Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Strawberry Shortcake, Anyone?

I felt really lucky today when the Canadoca decided not to blow a gasket at the store when I had to tell her "No!"

You know, as opposed to the other day when she decided to grab a carton of eggs when she was bored, and throw them on the floor (obviously my fault) or the day before when I dropped and broke a bottle of wine on the floor. They see us coming and groan I'm sure...

Okay - back to my proud parenting moment and lack-of-tantrum story... why oh why did I have to tell her no?

Well, she spotted these at Hortifruti, and wanted them.

I nearly tossed them in the cart without giving it much thought, but luckily glanced at the price beforehand - yikes. You're reading right. $R34 for a package of strawberries. Today that's US$20.50. To be fair, they are limited edition, perfect, and look delicious... but, um, no. Sorry, Canadoca. No morangos today!

Canadoca, if you'd tantrumed I wouldn't have blamed you, I wanted to tantrum too! This was the second out-of-this-world produce pricing perdicament I found myself in this morning. A guy at the feira tried to charge me R$20 for 8 apples! Let's stick with local fruit that's in season, shall we?

 

 

CT Boucherie Leblon

Mr. DRL and I finally made it over to CT Boucherie on the weekend for dinner, which was fantastic.CT is chef Claude Troisgos (of Olympe & 66 Bistro & CT Brasserie)'s new spot. Fabulous. Casual. Delicious.

We had the picanha and filet mignon, served with pepper and moustard sauces. The sides come rodizio, family style and were fantastic. Hot apple-maracuja pure, chuchu gratinado (amazing....), batata barao.

I'd been advised that dessert was not to be missed, I had the chocolate mousse which was also served family style, highly recommend it!

CT Boucherie, Rua Dias Ferreira 636 – Leblon. Pretty much always packed!

Catching My Eye At The Supermarket

I get a lot of compliments on my supermarket posts. I get a lot of complaints about my supermarket posts. Can't please everyone! Here two little tidbits I've found recently that I found photoworthy...

Who are we kidding here with this first one. Lite pork rinds? Right... It's okay, kids, there's 45 percent less fat...

Muffins in the supermarket as well, also at Hortifruti. You don't see a lot of muffins in Rio (Starbucks was the first place I spotted them).

 

Oh that Peanut Allergy.

It's a pesky one, that peanut allergy of mine. Always getting in the way of my fun. I thought that with spending Christmas in the south this year I'd avoid any temptation or mishap, not surrounded by boxes of chocolates and nuts and bolts. Wrong!

At the Freddo (aka the best icecream ever) counter in Buenos Aires, I was indecisive. Who could blame me, right? The English-speaking girl behind the counter offered me a sample of "Mantecol" flavour, and assured me it did not contain nuts.

My throat was instantly itchy and swollen and I told her that whatever she'd given me most certainly had to have contained nuts. She insisted it didn't... we went to a corner store and bought a "Mantecol" bar, its main ingredient is "pasta de mani" - peanut paste.... nice.

On another occasion a few months back I ordered a stirfry dish while out for lunch, and asked the waiter if it contained nuts. He said no, then yes, so I informed him of my allergy. He brought out the dish with nuts on top of it, then while serving it Brazilian family style assured me he would pick around the nuts (they were tiny and everywhere) when plating mine. When I explained this wouldn't work he still insisted on plating me some rice, using the spoon that was still covered in nuts from the other dish...

The bottom line: be very careful eating out in this part of the world if you have serious allergies. Waitstaff are NOT educated on the seriousness of allergies and brush it off, and are not always well informed of food ingredients, either.

I must say it would be nice to find a happy medium. Back in Canada + the states, many restaurants have over the top paranoid policies on allergies in fear of being sued. In many cases when I've informed a server of my allergy it's either led to me not being able to order what I want (because they can't 100% guarantee it hasn't come into contact with nuts - which by the way I'm fine with, as basically everything "may contain" or have had contact with nuts, but they weren't okay with it and didn't let me) or having a lengthy conversation with some restaurant manager .

 

New in the Neighbourhood...

The NK store is now open in Ipanema. It features designers such as Stella McCartney, Pucci, Givenchy, Lanvin, Céline, Isabel Marant, Azzedine Alaïa. It's right beside DeliRio Tropical and has valet parking... might need to check this out soon! Web site here. Rua Garcia D'avila, 56, Ipanema.

Over at Shopping Leblon, there's a new baby store, Upia. The window was the most exciting part, but it's cute.

When I was last at Shopping Leblon the new Juicy Couture store was coming soon, but it may be open by now.

Down in my neck of the woods we have a beautiful new book store, Saraiva, where the dive shop used to be by Cafeina.

The Saraiva store has many international magazines I hadn't previously spotten in Rio. 

not to mention other "international favorites" - this popped right out at me

Down on Dias Ferreira there's a new steakhouse that comes recommended (haven't been there yet myself) - CT Boucherie. The desserts are supposed to be fab.

I've been meaning to mention it for ages but there is also now a Mini Cooper dealership right on Ataulfa de Paiva.

 

New Venga!

I have three friends in particular who will be sad they've moved away and won't be able to check out the new Venga! Which is located on Garcila D'Avila in Ipanema. As I have mentioned I love love love Venga, the only complaint I have is that it's too busy! Anyway I am happy that they've expanded into a new location :)

 

 

Frango Bem Passado

On countless occasions in a variety of restaurants in Rio, I or my dining companions have been served chicken that's more than just a little pink on the inside. Not quite done! The frequency in which this happens leads me to believe that Brazilians might like their chicken a little more on the rare side than we're accustomed to in North America. "Bem Passado" is the key word for well done in case you want to avoid this!

Not it!

I've been the guinea pig for many things in Rio but trying these chips, well, can someone else take one for the team?

That's right, I spotted Burger flavoured Doritos.

Picturesque Food

Just random shots of food around Rio I thought people might find interesting.

 Meat grilling at Cadege Flower market near Sao Cristovao

Donuts! Didn't try one but these can be found at the Martinique bakery on the far end of Ipanema.

Christmas Gift Ideas in Rio: Wine Baskets

Mr. DRL and I recently went to Expand Wine bar in Ipanema (Rua Barão da Torre 358, Ipanema +55 (021) 2523 2747) for a lovely meal. We HIGHLY recommend the mushroom appetizer... meant to take a photo earlier but...

The idea of going was of course to pick out a nice bottle of wine to be served with dinner.  Their wine prices are actually quite reasonable. After spending quite a bit of time picking out a bottle, little did we know, it was not one of the mere four chilled bottles of the variety of grape we were after. Haha! Oh well! Change of plans... ;) picked one of the four, and had a nice time. 

I spotted some great Christmas gift ideas there as well - they have gift baskets/crates with wine and gourmet items at a variety of price points.

Specialty bottles as well:

Did I mention that they also sell Havana Alfajores from Argentina? Dangerous...

Milk - it does a body good

Actually, the jury's still out on that one. But if you are looking for fresh (non-UHD/boxed) milk in Rio it is now easily located in the refrigerator section of Zona Sul stores. The bottle looks like this:

 

"Leite no saco" is also available at the Rio Lisboa grocery store in Leblon, I've been buying it as well, but they frequently run out.

Beware that if you buy fresh and give it to your kids, if they get any sort of stomach upset, the maid will advise you that the fresh milk is "too strong" for them, and that you should water it down. At least, that's what happened to me, and apparently I am not the only one!

 

Advent Calendar in Rio

Garcia & Rodrigues (Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 1251 PH: 3206-4100) has a tonne of gorgeous Christmas stuff. No one's surprised by this. They have advent calendars too! For a mere R$24.... ;) Helping to swallow that, well, just think if you buy it now you need to eat almost a week's worth of advent calendar chocolate in order to... catch up.

No, I don't think they put their gorgeous truffles in those bad boys, but if you go there you really should try them. Garcia & Rodrigues has the best chocolate in Rio, in my opinion.

Branding with Leblon

First it was Cacacha, (Leblon Cacacha, to be precise), complete with its Caipi-Mobile.

Now, wallets. Kenneth Cole had a "Leblon" line of wallets and billfolds, I think it may now be discontinued but here is an example photo:

Tok & Stok also has a line of patio furniture called "Leblon"

Disk Cook

There are days in Rio de Janeiro where one neither feels like cooking nor speaking another word of Portuguese.

How can we solve this one... well...

I just learned about Disk Cook. It's a service that provides an online delivery food service from some of Rio's best restaurants. www.diskcook.com.br I haven't tried it out yet myself but friends swear by it.

Where does the food come from? Places such as Amir, Benkei Sushi, Antiquarius, Mr. Lam, Milfrutas, Sushi Leblon, Esch Cafe, Juice Co, Giuseppe Grill, Zuka, etc. To be honest, if you are ordering takeout from some of these places you are really missing out on the eating out experience in my books.

Soon it will be too hot to cook. My solution was going to be eating fruit salad for the next few months. The plans always change, maybe instead I'll have options...  ;)

Security Tip - Zona Sul Key Chains

Zona Sul Supermercado (grocery store) has a loyalty program which allows customers to give personal information in exchange for discounts. Kind of like your safeway card back home, likely the data of how many times you buy milk in a month is sold to marketing firms. I have no issue with this. It's also handy for deliveries because when you use your card, your address automatically pops up on the screen, so they have it. Now, the VERY security conscious would probably not want to use a Zona Sul card at all, for this reason.

As I've discussed I'm a medium-security-conscious kind of person. I have a Zona Sul card, but I don't carry it on my keychain, because I figure that if my keys are ever stolen, all the person has to do is buy a chocolate bar using my Zona Sul card and they will have access to my address. Something to think about.Instead of using the card, I just give my CPF # to the cashier, and it pulls up my account.

 

Agave

I feel like a Rio old-timer lately. Many of our friends who are leaving moved here after we did!  

Just a little piece of trivia for you - who is most likely to be the loneliest expat? My answer is someone who has lived somewhere the longest. Their friends have probably all moved away!

It's also because I have noticed so many little changes around Rio. Things I can now easily source which were previously unavailable. Here's a funny one: when I moved to Rio, there wasn't anywhere to buy frozen yogurt and now the oversaturation of the frozen yogurt market in the Zona Sul has now become somewhat of a joke. You cannot go half a block in Ipanema/Leblon without coming across at least one froyo place. Thinking of opening a frozen yogurt place in Rio? Don't do it.

So the other day, in Sendas (I know, I need to stop talking about my epic, annual trip to Sendas) I spotted Agave syrup. These random findings excite me to no end because these are the types of ingredients I buy at Costco back home and smuggle to Brazil in my luggage, praying they don't explode in my suitcase. Can you imagine the mess a bottle of Agave syrup would make.... no wonder I can't sleep well on the plane.

What can you do with Agave? Well you can make a damn good caipi with it, for starters. You can thank the Canadoca's "Glamma" back home for that tip. There, your holiday Monday just got even better!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The where-to-find's that you will only understand or appreciate if you LIVE here.

I went to Sendas last week for the first time in.... I'd say about a year, maybe more. I was hoping to hold out until it turns into a Pao de Acucar store but I needed frozen plain acai and couldn't find it anywhere else. Turned out I couldn't find it at Sendas either that day, but I did find some other interesting things! It smells slightly better than before and they really, truly do have several things that are difficult to source in this area.

First treasure I found was the Monica Soft Touch NIGHT TIME diapers. I thought the line had been discontinued as I haven't seen them elsewhere in months. Sendas still has them.

2nd special treasure - plain (meatless) cooked beans in packaging! One of the conveniences of home I miss is plain black beans in a can. They have them in plastic wrap at Sendas. You might not want to use them for those black bean brownies though, as there is a bit of onion in the ingredients. Have you tried the black bean brownies? They are AMAZING. 

Other fun finds around town - Castelinho - a baby store on At de Paiva in Leblon has a ton of things that used to be impossible to find in Brazil. Things like Munchkin snackholders, stroller fans, etc. Smart stuff, good brands. Prices, well... they don't list them, you have to ask. Never a good sign. But the stuff is available and that's an improvement!

Stroller liners are difficult to find back home, maybe a new concept? But every Brazilian baby in a buggy seems to have one in this area. I saw some really fun ones at Dona Chita this week (Visconde de Piraja 444 Galleria), really nice to have something cottony soft in this hotter summer weather for when babies sleep in strollers.

Schedule of Rio's Organic Farmer's Markets or Feiras Organicos

Peixoto - Saturdays 8-2

Ipanema - Tuesdays 8-2

Leblon - Thursdays 8-2

Jardim Botanico - Saturdays 8-2

Handy for Both the Good Blogging Days and Bad Blogging Days

90% of the feedback and emails I receive from my readers are positive, heartwarming, and inspiring. Thank you to those who have contributed to the blog and my inbox in a positive way. Saude!

10% of the feedback and emails are... well... not quite as "inspiring" for me to keep it up. The secret is concentrating on the positive. 

Either way, in a positive way or a negative one, let's just say that there are days when I know why this product exists and has the name it does:

Blog - The Wine - is Portuguese.

Here's to the bloggers!

Our Recent Getaway

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. DRL, the Canadoca and I headed up to Porto de Galinhas, just outside of Recife, for a week's vacation.

We're not really go-to-a-resort-on-the-beach-for-a-week travelers. But we loved it. Mr. DRL really needed a break from work. The Canadoca and I had spent more than a month away in Canada, so some family time was just what we needed.

After doing some research, we ended up booking in at Ocapora. It's quite a big resort with several pools and a nice beachfront, the breakfast there was fantastic.

We initially wanted to stay at the Summerville Resort or The Village, but both were fully booked (we only booked about 10 days before leaving). If you are really looking to celebrate/splurge check out Nannai resort as well, it looks amazing, (as it should, for R$800 per night).

We wanted to stay somewhere where we could put the Canadoca to bed and go outside and hang out close by. Ocapora has little waterfront bungalows which were perfect.

 

Porto de Galinhas is known for its coral reefs and tidal pools which form when the tide goes out; it's really quite amazing. The sea is so calm when the tide is out, perfect for little kids to play. Educational for older kids as well. Such a family-friendly destination - highchairs in every restaurant, cabbies with carseats, it was perfect for us.

There were flowers for the Canadoca to pick for her lucky mama!

The Canadoca loved running around on the beach at dusk...

The natural pools were the highlight of the trip for sure... this first set is right out front of Ocapora at low tide in the sand. So perfect for the Canadoca to play independently in the warm, clear water. 

 

A few yards down the beach from the resort there was a huge set of pools at low tide, amazing for viewing and swimming with sea life...

There were two restaurants we loved in Porto de Galinhas - Beijupira (which also has a location in Olinda) and Domingo's. Here are some photos from Domingo's....

 

Cobal!

Though it's not far from where I live, I visited the market at Cobal for the very first time last week. Amazing! Many hard-to-fin items and gourmet treats. I'll let the photos do most of the talking...

Gorgeous (albeit a bit pricey) flowers...

Amazing looking treats...

Which can be found here:

Now I know it has been keeping you up at night, folks... wondering where to buy sour cream in Rio? Look no further than Delly Gil at Cobal... 

Happy Thanksgiving!

Tonight we're enjoying a big turkey dinner in celebration of Canadian Thanksgiving (which was last weekend). Found a 9 kilo bird at Kikarnes!

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, a wonderful time to reflect. A week late or anytime. What are you thankful for?

It's Rio Restaurant Week!

www.restaurantweek.com.br

The Kid Loves ACAI

Brazilian by birth, and by tummy too I think. The Canadoca loves the spoils of Brazil. Carne, acai, fruit, did I mention rice & beans?

The acai is the funniest though. At breakfast she tells me she's all done, then I offer acai, suddenly she has room for an entire additional BOWL...  and yes I think it is probably the messiest food in existance.

You may be wondering what sort of acai I am feeding her, especially if you remember that I'm the super anal mom who didn't let her four month old baby eat cake. If not, click here for that story. What I do is buy the frozen plain acai from Zona Sul and mix it with the juice bar sweetened variety. You could avoid the sugar altogether by just mixing it with grape juice, banana, strawberry, or agave or something to sweeten it up (the pure stuff is pretty tart). I also mix in her vitamin drops, and am assured, as you can see below, that she takes in every drop....

 

Deals Deals Deals!

It seems as though there are deals to be had everywhere online these days. The newest thing I've gotten onto is Groupon back home (cities in Canada and the US) and Peixe Urbano in Brazil. Each are sites offering great deals (usually discounted by more than 50%) for gift certificates for products, services, etc. Today's deal in Rio is 80% off salon services at Werner's in Barra. Today's Calgary deal is 50% off of ice cream or ice cream cakes at Marble Slab Creamery. Pretty sweet!

So far I have bought some photobooks to help me get motivated as I am so behind on organizing my photos! Also some snowboard tuneups for Christmas gifts. Haven't bought anything from Peixe Urbano yet but I look forward to it! Check it out.  I also recommend doing this for awhile before TRAVELING to these cities - could find some sweet deals!

Coming Soon to Leblon: Our Very Own Via Sete...

Reason #290,721 that I won't ever want to leave... I've been gone so long now that it may already be open!

New Spot for Date Night...

I am getting really excited to get back to Rio, I miss Mr. DRL! Can't wait for our next datenight, I think I'll take him here, the newest spot on Epitacio Pessoa on the canal in Ipanema ... Anyone been?

Cupcakes from Barra

Cupcake shops are everywhere in North America, and given how the Brazilians feel about sweets (they have carts of treats pushed around town being sold - dessert is EVERYWHERE, sugar content is not listed on any food item here in the supermarket that I've seen), it was really only a matter of time before designer cupcakes made an appearance here. And where better than Barra Shopping, what with its donut shop, and very own statue of liberty... it's almost like you're in the US of A for the day.

At first when I saw these cupcakes I didn't think they were real, the icing/decorations are a bit over the top.  But they are real all right. Tried four different flavours (Before you comment, I shared with three other people, thankyouverymuch....), the blackberry, lemon meringue, black forest and chocolate. Over the top rich to be sure but half the fun is how pretty these treats are. Also, they nicely package them in a cute little box. Vintage Cupcakes in Barra Shopping. They also have Red velvet cake, coconut, marshmallow, blueberry, white forest, nut and confetti flavours....

 

The Popsicle Review

    Okay I finally tried them and yes you are right, I have really been missing out with those milho popsicles. SO GOOD. Another guilty pleasure I've found recently? Diletto Gelato Bars... by the cashier at Zona Sul.

Currently On My Hit List

Places I need to try:
- Astor across from the beach in Ipanema. We've attempted to go the past 2 weekends but there were hour-long waits both times. At 8:00. Just makes me want to go there more, people. (As opposed to the million places which are empty and have people soliciting you by smacking menus in your face when you walk by...)
- Satyricon. Not sure if this counts, as I went when I first visited Rio. But I am repeatedly told by Mr. DRL that we need to go back there because he loves the seafood tower appetizer that he orders whenever he entertains there for business.
- Escola do Pao - supposedly has a fantastic breakfast. Haven't been yet - need to bike over there one weekend morning with Mr. DRL and the Canadocers.
- Ene, the Spanish restaurant in the Intercontinental Hotel in Sao Conrado. Depending on how it rates, I might also like to check out their brunch at Aquarela. 
- Olympe in Jardim Botanico. Won best chef award from Veja (Claude Troisgros).

Which places are you dying to try?

Cornsicles?

These are sitting in my freezer. Haven't tried them yet. Have been meaning to for awhile now. Did I mention the Rio bucket list? Abacate juice is on that list too. (Avocado juice). Maybe I'll wait until my friend E arrives in August and we can try that treat together.

Anyway how bad can these be? Despite not being a soda drinker at ALL, I quite enjoyed the purple corn soda I was served in Peru, maybe this will be similar. I'll let you know...

 

Grocery Prices in Rio

The other day my mom and I were comparing prices on blueberries between Brazil in Canada (it's R$37 per kilo here which equals about $10 per lb in Canada, where they are about $3-$4 per pound). Blueberries are hardly a must-have here in Rio but it's nice to have the option every once in awhile. Here are some other grocery prices in case you are curious to get an idea for cost of living etc. before you move here (I am hearing from a LOT of you who are on the verge of a move to Rio lately)...

 

Other "special" prices @ Zona Sul:

500 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil R$16.98
200 g Butter                         R$ 3.18
200 g Nestle Cocoa Powder   R$ 5.55
187 g Ferrero Rocher            R$19.49
200g Italian Tagliatelle         R$ 3.98
690g Tomato Sauce              R$ 5.69
250g Cottage Cheese           R$ 4.39

Meat Prices

Picanha                              R$39.80/kg
Frozen File Mignon             R$18.90 /kg
Shrimp                              R$13.99/kg

Other

Colgate Total                       R$3.19
2 Rolls SNOB Paper Towel     R$2.49
1 kilo Dog Food (Pedigree)   R$9.99
1 kilo Cat Food (Whiskas)     R$11.89

Must be a slow news week in Leblon

You've got to love Google Alerts. They keep me apprised of news both here and back home. Before I moved to Rio I started reading the local news here and it scared the pants off of me. So let's just say that I like it when THIS is making waves in my neighbourhood rather than stories about gangs, stray bullets or robberies.

The story I'm referring to is the Prefeitura shutting down the new deck out front of Garcia & Rodriguez. I actually was walking by when the dismantling of said deck was taking place and it seemed peaceful but a bit off - turns out it was not legal by bylaw standards and so it was taken down. Just in case you were wondering why you can no longer sit outside there or where the heck the deck I told you about is now...

Speaking of spots in Leblon there is finally some "movement" in the old McDonald's location at the corner of Dias da Ferreira and Ataulfa de Paiva. Blue and Yellow stripes mean anything to anyone? What's going in there???

Sorry for the nightvision shot...

 

Also new in the neighbourhood - PAX, on General San Martin just past Rua Rita Ludolf, which features soups, a grilhado menu and a salad buffet at lunch. Bring a sweater as the AC is ICY. The highlight for me was the gorgeous bouquet of flowers on our table. 

 

Mr. DRL and I are also excited to check out Astoria, (General San Martin 1011) which also just opened up. Spanish tapas... it comes recommended already... I'll let you know. In the meantime here is a review from another blogger who like me is a major VENGA fan.

Sugar Free Packaged Juice in Rio

Though there are a million and one amazing fresh juice bars in Rio (not to mention amazing fresh juices at the supermarket), sometimes a mom might want to have some packaged juice on hand. That doesn't have sugar added. If that's the case, here are two brands without:

World Cup Displays and Commercial Products at Extra Foods in Barra

I think I will try and post a world cup "photo of the day" from here on in. If you have a photo to share, feel free to email it to me at dailyriolife at gmail dot com and I will post it!

It's world cup everywhere here. Extra Foods in Barra was no exception, just giving it as an example...

 

Baby Beef

Last Sunday, Mr. DRL, the Canadoca and I along with some lovely friends from the US went to Baby Beef Churrascaria in Barra. I must say I was quite impressed. I think the food is as good as Porcao if not better, and it's a little easier on the wallet as well. The Canadoca loved it - she sat for over two hours eating beef and flirting with waiters. The kid loves carne. As the waiters walked around slicing it off she would alternate shouting "UMMMMMM!" and "Oh WOW!"  Hilarious. If you go, try the garlic cheese buns that they bring around... oh my god.

Recently we decided to deviate our regular "Porcao" ritual and try out some other churrascarias. We tried Churrascaria Palace by the Copacabana Palace and though it was good, I probably would not return. We tried to go to one in Jardim Botanico a couple of times but it seems to have strange hours of operation - not ever open when we try to go. Barra Grill is supposed to be very good as well, I plan to try it out too. We've been to Espaco Brasa across from Shopping Leblon a couple of times but I don't love the ambiance there. I have been to Marius multiple times and have always loved it, but the last time we went three out of the four of us were violently ill the next day (and I think we paid R$1300 for four of us with drinks... a bit steep, especially when you end up sick!), so I haven't been back, and probably won't be. 

Where is your favorite spot for Brazilian BBQ?

Cariocas love that bread

The Canadoca and I were at Zona Sul super early on Friday morning, and witnessed a phenomenon I'd only really heard about before. The bread waiters. As in people waiting for the fresh bread in the morning. I wish I'd had a camera mounted on the ceiling for this or video to capture the energy of these carb crazed cariocas, but these crappy blackberry pics will have to suffice.

The people waiting - see the guy in the top left corner about to dump the fresh bread in the basket into the bin.

There it goes!

The waiting is over. Supposedly this happens every morning.

My Chickens....

So about once every two weeks or so we pick up these fantastic rotisserie chickens from the RIo LIsboa Mercado. The place is always packed and frequented by many of Leblon's famous people. I love the chicken, we have the chicken with veggies or salad, sometimes I even make soup out of it. It's a great staple to have in the house with guests as well.

So, imagine my surprise when I was back home to receive a Google Alert about my favorite little chicken place... it was shut down by the health inspector. The full article can be found here, but it seems as though there were pigeons and dirt found in the baking area, a number of refrigeration issues, and my chickens were being washed in some sort of tank.

As of Friday when I took this photo, it was still shut down. (Though it is normally open 24/7).

Mr. DRL figures after a shut down, everything will be super tickety-boo afterwards and we have nothing to worry about. I think he just wants some chicken. What do you think?

America's Day Celebration in Rio

Interested in learning to cook italian food in Leblon?

Rio has a tonne of fantastic Italian restaurants, but if your heart is set on making your own...

No More Sendas!

The biggest supermarket in Leblon is Sendas. It resembles a North American supermarket in size and the number of products available but I rarely shop there. The rotting meat smell really gets to me! I tend to do most of my shopping at Hortifruti, some at Zona Sul and about once every couple of months I do a big stock-up in Barra at Extra Foods, Carrefour or Wal-Mart. Owned by the same company as Sendas is a really NICE supermarket chain called Pao do Acucar. In 2011, Sendas will convert the Leblon location into a Pao do Acucar, some other locations will become Extra Foods. Grocery shopping in the Leblon is about to improve significantly! See story here.

Bruce Willis Vodka

You always hear about celebs slumming it in countries overseas. You know, like Brad Pitt doing a car commercial in Japan or something. Here, we have George Clooney doing ads for Nespresso, and we also have this:

Sobieski Vodka is the best vodka Bruce Willis knows, people. So it must be good. Mr. DRL picked some up for a friend of ours who only drinks vodka back home. Hopefully he's also a Bruce Willis fan...

Fro Yo in Rio

Up until a year ago when Yoggi opened up on Ataulfo de Paiva, I hadn't really seen any frozen yogurt in Rio. With acai all the rage here, I didn't really miss it. (Although admittedly I did enjoy a few gallons of the blueberry stuff when I was in the last bit of my pregnancy... ) Now, it seems you can't turn the corner without coming across a new yogoberry or other yogurt joint. (Like the Yakisoba place in the previous post had also mentioned).

There are now options in the grocery store as well! Activia is making a frozen yogurt (in the regular yogurt section of the grocery store), and Zona Sul on Bartolomeu Mitre has a bunch of different flavours such as a variety of fruits and green tea. The Activia stuff is quite good, I served it with fried bananas and dolce de leite on Friday night at a little impromptu dinner party I threw...  

A Noodle Joint with a Sense of Humour

This place hasn't opened up yet but I look forward to it. It's where KEB used to be on Ataulfo de Paiva, beside Koni.

Speaking of more yogurterias, I'll comment on the arrival of frozen yogurt in Rio tomorrow.

Treats Around Town

Just some hints from my recent jaunts about town:

• We finally made it to the Jockey Club Brasileiro - had a great time! My allergies did not bother me one bit, the horses were gorgeous, as was the backdrop of the mountains and skyline. Though one could expect it to be an adrenaline-filled evening it was muito tranquilo...
• Alessandro & Frederico has the best lemon pie around. I watched about 8 of them go by before I caught on. It's dangerously good. You have to try it.
• Saturday feijoada is a great tradition to take part in. Our club has one that I rarely miss. This past weekend we took in Saturday Feijoada at the Copacabana Palace which is always a nice treat. A friend went to the one at the Sheraton and she recommends this as well; apparently they even have brown rice!
• Via Sete has this fantastic red quinoa salad on its feature menu right now. I also recommend this. I mean, I have ordered it twice in the past three weeks and I rarely deviate my order when I'm there...
• Have you tried the ice cream at Milfrutas? Better yet, have you tried the icecream cakes? They are fantastic. A bit pricey (especially when Mr. DRL just received in the mail not one but two turning-on-a-red-light tickets while circling the block waiting for me to pick one up. Oops.) but a NICE dessert for a special occasion.
• Garcia & Rodriguez now has a beautiful wooden patio with outdoor seating out in front. 

And I wonder why I am still holding onto a bit of "baby weight"...? ;) Eek!

Pascoa

Last Sunday was my FOURTH Palm Sunday in Brazil. Kinda weird. (Mr. DRL and I spent most of the month of March in Brazil for work and vacation the year before we moved down here. Remember the post about all the SHOES I bought?).

The Easter displays here in Rio still continue to impress me. Love those Easter eggs hanging from the rafters of every market around.

These Easter eggs range in price from about R$5 to up to R$400 at specialty shops. They are typically a chocolate egg filled with different types of candy/chocolate. I bought four different ones for us and our guests, will let you know how they are...

But still, despite all of this chocolatey splendor I'm surrounded with, all I want are some Cadbury Mini Eggs!

I hear they are making them in DARK chocolate flavour now. My guests arriving tomorrow are bringing me some...

Roberta Sudbrack

Last night, Mr. DRL and I went on a "date" to Roberta Sudbrack. It was our first time there and we thoroughly enjoyed it! It is one of Rio's top restaurants and features multiple small courses - a tasting menu that changes daily, depending on what's fresh and in season. I love this concept.

I can't for the life of me remember all that we ate, but after 8 courses I was full but not uncomfortably stuffed, as they do a great job of keeping it fairly light (even with foie gras...)

The service is nice and the atmosphere comfortable and upscale without being pretentious. Senhora Sudbrack herself, who used to cook for the president, comes out and greets her guests. We'll return for sure!

Roberta Sudbrack
Rua Lineu de Paula Machado 916
3874-0139

http://robertasudbrack.com.br/

New & Notable in the Neighbourhoods

There's a new gringo in town - the Gringo Cafe, where you can have an American-style breakfast complete with pancakes. Haven't tried it yet but it's on my list for my next "get-me-outta-here" day. No pressure, right? Though when I am having one of those days, pancakes just don't cut it for me, especially since I make fantastic blueberry pancakes (I buy them in season and freeze them. The blueberries or mirtilos, I mean).  But apparently they have salads, which we can definitely use more of on menus around here. Back on topic! According to the Gringo Cafe's facebook page, they feature bottomless coffee, free wifi and a trained staff (they showed photos of the training). Count me in! Will report more when I go...  Barao Da Torre 240. 

On the corner of Rita Ludolf and San Martin, Gula Gula is opening a new location this weekend from the looks of things.  Though this is in my area, I think I would still prefer the outdoor ambiance and charm of the Henrique Dumont location if Gula Gula is what I'm up for.

Down the street in the location where Keb used to be (didn't like that place at all!) there's a new Soba Noodle place being advertised.

2009 Rio Expat Survey Results: Treats and Daytrips

Some of the pleasures of Brazil...

I asked the expats - what is your favorite Brazilian treat? Here is what they said:

I left space for them to fill in other answers, which included several mentions of fruit, feijoada, chopp, salgados, petit gateau, churros, warm sweet caramel popcorn, sao paulo pizza...

I also asked what was their favorite daytrip from Rio. Here are the responses, ranked by popularity:

1. Buzios
2. Petropolis
3. Beaches past Barra (such as Recreio, Prainha, Grumari)
4. Itaipava
5. Niteroi
6. Tijuca Forest
7. Santa Teresa
8. Ilha Grande
9. Angra
10. Sailing around the Bay
11. Cabo Frio
12. Paraty
13. Vargem Grande
14. Boa Esperanca
15. Paqueta
16. Serrinha
17. Fazenda Vargem Grande

FInally, I asked participants where their favorite place is in Brazil. Here are the answers ranked by popularity:

1. Buzios
2. Rio - with specific mentions of Arpoador, the beach, Santa Teresa, Tijuca Forest, The Jardim Botanico, Posto 10, Barra Beach Post 8, Ipanema, and finally "My apartment in Flamengo! It provides me a wonderful retreat from my work and a great place to entertain my friends and associates." 
3. The NE, specifically Old City Centre of Recife, Recife, Natal, Fernando de Noronha, Salvador, Itavare, Morro de Sao Paulo, Itaparica
4. Ilha Grande
5. Paraty
6. Ouro Preto
7. Foz de Iguacu
8. Florianopolis/Santa Caterina
9. Pantanal
10. Sao Paulo
11. Teresopolis
12. Arraial d'Juda
13. Pernambuco
14. Bosque da Barra

2009 Rio Expat Survey Results: How the Expats Shop

1) I asked where they most frequently buy food/groceries in Rio - they were allowed to list up to 3 options:

Zona Sul was most popular by far, followed by Hortifruti, Feiras (the open air markets), Sendas, Pao do Acucar, Extra, Carrefour and Wal-Mart.

2) I asked which creature comforts Rio expats bring back with them from home countries on a regular basis.

83% bring back beauty products and toiletries

73% bring food products

56% bring electronics

30% bring other household items (DRL note: I know of several people who bring in garbage bags and dish soap!)

Other items participants specifically listed with this question:

• Baking soda
• facial creams
• peanut butter
• coffee maker, dvd player, kids' cereal, candy
• oriental herbs and spices, dutch treats
• syrup, granola bars, peanut butter
• spicy food, spa treatments
• chips chips and more chips
• Perfume, Clinique, Mac, -makeup in general. Ipods, car stereo, telephone, answering maching, computers, printers, cameras, children's toys, strollers, bedding, and lots of clothes, adults and kids clothes/shoes/accessories...the list goes on!
• Walkers Salt and Vinager Crisps

3) Not what the folks at Shopping Leblon want to hear...  when asked where they buy their clothing, ex-pats in Rio responded that they buy most of their clothing back home: