To die for at the Mercadão: Tigrão Lanchonete

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Tigrão Lanchonete

On a day off, I took the subway up to the Mercado Municipal. I was expecting something amazing, but it was even bigger and full of more interesting foods than I thought.

The fruit rows had a wide selection of things I'd never seen before, as well as crates of pineapples, papayas, and bananas. The smell on those aisles was simply intoxicating!

In the meat areas, the most interesting shop was the one devoted to the "rest of the animal". No chops, steaks, or even legs. Just organs, feet, heads, faces, you name it.

In the fish rows, huge fish I'd never seen or heard off, both salt as well as freshwater.
Working up an appetite, I had the famed Mortadella sandwich from Lanchonete Tigrão. Huge mounds of mortadella, cheese, and sun dried tomatoes piled high on bread and served warm.

Meal: Lunch

Date Visited: 6 February 2010

Rating: ****

Address: Mercado Municipal, Rua da Cantareira, 306 – Sé, São Paulo, SP, 01024-000

Website: http://www.mercadomunicipal.com.br/ (site for the entire Mercado)

TAM flights, BEL to BRA to CGH

TAM flights, BEL to BRA to CGH

The two hops from Belém to São Paulo, via Brasilia on this trip were again the breakfast and light lunch. As before, the flight attendants handed out various toffees before taking off; I was told Brasilians have a sweet tooth, and I guess it's true!

JJ (TAM) 3499: BEL to BRA

Full flight from Belém to Brasilia, so a bit snug to eat. Also, onlly slept for 45 minutes or so the previous night, so I fell asleep as soon as we took off and missed the serving. Luckily, the fellow next to me noticed and called the steward back and I had my breakfast box and orange juice (suco do laranja as I know call it).

The box was different than on my previous TAM a.m. flight. Today it was a toast-like bit of bread with “grape” jam (more of a paste, curious). Also some white spread that I passed on. Lastly, a nice chocolate chip cookie.

Meal: Breakfast

Date Visited: 10 February 2010

Rating: N/A

Address: In the Air

Website: N/A

JJ (TAM) 3703: BRA to CGH

Fell asleep on this leg also, but was awake in time for food service. Just as on my previous TAM lunch service flight, I had the “classic sandwich”. This time, it was clearly ham, cheese, and tomato. Not a gourmet treat, but tasty in a fast food sort of way.

Meal: Lunch

Date Visited: 10 February 2010

Rating: N/A

Address: In the Air

Website: N/A

TAM Airlines, from São Paulo to Belém (via Brasilia)

TAM Airlines, from São Paulo to Belém (via Brasilia)



JJ 3702: CGU to BRA
Breakfast (somewhere over the Patenal)

Up at the crack of dawn to fly from São Paulo to Belém (via Brasilia), I didn't have a chance for other food, so I was counting on TAM for a nice something. TAM served a nice little breakfast in a attractive box. Inside was a small bottle of the popular drinkable yogurt, small dish of fruit, and a small sandwich of ham and tomato. I added orange juice and a coffee to top it all off.

JJ 3444: BRA to BEL

On the lunch flight from Brasila to Belém, the fare was an interesting hot sandwich, at first I thought it was an empanada, of cheese and turkey (or maybe chicken? or ham?). Not the greatest, but served its purpose.

Meal: Breakfast/Lunch
Date Visited: 7 February 2010
Rating: N/A
Address: In the air
Website: N/A

Viver a vida Lilló

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Livin' the Lilló life!

After landing in São Paulo and checking into my hotel, I took a stroll around the neighborhood, partly to scout out dinner locations and partly to see the local sites. Just a block or so from the hotel, I spied Restaurante Lilló, it looked quite promising. Later that evening, when getting back together with my colleagues, they too had spotted Restaurante Lilló and noted it's extensive wine list. It was a go.

The main dinning area of Restaurante Lilló is practically outdoors, basically, it's a covered alleyway with live trees and a wall of ivy. Quite nice! In terms of food, it offers a variety of main courses as well as pizzas.

By choice, chance, and happenstance, I ended up having three meals at Restaurante Lilló – and there's a possibility of a fourth upon my return to São Paulo!

What did we have, meat. Lots of meat. Yes, there were fish, chicken and pasta options, but each night, we pretty much stuck with meat. Carpaccio for an appetizer, and various cuts of beef with different accompaniments. The braised cheese side was a real winner, as were the two different risottos. Oh, and the fries were good too.

Never having had Brasilian wine before, I didn't have much to compare with, but the Cabernet and pinot noir were both quite good.

An excellent choice!

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 2, 3, 4 February 2010
Rating: *****
Address: R Borges Lagoa, 1321, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
Website: http://www.restaurantelillo.com.br/

United 861: IAD to GRU, Dinner

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

United 861: IAD to GRU

Dinner (somewhere over the Atlantic, near the Bahamas)

Choice of beef or pasta. Wasn't in a pasta mood, so I went with the beef. Turned out to be a nice little Salisbury steak with mashed potatoes, corn, and a nice, slightly barbeque-y sauce. Side salad with a balsamic vinagrette and the popular United brownies and cream for dessert.

Meal: Dinner
Date Visited: 2 February 2010
Rating: N/A
Address: In the air
Website: N/A

Flat Patties: Shredded Pork!

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

Flat Patties

Christmas Eve in Harvard Square, I suddenly had a hankering for kebobs! But it was getting a bit late for lunch and I didn't want to wander around too much, so I ducked into the Garage (a collection of shops, fast food places, not so fast places, restaurants, and a Starbucks.

The corner spot near the Starbucks was a place I hadn't noticed before, Flat Patties. The name sounded interesting and the menu looked good. The main choices seemed to be the burger, but there was also a pork BBQ sandwich. The price was right (cheap), so I got that and a side of slaw.

There was also a small "fixin's bar" with a nice selection of hot peppers and onions.

Not bad for a quick hot sandwich.

Meal: Lunch
Rating: ***
Date: 24 December 2009
Address: 81 Mt. Auburn Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Website: N/A

Enjoy at Clear Conscience Cafe

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Originally uploaded by martin_kalfatovic

 Clear Conscience Cafe (C3)

It wasn't that cold of a Boxing Day, but walking from Kendall Square to Harvard Square (after stopping off at the MIT Museum) just seemed to long a walk ... so, before hopping on the MTA at Central Square, a hot tea or coffee was just what the post-doc ordered.

So, walking along Mass Ave., spying Clear Conscience Cafe (aka C3) was just perfect!

Nice selection of teas and some tasty smelling coffee. The pastries looked good and from the menu on the wall, there were a variety of sandwiches, including vegen entries.

Since I just stopped in for a hot cuppa tea, I can't comment on the food choices, but I can on the ambience. It had the things many coffee/tea places have, comfy seats, tables to play chess on, scattered discarded newspapers to read. But what set this one a notch above the rest was the nice, clean, well-lit aspect.

Add in friendly staff and a backdoor to the local co-op and you get an interesting transition from the old scruffy Central Square and the Peoples Republic of Cambridge to socialism with tidy bathroom and a double latte.

Meal: Tea/Coffee
Rating: *****
Date: 26 December 2009
Address: 581 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139
Website: http://www.c3cafe.net/