I once spent five long days chugging up a sticky river on an empty barge. Memorable for its monotony and slight breeze, this part of my journey into the Amazon Basin was the closest I ever got to Brazil. If I could have unstuck my ass from my seat (the skin and metal had begun to fuse in the heat), I would have been able to almost touch the riverbank of Brazil. Brazil’s unrelenting foliage and viscous river water occasionally revealed a glimpse of the Amazon’s terror-inspiring beauty. Birds that looked like night flowers and death would suddenly appear; fleets of pink freshwater dolphins rolled along in our wake. As I sat reading The Haldeman Diaries and eating more instant oatmeal than I care to remember, I watched Brazil go by.
Years later, Brazil brought herself to me. Fate would have it that the northernmost section of the U-District’s Ave boasts not one, but now two Brazilian restaurants–the only two Brazilian restaurants in Washington state. Tempero do Brasil (5628 University Way NE) has already earned its solid reputation for delicious Brazilian classics. Newcomer Caffé Brazil recently opened a few blocks away.
I stumbled in on a Tuesday afternoon, two hungry toddlers in tow. My fellow crabby mama and I were relieved to find the restaurant’s TV tuned to a pro soccer game; and the few patrons that were assembled were eyeing the screen as the game announcer bellowed, “Goooooooaaaaaaaalllll!!!” as only South American sportscasters can.
While the kids entertained themselves tap-dancing on the tiny stage (Caffé Brazil features live Brazilian music Friday and Saturday nights and Sunday afternoons) with Venetian-blind cords wrapped around their little necks, we sipped tiny cups of potent cafézinho ($1!). As tables began to fill up with customers, friendly Portuguese conversation hummed over sounds from the television. Although everyone else munched on sandwiches or croquettes, our table ordered up a lunch feast.
The quibe ($1.50), ground beef-and-onion croquettes with garlic and plenty of fresh mint, was a big a hit. I preferred the quibe’s lightly fried crust of mashed potatoes to the slightly rubberized (from microwaving?) pastry of the beef esfiha ($1.50). Our Salada Mista Caffé Brazil ($4.95) was no frou-frou, nouveau, wild-wilted-dandelion-greens number. More of a Brazilian chef’s salad, the iceberg lettuce held up a heavy load of palm hearts, ham, carrots, and cheese. The oil, lime, and cilantro dressing zipped up what could have been another boring iceberg extravaganza, and I was surprised to find it very refreshing, while grubby little toddler fingers grabbed at strips of ham.
Caffé Brazil’s specialty, Frango à Moda Cidinha ($10.95)–saucy, roasted chicken served up with buttery rice, okra, and black beans topped with corn pudding–provided a tasty, satisfying meal, but the feijao tropeiro ($10.95) caught my fancy with its rich layering of pork, THREE WAYS: First there is the grilled pork (#1), nestled atop fluffy rice. Snuggled up next to that is a happy collaboration of beans, shards of crisp bacon (#2), smoky pork sausage (#3), thinly sliced collard greens, and cilantro, along with laurel and manioc (tapioca) flour.
For dessert, we tucked away mousse de maracujá ($3), an achingly, gloriously sweet passion-fruit mousse, which we washed down with cashew-fruit juice ($2.25). All the dishes we sampled were balanced with garnishes of cilantro and lime and green onions, infusing our Brazilian favorites with a fresh tang. And prices are affordable: $3.50 and up for sandwiches; platter-sized entrées hovering in the $8-$11 range; and the seafood and weekly specials running at $12.95.
I’m already planning my return on a leisurely, music-accompanied Sunday afternoon. I think I’ll have the moqueca de peixe ($12.95)–halibut stewed with coconut milk, lime juice, and palm oil, resplendent with fresh vegetables.
Caffé Brazil
5259 University Way NE, 525-1993.
Tues-Thurs 11 am-9 pm, Fri-Sat 11 am-11 pm, Sun 11 am-8 pm, closed Mondays. $.
Price Scale (per entrée)
$ = $10 and under; $$ = $10-$20; $$$ = $20 and up.