Tales on the table

Bistrô da Vila - Morretes (PR)

Barreado is a classic dish of southern Brazil that consists of stewed beef with a variety of spices slowly cooked on a clay pot for at least 12 hours. It is usually served with rice, “pirão”, banana and manioc flour.

Originally, the clay pot was hermetically sealed with a paste made of manioc dough and ash, before being cooked over fire. Hence its name, which literally translates into “covered in mud”. This technique can be compared to a rustic slow cooker, as the seal traps all of the juices inside the pot while the meat stews.

I had an incredible version of Barreado once before in São Paulo, in the great @tordesilhas restaurant. From that point forward, I knew that I would have to adventure myself in search of the dish straight from the source.

So earlier this year I finally headed to the beautiful town of Morretes, taking a scenic car ride from Curitiba and crossing the Atlantic Forest towards the coastline. But I have to confess that it wasn’t as easy as I imagined to find a legitimate version of the dish.

Barreado is served in basically all restaurants in the city center, but in many of those places the cooking method has nothing to do with the original recipe and generally uses pressure cookers - in gas or electric ovens - to speed up the process. Most restaurants are clearly focused on attracting visitors, who in turn seem to be much more worried about a nice picture than the food itself. I even found out that many restaurants have partnerships with travel agencies so that the tour guides lead tourists to such establishments. Reg flags everywhere.

The good news is that I can point you in the right direction: @_bistrodavila serves a fantastic version of the dish. Even if it is not cooked 100% the traditional way, the place is clearly dedicated to keeping the original taste alive, and the final result is extremely good. Falling-apart tender meat, cooked for over 4 hours, with a flavorful broth in which you can really feel the presence of cumin. I highly recommend this restaurant for whoever decides to visit Morretes

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Pamonha is the Brazilian sibling of the latin-american classic Tamales. It basically consists of corn dough steamed and wrapped in corn husk.

While apparently simple, this dish is very versatile and can be either sweet or savory, with different types of fillings, including the classic cheese and sausage combo. It can also have a more firm or soft texture, and I can say that I have a strong preference for the latter.

In Brazil, Pamonhas are also often associated with childhood memories of listening to cars with loudspeakers offering promotions to buy their product in the streets.

But while famous throughout the country, Goiânia is undoubtedly the Pamonha capital of Brazil. This treat can be found everywhere in town and its consumption is deeply rooted in the habits of the locals. While exploring the city, I did not find a better one than at @pamonhariameire.

Unfortunately I did not get to meet Meiry, who has been making pamonhas for nearly 40 years and is a true master of her work. But her presence was felt through the deliciousness of her food. When in Goiânia, her joint is not to be missed.

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@elgauchitoempanadas serves empanadas riojanas, from the province of La Rioja, in northwestern Argentina. Beto, the friendly owner, was born there and keeps the region’s traditional recipes very much alive now in Buenos Aires.

Aside from the recipes, he also holds a lot of memories and stories from his hometown and is always willing to share it with the clientele, being locals or tourists alike.

El Gauchito is the true definition of a whole-in-the-wall kind of place. And it is also home to my favorite empanadas in the city.

So, one may ask what are some of the differences in riojana empanada recipe. Well, here the best-selling empanada is fried (but they do also have a baked option in the menu). The meat is also knife-cut, giving it a much more insteresting texture than the typical minced beef. Boiled eggs, lots of onions, potatoes cubes and cumin also go in the mix, creating a juicy and savory filling.

The empanadas are served with the family- kept secret sauce on the side. After having inquired about it a few times, with no success, I have to admit that it brings me joy to be reminded that some things are just better unkown.

During my last visit, it was a cold winter day, so they were serving Locro, a thick corn stew that is very traditional in Argentina. Beto did not have to insist much for me to order myself a bowl.

Giving credit where it is due, I first heard about this place in a post from the great @baixagastronomia.

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Bruno’s Korvbar - Stockholm (Sweden)

@brunoskorvar is another street food stall and a mandatory stop when in town. The house specialty is a local sandwich very similar to what I would call a double hotdog.

There are several different options of sausages (including beef, lamb, pork, chicken or vegetarian) and I chose a mild spicy one that was very juicy.

The baguette, which is toasted to make it crunchy, shelters inside of it all different types of condiments, including their spectacular homemade Sauerkraut.

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Rolfs Kok - Stockholm (Sweden)

While seating is far from comfortable, @rolfskok is not to be missed. This often crowded restaurant is one of the best places for lunch in the city.

Picking just one option from the menu was not an easy task, but I was very happy with my choice of Ox cheeks in a dark red wine sauce, served with mashed potatoes and truffles.

The restaurant also offers its clients a bowl of soup, that changes daily and goes very well with their homemade bread.

Rolfs Kok is the type of restaurant that chefs and people from the food industry go to on their day offs, which should be more than enough reason for you to plan to have a meal here.

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Slipen - Stockholm (Sweden)

@restaurangslipen is probably one of Stockholm’s most beautiful restaurants. The terrace facing water is the perfect setting for lunch during the summer days. During my visit, however, given the pouring rain I had to sit inside. Which was no problem at all and I ended up having a great time.

The main dining room has large windows that let the light in. But aside from its charming looks, Slipen also has great food. It is a Swedish bistro where options on the menu change daily.

For that reason, I will not get into much detail on my dishes, other than saying that the chicken was perfectly done. The family seating on the table beside me, who seemed to be regulars, ordered a few pizzas that also looked great.

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Nystekt Strömming - Stockholm (Sweden)

Fried herring on rye bread. Simple pleasures that only local street food can provide.

Well, it can get even better when topped with brown mustard, red onions and pickled cucumber.

Nystekt Strooming is not to be missed when walking around the city. What a gem!

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Brasserie Astoria

@brasserieastoria is the more “casual” restaurant from the Frantzen group in Stockholm. And I quote because it is not actually casual, only when comparing it to its three starred older brother.

Located in a former cinema, the restaurant serves a menu with a lot of French and Italian influences, but with a clear nordic twist.

To kick things off, the oysters were very good, as were the jackfruit waffles topped with crème fraiche, caviar, lime and browned butter.

Another must order is the Astoria Toast, which comes with a mix of lobster, shrimps, trout roe, lemon confit, wasabi oil and pickled onion on top of a golden brown butter-fried toast.

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Operabaren - Stockholm (Sweden)

@operabaren is a Stockholm institution. Open for over 100 years, the place serves well-executed classic Swedish dishes within the Royal Opera House.

The iconic building itself is also vintage, with wooden panels and a beautiful stained glass ceiling. The decoration is very well preserved, giving a timeless feel to the place that fits very well with the type of food that they serve.

I ordered Raraka as a starter, a type of hash brown with vendace roe on top. It was crispy, with a salinity touch that really made a difference.

As a main course, I ordered beef rydberg, another typical local dish, that is basically pan fried diced tenderloin, with potatoes, sauteed onions and egg yolk.

This is a great place to go if you are looking for traditional food and having a very local experience when it comes to dining in Stockholm.

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Krumel - Stockholm (Sweden)

As someone who has a sweet tooth, it was pretty easy to decide where to go in town to satisfy my sugar cravings.

@krumelstockholm is a cookie lover’s paradise. All options here are very good, but I would not miss out on the Classic Crumb (a chocolate chip cookie with a bit of sea salt on top) and the Crumb Brulée.

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