciosa.

O @elpalenque.pde tem também uma unidade em Montevideo que pretendo visitar em breve. Less

With a very nice terrace dining room and a view to Punta Del Este’s harbor, @lodetererestaurante is a great restaurant to enjoy the best seafood that the Uruguayan Atlantic coast has to offer.

As if the dishes themselves were not enough, the restaurant works closely with local producers to encourage sustainable fishing practices with the goal of preserving the environment.

I became aware of this place given its frequent selections on @theworlds50best Latam lists and it quickly made the very top of my Punta wishlist. And now after visiting it I can only agree that it is a must when in town.

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Com o salão localizado num terraço muito agradável com vista para o porto de Punta Del Este, o @lodetererestaurante é um ótimo restaurante para apreciar os melhores frutos do mar que a costa atlântica uruguaia tem a oferecer.

Como se os pratos em si não fossem suficientes, o restaurante trabalha em estreita colaboração com produtores locais para incentivar práticas de pesca sustentáveis, com o objetivo de preservar o meio ambiente.

Inicialmente, fiquei interessado por esse lugar devido às suas frequentes seleções nas listas do @theworlds50best Latam e ele rapidamente se tornou um dos principais na minha lista de desejos em Punta. Agora, depois de visitá-lo, só posso concordar que é imperdível para quem estiver na cidade. Less

@barmadrid is another incredible option around Tijuca. The place mixes Brazilian and Spanish food, given the heritage of the owner.

Most clients are seated on tables displayed along the sidewalk. And they all should promptly order a passion fruit “batida” to open up the appetite.

The pepper sauce of the house is made with the addition of a few Spanish spices into the mix, giving it a special touch.

Bar Madrid is the type of place to stay for many hours, but if you happen to be in a hurry, I would recommend not missing the tongue croquette, huevos rotos (fried eggs with french fries and jamón), and their special pastel, filled with scarlet eggplant and a sausage from Minas Gerais.

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When planning my trip to Maldonado region, in Punta del Este, during the offseason, I quickly found out that several places that were in my wishlist would be closed and would only reopen closer to summer. After an initial feeling of disappointment, two main reasons got me excited for the upcoming trip.

The first one being that I realized that the perfect excuse to go back there during peak season had just fallen on my lap, and I love going back somewhere for a second time and get a new perspective on that place. I plan to do that soon which will hopefully lead to another batch of posts on restaurants that were closed this time around.

But the second and most important reason of all was that @lahuella.parador would be open. And that was the number 1 restaurant on my list given all its accolades and recognition.

High expectation means that the bar was automatically set higher, but the Parador did not disappoint at all. In fact, it still managed to over-deliver.

The food was excellent, with main-course options including perfectly grilled seafood over fire giving it a smoky touch, to go along with the starters. You can’t go wrong choosing from the menu here so I will keep it short on the food by just saying that I would not miss the silky smooth octopus with potatoes and paprika.

The place is casual, with a nice view to the Atlantic Ocean and a laid back but partyish vibe. Sit back, take your time, order some wine and have a good time!

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@bardafrente quickly became one of my favorite botecos in Rio. It’s also pretty close to the Maracanã stadium, making it the perfect destination for a pre-game ritual if you are a soccer fan like myself.

So that’s where I decided to start the day before last year’s Copa do Brasil finals. And what a meal I had! We started things off with a few great fried snacks, including their famous Bolovo and the “porquinho de quimono”, which is a local creation that basically consists of fried harumaki dough filled with a mix of pork ribs and a creamy cheese.

After a long snack feast and a few beers, the main dishes did not disappoint either. Especially their gnocchi with roast meat and fried rice with sausage and eggs.

There is no better feeling than enjoying great food with my dad in such a special place. Well, other than flying back home with a 1x0 victory in the bag. That feeling is still unbeaten.

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@bardomomooficial is a carioca institution. And I could not choose another establishment to open my brief list of 3 botecos that I love in the Tijuca neighborhood.

Tijuca is probably my favorite district in Rio. Outside of the typical touristy route, this zone emanates a bohemian vibe, and is where some of the coolest “rodas de samba” can be found, alongside exceptional botecos on almost every street.

And no other place represents Tijuca as well as Bar do Momo. Situated in one of the most magical corners of the city, it is usually packed with people, who sit outside and enjoy an afternoon of drinks and great food with friends.

Anything ordered here will be well executed. But one of the must-order items is their flagship Bolinho de Arroz, or fried rice balls. Their version of this classic snack is made with 4 different types of cheese, to achieve the best possible levels of creaminess and flavor.

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Having dinner at @fame_osteria is a must for anyone either living or visiting São Paulo.

Fame is run by the couple Erika and Marco (@casal_renzetti), who are respectively the restaurant’s sommelier and chef.

The entrance is kind of hidden, without a sign, on a buzzling street in the upscale Jardins neighborhood. But the clientele, who book their table well ahead of time, know exactly where to go and happily climb the narrow staircase that leads to the dining room.

Their tasting menu has the power to transport you to Italy for the length of the meal. The food is impeccable, and to my palate it’s as comforting as nonna pasta can be.

There are many tasting menus out there that I really like but feel that having them just every once in a while is enough. Not Fame ‘s. This is the type of food that warms me inside and that I would want to eat every day at home if I could.

Moreover, having dinner there made me want to invite the couple for a weekend trip to the countryside. Not only to eat delicious food, but also to have the chance to watch Marco cooking at an open fire space, have a nice bottle of wine chosen by Erika and talk about food, ingredients and life with them. That is the kind of wishful thinking that a meal at Fame instantly brings me.

The squid is as strong a start as any menu can have. It is served whole and cooked to perfection, where the texture is not at all chewy, but still with a good bite to it. It also has a very charcoal smoky aroma and a thick ham dashi sauce that is basically liquid umami.

The pasta dishes are fabulous, making it hard for me to say if I preferred the cavatelli with eggplant and shellfish or the pasta and fagioli. Or the lamb agnolotti...

But the best bite of the night was their rice course, cooked with bone marrow instead of butter or any kind of cooking oil. The result? A collagenous and rich dish, topped with whatever is fresh on that given day. Mine had pieces of octopus, but I have heard that grouper fish is often used as well.

I couldn’t finish without mentioning their version of the classic tiramisu that is to die for.

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I had to be persistent to finally have the ultimate @taquerialoscocuyos experience. During my first trip to Mexico City, this world-famous taqueria was at the very top of my list, and it didn’t take long for me to head towards the city’s historic center looking for this unassuming taco stand. However, upon arrival I was a little frustrated as they had run out of chopped onions and cilantro, which are available on basically all taquerias for customers to shower their food with before savoring it. Tough luck. However, it really impressed me how their tacos still stood out from the rest, even without that freshness and acidity provided by these two ingredients, that I consider essential on most of my tacos.

A few years later, when I finally made my way back to CDMX, I’m sure you can guess where my first stop was. Only to be frustrated yet again, since I unadvisedly showed up early in the day and most of the meats weren’t fully cooked yet. At that time in the day, they were only serving longaniza (sausage) tacos. So I ordered myself a pair and moved on. Once more, the tacos were sensational, but I felt that I still needed to try the other varieties served there.

And since the third time’s the charm, on the very next day I decided to head there again, this time at a proper hour. And this was when I finally had my well deserved taco feast. The place serves a great variety of tacos, cooked on a bubbling meat jacuzzi. And some of the options are definitely not for the faint of heart... eye, cheek, tripe, and more are all featured here. The tacos are served on warm corn tortillas, with your choice of fatty and tender meat, that is oozing its own juices and is then chopped before being put on the tortilla. The house offers great salsas and ... a much needed kick from the onion & cilantro combo to close the deal.

I was so excited that I even forgot to take pictures. So thanks to my buddy @rafaeldevitto for sending me his.

#loscocuyos #talesonthetable #mexicanfood #streetfood #mexicocity #mexico #tacos #taqueria

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If I could have a glance at the future, I would come back to tell you that @tuju_sp has been frequently featured on the 50 Best Latin America lists.

After my recent visit, I have no doubt that it will keep collecting accolades. The food is outstanding, with powerful flavors and smart and provocative combinations. Head chef @ivanralstonb is in a stratosphere rarely found but what amazed me the most is the content and value added by their research department (@tuju_pesquisa).

The outcome of Katherina Cordás’ studies (@digameoquecomes) is clearly displayed on the selection of suppliers and ingredients from the very best that Brazil has to offer. From the cattle and katsuobushi to the artisan cheese, everything is carefully picked to cause the best sensorial experience.

Their research detected that the seasonality of ingredients in Sao Paulo is determined by the rainfall amount. With that in mind, they offer 4 different tasting menus around the year: Moisture, Rain, Wind and Dryness.

As I went during the Rainy season, the menu highlighted cucurbitaceae like melon, cucumber, watermelon and pumpkin.Two of my favorite dishes were the pigeon with kiwi and tucupi and a tartare toast with anchovy paste. Followed by a yellowtail amberjack with cambuci sauce that was just sublime, with the fatty fish perfectly balanced by the sauce’s acidity.

Ironically, since I went for the Rain menu, it was a stormy and chaotic day in the city. However, upon arriving there all was forgotten as I seemed to have entered a safe haven where the city chaos was left behind. Staff is extremely attentive and well prepared and the building architecture and decoration is a masterpiece displaying pieces of Brazilian design. All three floors are equally beautiful, from the patio where guests are welcomed, to the dining room with an open kitchen and the terrace with objects collected during their research expeditions.

If I were you, I would not wait for the future or any additional award to make a reservation. On my side, I am counting the days for the rain to be over so that I can taste what Tuju’s Windy season has to offer.

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