FEEDING THE CITY
From highly praised Michelin-starred productions to tucked away local eateries, there’s a noticeable movement for restaurateurs in Rio de Janeiro to capitalize on the influx of visitors and sense of international amicability that flourishes under the Olympics. Here’s a close look at five distinctly successful restaurants across sprawling city neighborhoods and the changes and preparations they’ve made in anticipation of the Rio Olympics — nearly seven years in the making.
1. Ferro e Farinha | Chef Sei Shrioma
Tucked away in a sleepy, cozy corner of a residential neighborhood, chef Sei Shiroma hasn’t been thinking too much of the impending influx of international attention and traffic Rio de Janeiro will be receiving in August. The New York native once operated a mobile food truck serving multiple neighborhoods in Rio, and now his Neapolitan pizzeria Ferro e Farinha has been open in Catate for a year and a half. Unlike other restaurateurs in obvious tourist hotspots like Copacabana, Shiroma knows that he has a customer base that sees Ferro e Farinha as both a destination experience and a successful neighborhood business. “We’re not in the Times Square of Rio, so our customers are Brazilians who know their local surroundings or foreigners and travelers who make a special trip to come here.”
Even in early July, weeks away from the opening ceremony on August 5, Shiroma’s clientele has noticeably shifted.“Last night we had an English-speaking sailing team at one of our tables, and they had questions about the names of ingredients or how dishes are cooked — even though 80% of my staff speaks English, there are little things that get lost in translation." Shiroma went out and spoke with the team personally and says the exchange stuck with him; it’s not everyday that these diners come into his restaurant.
Located in an unremarkable building lacking signage on the facade, much of the buzz regarding Ferro e Farinha is spread by word of mouth. But that’s not to say that the chef doesn’t see visitors who are coming to see the games stumbling upon — and liking — his take on heartfelt Italian cuisine in Rio, with well-recieved dishes like a ragu of shiitake mushrooms dusted with dashi and fermented soybeans or soy sauce-infused sauteed Brazilian kale.
Shiroma says he will not acknowledge the Olympic games in his menu or through special decor. The chef “would be happy if people could discover us the way we’ve always been and the way we want to be perceived, without us having to put on our going-out shoes, so to speak.”
2. Quadrucci | Eduardo Bellizzi, Owner
Back in 2009, when Rio was announced as the first South American city to host the Olympic Summer Games, Eduardo Bellizzi could already imagine the large increase in traffic that his Italian restaurant Quadrucci would see during the 2016 event. Bellizzi, a partial owner of the business, also knew that despite an anticipated increase in sales, prepping his restaurant in the centrally located neighborhood of Leblon for the Olympics wasn’t going to be easy.
Rather than send his employees elsewhere for training, Bellizzi says Quadrucci’s front-of-house staff was taught English through weekly classes held on site — there were beginner and advanced options, since his team ranged from people who hadn’t ever spoken English to those who had plenty of experience serving foreign diners.
But English speaking staff is going to be somewhat of an expected minimum during the large international event that more than an estimated 200,000 Americans will attend this month. So Bellizzi has taken steps to cater to an extended crowd of non-Portuguese speakers — such as an electronic menu on a tablet, available in five languages that each diner will have the chance to peruse. And for those who speak something else, there are helpful pictures of each offering available at the touch of a finger. He’s also hired additional staff to help out during the Olympics rush.
Bellizzi feels confident about business during the Olympics. Quadrucci performed well during the 2014 World Cup, and the owner has faith that the government’s implemented initiatives — like a new subway line from the touristy beachfront to the Olympic Village that may or may not be completed in time for the opening ceremony — will help prepare the city. More than anything, Bellizzi says the overall gastronomic experience and Carioca spirit — the hallmark of Rio culture — of his restaurant is what will really stick with guests who choose Quadrucci in August.
3. Restaurante Oro | Chef Felipe Bronze
Executive chef Felipe Bronze moved his restaurant Oro to a new address in the Jardim Botânico neighborhood over a year ago, and now he’s ready to put Rio back on the international food map.
The chef is well-known for a menu highlighting local ingredients in a traditional Brazilian style with Asian influences. He’s carried Oro into recognition as one of Rio’s most trendy restaurants. There are elaborate tasting menus with Michelin-starred techniques like the incorporation of dry ice into many presentations. The servers wear custom uniforms made by swimwear designer Lenny Niemeyer. And then there’s the decor, shaped by local artists like Zanini de Zanine and Zanine and the Campana Brothers.
Oro is known for its contemporary fare, and Bronze says that those who find themselves in his intimate dining room during the games will have the chance to explore a menu that he’s currently working on. It focuses on Brazilian dishes and ingredients, like fruit sourced from the Amazon region, that illustrate the country’s culture and traditional flavors.
Since the team at Oro usually works on tight schedules with a full house, Bronze isn’t too worried about ramping up production in advance of the Olympics. As far as the city goes, the chef sees the 2016 games as a chance for Rio to step up and fix the weak infrastructure of a city that has battled its fair share of issues, including transportation, security, and heavy local automobile traffic. Given Brazil’s recent economic depression and historical upset in its national politics, Rio de Janeiro is feeling pangs of uncertainty and panic during what is supposed to be the country’s shining moment, Bronze says. But he’s optimistic that August will be a turning point for those in Brazil, citing new government rule, the Olympic celebrations, improved transportation, and brand new facilities are his sources of hope.
4. Bar D'Hôtel | Chef Lydia Gonzalez
Situated just off of Leblon Beach inside one of Rio’s top-rated boutique hotels, the Marina All Suites Hotel, head chef Lydia Gonzalez isn’t a stranger to serving international diners visiting the city.
The hotel, often attributed as a favorite for the high-profile traveler and regularly entertaining stars like Gisele Bundchen and Calvin Klein, sets a tone for Gonzalez’s space that is glitzy and glamourous — a fun experience for both guests and locals. Bar D'Hôtel gets accolades for sophisticated mixology accentuated by a refined menu that’s a departure from many of Rio’s indulgent offerings: Gonzalez says she focuses on traditional Brazilian soul food “adapted” for an international palate.
At the top floor Bar D'Hôtel, tasting menus are offered day and night in addition to a la carte options. But during the Olympics, Gonzalez is deploying a special menu that she believes will allow guests to take a “tour” of various Brazilian cuisines in a single evening. Regional flavors will play out on 15 different dishes that will make up this special menu, and Gonzalez is banking on the fact that tourists in Rio are looking for accessible Brazilian flavors without leaving the comfort zone of the upscale Leblon neighborhood.At the same time, she’s taken shortcuts and adapted her flavors for this menu, where Gonzalez is careful when she serves “European palates” regarding the amount of sugar and salt that makes it into her dishes. Offerings like a roasted moqueca, a salt-water fish stew with a coconut milk and tomato base, has been carefully adjusted for the special menu. The same is said for Gonzalez’s pato com tucupi, a boiled duck in tucupi; bobô de camarão, sauteed shrimp in a puree of manoic meal; bolinhos de baião de dois, a Brazilian sausage fritter; quindim, a baked dessert made of coconut, egg yolks and sugar; and queijos e goiabadas, Brazilian guava paste served with cheese.
It’s a tightly controlled menu that may present itself as the true spirit of Brazilian cuisine, but it’s what sets Bar D'Hôtel and Gonzalez apart from others -- she readily admits she’s adapting her style for those who are guests in Rio for the games. It’s a gamble that might work out for her, in the end.
5. Rubaiyat Rio | Belarmino Fernandez, Owner and Operator
There is no restaurant group in Brazil as successful as the Rubaiyat group group, with locations scattered throughout the country and in Mexico, Argentina, Spain, and Chile. Located on the sprawling grounds of the Jockey Club Brasileiro, diners at Rubaiyat are seated trackside, with stunning views of Christ the Redeemer and a front row seat to daily horse races and polo matches.
Belarmino Fernandez, the general director of the Rubaiyat group and owner of the Rio location, has been looking forward to the summer games; his dining space, including an outdoor patio on the horse track, can hold up to 120 diners comfortably at one serving and has access valet parking onsite.
Given the international scope of the chain, Fernandez has been offering English classes and training his Rio staff to handle crowds of diners hailing from outside Brazil. The restaurant is not a sports bar, but Fernandez says there will be screenings of the games in the lounge section of Rubaiyat.
Fernandez wants to recognize the Olympics with a special menu comprised of different dishes that represent each country in which the Rubaiyat group has a presence. The menu is largely inspired by Brazilian flavors and culture, with entrees such as Brazilian-style mincemeat and desserts like quindim layered with cachaça cream. But plates of Chilean quinoa salad with minced tuna, a Spanish carpaccio of mushrooms, Mexican shrimp tempura tacos, Malbec-sauteed Argentine strip steak, and Chilean salmon served with goat cheese quinoto are a clear departure for the steakhouse.
Fernandez has hired extra staff and the executive chef will be in the kitchen nearly every evening during the games. Rubaiyat has always attracted an international stream of visitors who welcome the standardization of service across different continents, and Fernandez feels that there won’t be that much of an increase in traffic during the Olympics. Above all, Fernandez thinks he’ll be able to maintain the Rubaiyat brand’s composure during the 2016 games.