caipirinhas: a matter of great importance

So I thought that I would wait a bit to address the issue of CAIPIRINHAS, but I just couldnt control myself. I mean what if one of you just happened to be leaving on your Rio trip and hadnt read these words of wisdom?

FIRST: I apologize for the half full caipirinha above, but I rarely have my camera with me when out having a caipirinha, So this is a rare pic. But you also must note that this is the famous Azeda Beach caipirinha, which is the most beautiful one I have come across throughout my years of study, complete with a pineapple leaf, a purple grape and a fuschia flower. Only a woman with great taste could have made this!

SECOND: Caipirinhas are made with cachaca and lime and sugar, that´s all. Since limes really dont change much in flavor, much less sugar, you MUST invest in the cachaca (sugar cane alcohol). Cachaca is not rum, not even close to it. It is much more flavorful and doesnt have that strong (rubbing alcohol) smell that some people seem to love....

(this is the bottle you are on the lookout for guys!)

THIRD: What does this all mean? When you go to a restaurant and like a pro you ask for your caipirinha (CAI-PER-EEN-YA), please make certain to ask if they have a special cachaca (KA-SHA-SA). It will cost more but it is worth it. Whatever you do do not, I repeat do NOT have a caipirinha made with 51, pitu or velho barreiro (velyo bahayro). Besides getting a bad tasting caipirinha you will get a serious hangover. If you are lucky enough to be going to a respectable restaurant with a choice of cachaca, then go for NEGA FULO (nega fuLO). If they only have those terrible three mentioned above then have a caipiroska which is exactly the same thing but made with vodka.

FOURTH: Unfortunately all great trips come to an end. When you go home I bet you will be craving a caipirinha. Lucky you, I am going to share the secrets to an excellent caipirinha. Look for some Leblon cachaca which many stores now carry in the States. Buy your juicy limes and I assume you have some sugar at home. Cut the limes lengthwise down the middle and remove the pith with the knife. This is terribly important because the pith is pure bitterness - arg dont want that! Now you should have two pithless halves of a lime. Flip the piece over so it looks like a turtle and make thin slices, but not all the way down to the bottom. Now take the pieces and crush them with a mortar and pestle. Put the smashed limes, one and a half shots of cachaca, two big spoons of sugar and lots of ice into a cocktail shaker, shake like mad and put the whole mess into a beautiful crystal glass, and if you have a flower to decorate with, then all the better!

FIFTH: If you are in Rio then go to the Academia da Cachaca (Cachaca College!) bar/restauarant. It is located in a fun part of Leblon and you can sit on the sidewalk and people watch while you try one of their 50 brands of cachaca, or one of their 20 types of caipirinha! Rua Conde Bernadotte, 26. Tel.(21) 2529-2680

Bira restaurant: only for Cariocas

Welcome to Bira! If this photo on its own doesn't inspire you for some serious seafood stew, you must be on a perpetual diet.

Why would I write that Bira is only for Cariocas? They will certainly very happily accept your money, but they wont accept your credit cards. Furthermore you will have to take an extremely long cab ride. But I wouldn't be writing this unless it was well worth your time (and money!).

This is where my husband and I had our rehearsal dinner for our wedding over 10 years ago. Our guests are still talking about it, or that which they remembered after too many caipirinhas! So, as I am still married to the same wonderful Carioca husband, and above is one of the mini Cariocas we have since created, take a day on the weekend and make the trek to BIRA.

I would suggest renting a cab for the day, through your hotel. This way you can make a day trip out of the affair. First relax in the sun at one of the wildest (as in wildlife) beaches in Rio, called Prainha (tell the cab it is after Recreio beach, he will know). It is in the middle of a wildlife reserve and is, again, one of those non-tourist, Rio native type places. Few gringos to be found here!

Now back to this crazy stew they serve at Bira! After the beach at Prainha, ask the cab to go to Pedra da Guaratiba, which is a small town over the hills. The trip on its own is very picturesque, but again our focus here is food! Once you get to the military entrance in Pedra da Guaratiba there is a sharp turn left and you will go up the hill to Bira. Your cab drive will have to ask some people, but it is easy to find.

The name of the stew is Moqueca. As a national dish you are almost obligated to order it. It will come bubbling to your table, and taking this photo was quite a task as the seafood steam kept fogging up the lens. The stew well reflects that which is Brazil, lots of African flavor, with the coconut milk and palm oil, as well as some coriander to freshen things up a bit. Fish through the stew and you will find octopus, mussels, fish and shrimp. For those of you who are less adventuresome you can order the same stew but just with shrimp and fish. Both come with manioc flour (better than it sounds!) and rice.

And last but not least you are basically eating in a tree house! The view from here over another nature reserve is absolutely spectacular. If you are lucky a mico monkey might scamper though the trees (dont worry they hate octopus stew!). And of course I would never recommend this place if it didnt also have fabulous caipirinhas! (you might want to order some shrimp pasteis to start). Bon appetit!

Rua Barros de Alarcão, 476, Pedra de Guaratiba, 2417-1716

Jobi: a Carioca favorite

Thirsty? Jobi can help. This bar in Leblon, Av Ataulfo de Paiva 1166, has been helping thirsty Cariocas for many years. You can sit on one of those high (and uncomfortable) bar stools out in the middle of the sidewalk watching Rio fauna walk by or sit at a cozy table inside. Either way you will feel like a real Carioca.

Have a beer and shrimp empadinha, or how about some delicious provencal octopus, or dried beef with butternut squash? The names of these dishes, granted, are a bit odd but they are: delicious! If you are feeling a little less adventuresome try a steak sandwich or steak with cheese, and if you feel rich order the scrumptious parma ham on french bread sandwich.

But please, as I have seen some sad gringoes do in the paast, do not order a pizza (go to Braz restauarant instead!) nor an omelette (try Market restaurant for this) here.

Bon appetit!

beijos,

Monika

Beaches: Ipanema guide

Time to go to the beach!

Easy, put on your Anika bikini, grab a towel, don't forget the sunscreen and off you go, right?

WRONG.

Going to the beach in Rio is a true art form, and one to master. I want to help you all fit in, be temporary Cariocas and give you the inside scoop on what is going on in this wonderful city. So that being said I will ask you to first leave that HOTEL TOWEL at home, got it? Put your pareo, sunglasses and sunscreen in your big ol´ beach bag, put on your Havaianas and hit the beach guys.

Now...which beach?

See, things aren't as easy as they look in Rio. You might think, well I am staying in Ipanema, so I will go to the beach in Ipanema. Yes, you will, but each part of the beach draws a different crowd, which makes it quite fun, as well as a complete anthropological study.

(BTW you might not want to go to Leblon beach, even if you are staying there bc the water can get pretty dirty)

You will notice that there are what they call "postos" with numbers on them. They are easy to reference and to find and that is often how friends decide where to meet. I am going to generalize below so don´t be offended.

Posto 9: Has been the cool Posto for many years. Maybe for that reason it is not as cool as it once was, but it has a generally attractive crowd of people in their 20-early 30's.

Posto 8: Located in front of Farme de Almoedo street and you will certainly notice all of the rainbow flags and very pretty boys in very tight speedos!

Arpoador: At the far left hand side of Ipanema if you are facing the water. It has a mixxed crowd and is one of my favorite parts of Ipanema. There are millionaires and poor kids from the slums all sunning and enjoying the beach. Afterwards you can walk up the rock and have an amazing view of the sunset.

Country: In front of the fanciest country club of Rio, this is where the golden boys and girls of Rio come, hey if you aren´t golden in your early 20's when will you be? Between Henrique Dumont and Anibal de Medonca streets.

beijos,

Monika

sugarloaf: the secret side to the landmark

Now I know you all, like good tourists will be heading to Sugarloaf, and well you should. It is absolutely stunning up there and lots of fun to ride the cable car a la James Bond in Goldfinger. However, did you know that there is also a beautiful TRAIL that wraps around the Sugarloaf rock?

Above is Praia Vermelha, which is the beach slightly to the left of the cable car entrance. Once you have located the beach, which is plain simple, you can locate the trail. On the left hand side (if you are facing the water) is CLAUDIO COUTINHO trail.

Can you tell that this place is magical? And I am not even showing you photos of the cute little mico monkeys that run around on the trees. Beyond the monkeys, this is one that even your great grandma could walk - paved, barely any incline, and only 2.5 km, is that 1.5 miles? And that is round trip guys!

If you are feeling particularly inspired, which I think you will, halfway through the trail on your left hand side (clearly because the right hand side is a cliff going into the ocean) is an opening for the trail that goes up to the first level of SugarLoaf. This trail is NOT for your grandma, and maybe not even for you, unless you like trails that would be better skied down, meaning extreme incline. But I have walked this trail, albeit about 10 years ago, and it is extremely satisfying to have walked up SugarLoaf, instead of paying a fortune for the cable car. Note however that you will have only made it up to the first mountain, not the second.

On your way down? Dont forget that you are very luckily in the same neighborhood as Bar Urca (another one of my famous posts!), so dont delay and go have a cold beer on the wall overlooking the Bay, along with the best view of the city.

time to SHOP !

Holidays are comprised of: beach, bars, dining and oh my gosh, how did I ever get this far on the blog and not address the important issue of SHOPPING? What is wrong with me?!?

SO to make up for lost time I going to give you the inside scoop on how and why all of these Rio girls look so fabulous! Ready - FARM! Now please dont judge a store by its name, because the name is ridiculous, I agree with you there...but this place is to die for.

Since you are probably staying in the south zone of Rio anyway (Copacabana, Ipanema or Leblon) you might as well go to the flagship store located on Visconde de Piraja 547. I warn you that you will probably take over an hour, so leave the man at the beach, hotel, wherever, just dont bring him shopping!

The sales girls are total sweethearts and many of them speak English and are basically models walking around showing off the best way to wear the clothes. They have it all here: clothes, bikinis, shoes, bags. Hope you have fun, and dont forget to check out the music dial in your dressing room, where you can play DJ while you try on the goods!

MORE SHOPPING !

I couldnt resist filling you in on another TOP SECRET place. So you absolutely love the crazy prints and colors at FARM and wish your darling daughter, niece, goddaughter etc could look just as great as you? I knew it! and so did the designers at FARM, which is why you can now get in a cab and in 5 minutes get to the store called FABULA, located in Leblon in the Rio Design Center mall on Ataulfo de Paiva.

Have fun girls!

bar Urca: top secret

Now if this image doesn´t get you straight on a plane to Rio, then it is time to jump off a bridge! Tell me, does YOUR local bar look like this one?

This has got to be one of the most Carioca (Rio native) establishments out there. You go to the Bar Urca - Rua Candido Gaffre, 205 ( 10 to 15 minute cab ride) counter across the street, ask for your beer and snacks, wait, messed up on the order of things here....

FIRST STEP: scout out a good spot on THE WALL (aka muro in Portuguese), which is far enough in the shade for your liking. Leave your buddy to protect the wall area you have staked out.

SECOND STEP: (carefully!) cross the street, remembering that Rio drivers do NOT, I repeat do NOT stop for a pedestrian, they enjoy seeing how fast they can make you run for your life as you cross the street.

THIRD STEP: safely on the other side of the street and at the bar? Good! Order a Bohemia (BOW-EM-YA) beer and 4 (CUATRO) pasteis (PASS-TAYS) de camarao (CAM A RAU). You are about to eat shrimp empada type snacks, but better!

FOURTH STEP: cross the street with all of your yummy food and beer, and please oh please look ALL ways before crossing so you and your beer dont become road kill. Dont forget that this step becomes exponentially more dificult the more beers you have had!

FIFTH STEP: sit on the wall, with your beer, your buddy and pasteis, looking out over the Guanabara Bay and figure out how in the world you are going to get a job in this amazing city and live here for the rest of your life!

Mission complete!

lazy Sundays

Did you know that the avenues along the beaches in Rio close on Sundays?

This means that you have the whole road to yourself. Well you might get run over by a skateboarder or by me (above) zipping along on my scooter, but otherwise it is yours. Everyday is beach day in Rio, but Sunday is especially nice to take a walk down the beach and see Cariocas (Rio natives) out enjoying themselves, meeting with friends and having a coconut water (agua de coco - NOTE: please be careful to ask for a cO-co and not a co-cO, as the first is coconut, while the latter is poop...and the coconut guy will be laughing is head off at your gringo joke!).

After you have strolled along the beach, met with up with your buddies and had a coconut water, it might be time for lunch.

We love going to Artigiano restaurant. Avenida Epitácio Pessoa, 204 - Ipanema 2512-3099

Sit outside on the terrace and enjoy the view onto the gardens. The pasta here is out of this world and all made in house. There are pages and pages of choices, so get ready to spend some time studying the options. My favorite is spinach ricotta ravioli with beurre noisette and hazelnuts, but the nero de sepia black pasta with champagne cream sauce and salmon isn't too shabby either!

I hope you have walked the whole beach, so you also feel entitled to desert! The almond ice cream with home made caramel sauce is deliriously fabulous.

Bon appetit!

beijos,

Monika

Buzios beaches: aka Paradise

Back from our whirlwind trip to Buzios this weekend. Left at 9;30 at night and got in at 1 in the morning. Not exactly a fun car trip, but as always worth it. What an incredible place!

We only really had one full beach day, but dont worry, I have some photos from the archives, and Buzios is one of those great places that just doesn't change, and you really don't want it to!

{JOAO FERNANDINHA}

Above is a photo of Joao Fernandinha, the little brother of Joao Fernando beach which is right next door. Miss Sandy Bottoms is going to get some "cement" for the sand castle. What is great about the beaches of Buzios is that there are so many with perfectly calm waters, and as you can see, the view isnt too bad either!

{TO DO}

You must think I am bonkers to tell you what you need to do on a beach...well you obviously know that you should do absolutely nothing. But I do want to fill you in on an aspect of Brazilian culture that you might not know about:

the BEACH CHAIR SETUP.

I personally love it. You dont have to bring a billion items to the beach, just some cash and your kanga (sarong).

(BEWARE: if you do bring a beach TOWEL, you will automatically be labeled gringo, which might not be a bad thing, but just want to let you know.)

In the city of Rio you actually pay "rent" for the chairs, but in Buzios you pay nothing for the chair setup. They set you up with little reclining chairs and a little table and THEN, comes the great part - they set you up with one of those famous CAIPIRINHAS (dont forget to read the CAIPIRINHA post). If you want something a bit lighter they also have cans of beer and for those even lighter yet they have soda. What more do you need in life?

Above is the view of a beach from one of the many deserted cobblestone roads that go over the mountains.This is one of the few surfing beaches, called BRAVA. Talk to your hotel and rent a BUGRE (yes I wrote booger...), which is a sand buggy with a bad name.

Sorry I couldnt get the sun to shine for this one, but the beach above is called FERRADURA, and is one of my favorites. There I am suffering with the 2 kidlets. We suffered for 10 whole days, while we rented a house on this beach. Absolute paradise. Look for the younger brother, once again, FERRADURINHA, which is also beautiful.

This is a photo of AZEDA beach. Now you might think I don't want you to go there, as I must admit this is a rather strange photo. Where is the water you ask? I couldn't get it in the photo, in any case all water looks the same in Buzios - completely placid and turquoise and total heaven. But how cool is it to sit in the shade of a beautiful tree, 5 meters from the water?

This is the famous beach with those work of art CAIPIRINHAS, and it is my favorite beach in Buzios.

Buzios: go asap

So you want to be a true Carioca ( Rio native)??
Go to Buzios.
On the many long weekends that bless this country and its populist
politicians, cariocas do not deign to simply go to Ipanema. They hit
the road and go to Buzios. With good reason.

Buzios has more than 8 very different beaches, each with its own character. Some have excellent surf (brava) and others pristine aqua waters (ferradura, tartaruga, azeda). Azeda will be the topic of another very important post on caipirinhas, as the sweetest bartender (and caipirinha artist) makes caipirinhas out of a boat on Azeda beach. They are true works of art.

So make the trek. Ask your hotel to book a transfer and get out to Buzios, you will love it!!!
Dont worry, there will be plenty more Buzios posts. Like a true Carioca it is almost an obligation for me to go monthly. And my sweet friend Carlota has invited us for next weekend - yeah!!!
Beijos,
Monika

Restaurants: Fancier Restaurants

FANCIER RESTAURANTS
Boteco 66 - A restaurant started by Troisgros (see him above and Olympe below). This is French bistro style, done right. I believe his son now manages the place. It is delicious. Try the gougeres to start. Avenida Alexandre Ferreira, 66 - Lagoa

Olympe - I must admit that my credit limit has not been extended high enough to go to Olympe for many years. We used to go there before the kidlets, and it was out of this world. This is truly a culinary experience (as well as a financial one!), especially if Troisgros himself is there. He is a wonderful chef with a family history of great cooks, as well as being a complete sweetheart. Rua Custódio Serrão, 62 - Jardim Botânico

Braz - Pizza! Need I say more? This pizza has become a Sunday night tradition for our family. Absolutely delicious, unlike the greasy Dominos pizza that is ruining the world. Note that you can ask for 3 flavors on one pie (shitake w red onion, gorgonzola w sage and tiny sausage with rosemary anyone?), and also note that their caipirinhas (using their house brand cachaca) are out of this world. Their draft beer is pretty good too! Rua Maria Angélica, 129 - Jardim Botânico

Celeiro - A place that survives, and well only serving lunch? Food is by weight here and all salads are organic and superb. Probably the reason why the place is packed with gorgeous and wealthy eaters every day. Rua Dias Ferreira, 199 - Leblon

Venga - What a fun place! Why didnt they think of this sooner? A beautiful tapas bar, but seating for only 15-20, so get there early. Rua Dias Ferreira, 113 - Leblon

Zuka - Top notch and inventive food, yes I did say inventive. The concept about fish and meats grilled on a special wood grill and served with fabulous sides and sauces. Sophisticated and beautiful space, even if it sometimes smells like a fireplace in there. Rua Dias Ferreira, 233 - Leblon

Sushi Leblon - So I am not a huge fan of this sushi restaurant, but everyone else is, so maybe I am just missing something...
Rua Dias Ferreira, 256 - Leblon

Roberta Sudbreck - The best restaurant in Rio and worth the investment. She can make a lonely piece of okra into the best gourmet dish you have ever eaten. So maybe she is a magician? I dont know, but she is a sweetheart and knows how to cook like few in this world.

That's all for now. I am sure I will keep you updated as I continue eating my way through this beautiful city.

beijos,
Monika

Restaurants: what to expect (or not expect)

Can you tell yet that I like to eat? I still have to fit into my Anika bikini, so I cant go too crazy, but I love to go out to eat and I love to cook. Having said that my dream job would be to be a restaurant critic. So here we go, a small opportunity to be a food critic.

Again, I am assuming, and almost hoping that you did not come to Rio for the food. You would have gone to Paris instead - right? That said, you will eat well, and you might even have some memorable meals...I am hoping that my suggestions will provide wonderful memories and possibly not too high expectations. If you really are a foodie and feel the need for incredible restaurant experiences, hop on a plane to Sao Paulo.

Restaurants: Botecos

drawing by Chico Caruso of Chico and Alaide

BOTECOS:
Chico e Alaide: great lunch specials that serve two, at night delicious shrimp snacks and draft beer. (Leblon, corner of Dias Ferreira and Bartholomeu Mitre)

Jobi: wonderful shrimp empadinhas, again to go with your draft beer! For dinner try a steak and cheese sandwich or "carne desfiado com cebola: beef with onions", among others. Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 1166

Academia da Cachaca: this isnt officially a boteco, but has delicious food from the Northeastern region of Brazil and many many options for caipirinhas (dont forget to see my caiprinha post!)Rua Conde Bernadotte, 26

Galetaria Mormaca: a true Brazilian dish and bird. The galeto is a small chicken that they cook rotisserie style and chop up (a little like jerk chicken) for you. Absolutely delicious. You can order accompaniments like french fries, mashed potatoes, rice and beans, you get the idea. The design of this place is fabulous - make certain to wash your hands upstairs to check out the hysterical sinks...
Rua Jardim Botânico, 595

beijos,
Monika

Restaurants: categories

Let's divide the Rio restaurants into two distinct categories:
BOTECOS (bow-te-kos) which are relaxed, easy going, after the beach affairs for a good price, great draft beer (SHOW-PEE) and good quantities of food.

FANCIER RESTAURANTS: beware as there are many restaurants that are overpriced, with dissapointing food and service. They might fool you because they are attractive, but after many a meal I promise you that the food will not be up to par.

So in my oh so humble opinion, I would like to make some suggestions. I will fill you in on the yummy details in later posts.

jungle fever

Parque da CA-TA-CUM-BA, you might want to practice saying this out loud a couple of times before telling the cab driver your destination. The photo above is the view from the ground, now imagine what it looks like when you are walking in the trees! This park os quite incredible, how many of your local playgrounds have:

- a true jungle

- tree walking, rapel and a climbing wall

- a sculpture garden ???

This park is at most, 10 minutes from your hotel. It is located along the Lagoa lake and recently Lagoa Adventures installed the tree walking which you see here. I was impressed by all of their safety measures and the guides spoke English better than I.

Here is the kiddy trail, but beware as up above, with no-one close to hold your hand, is the adult version. Scary and worth the thrill. You might even meet up with a monkey up there!

Can you tell that Chloe is wearing a white hair net? THIS is the type of detail Lagoa Adventure worries about. You will not be bringing home any little friends.... if you know what I mean.

Testing out the equipment....good for 40 pounds of kidlet.

Botanical Gardens - SERIOUSLY!

Now I have a feeling that lots of you out there for some reason have not booked your trip to Rio in order to come see the Botanical Gardens....BUT this is a trip that is a million times better than it sounds! I promise.

If you are traveling with kids it is so great to see them run through the grass, climb the trees (here Chloe is climbing a monster vine), jump over little brooks that run through the gardens and discover the monster Amazon ants that you might come across during your walk.

So, no kiddos, it is still worth it. The Botanical Gardens are regularly 5 degrees cooler than the rest of the city and you will truly get a feel for the jungle here, albeit a manicured one.

Dont forget your camera, there are some amazing flowers, reminiscent of ... aliens, pink pineapples, red licorice?

The monkies come down from the trees usually around 4 pm for a mid afternoon snack. They are wild, but are accustomed to all of the gawkers. They come down from the bamboo groves which are near the pond in the center of the gardens. While you are there take a look at the fish (overgrown carp??) which, I kid you not, are 3 feet long!

Now if a photo of purple banana leaves isnt worth the trip on its own, I dont know what else to tell you!

beijos,

Monika

Fabulous brunch in Rio, or breakfast at 6pm

This place is a find, literally. There is a tiny little door on the main avenue of Visconde Piraja 499, MARKET restaurant. Down the corridor you go, like Chloe seen above, and there you are - in the most picturesque garden, with only the sounds of birds singing from the banana trees.

If you just cant stand the 100% humidity and 100 degrees heat you can sit inside, with ample natural light and AC. Can you tell that there are black and white photos on the wall? These integrate with the television, which plays black and white popeye cartoons all day long.

Yet another view of the outdoor garden.

Now this is crazy, because I promise you that I did eat on this day, however we were having so much fun, celebrating our wedding anniversary, and were also so hungry that I forgot to take one of those beautiful close up photos of the food.

The food here is very photogenic, not overly modern but pretty. They even have waffles for those dye-hard brunchers and good eggs benedict. The mushroom omelette is truly that, many many mushrooms and the granola and yoghurt comes disassembled in adorable little glass shot glasses. Oh yes, the bread bag - filled with hot ciabetta and rolls: mmmmmmmm!

Since nothing is ever perfect, the service here is always on the slow and forgetful side, which really isnt much of an issue on a lazy Sunday....

beijos,

Monika

Welcome to Anika, welcome to Rio!

Just a quick hello to my gorgeous Anika Brazil swim clients!
This space is for you to let me know how those bikinis are looking, and what part of the world the bikinis are traveling to! (even if it is your backyard).
Here I hope to share a bit of my world too. Since Rio is such a hot vacation spot (literally and figuratively) I thought some of you might like an insiders scoop on what to do, where to eat, and of course, what beaches to strut your Anika on!

First things first:
Take a cab to JOATINGA beach on the weekend. It is a bit farther away, but worth it. You might even be the only gringa on the beach!

beijos,
Monika