I figured Brazil would be tricky for a vegetarian & I was right. We managed to find a great place in DC that was not a million dollars a plate, which is apparently the going rate for a Brazilian meal these days. We were joined for a Saturday lunch by our two most loyal PIG project devotees, Jill & Edmundo. Those two are serious troopers. We went to The Grill From Ipanema in Adams Morgan area of DC. The restaurant was in a great area & had a really nice ambiance. It was a lovely place to spend a Saturday afternoon.
They had Guaraná Brazilia, a guaraná-flavoured soft drink originating in Brazil.
To my delight, they actually had a vegetarian plate. It consisted of garlic sautéed collard greens and vegetables, rice, black beans, farofa (ground yuca roasted with garlic and butter) and salad with hearts of palm, avocado and jumbo olives, Romaine and red leaf lettuce. Considering that typical Brazilian restaurants are very meat-heavy this vegetarian olive-branch dish was much appreciated.
Neil’s meal is making him re-think his recent slide out of vegetarianism. Feijoada was described on the menu as “A rich stew of black beans, pork, sausage, and smoked meats.” He got it because it is a typical dish in Brazilian cuisine, but it was not as appetizing as he had hoped.
It seems odd that I know so little about Brazil considering it is fifth largest country in the world. What is now called Brazil was claimed by Portugal in April 1500, hence the reason they speak Portuguese there. Brazil is one of the world’s leading bread basket nations, much like the U.S. It is the second largest soybean exporter after the U.S., and the world’s largest poultry, sugar and orange juice exporter. It alternates as the top, or close to the top beef exporter as well. Hence all of the meat-heavy meals, I suppose.
