Sabor Cubano @ Buzios, Brazil ***

Arroz Amarillo con Camarones (Shrimp with Yellow Rice and Fried Banana)

I am pleased to note that the trend of big food events that I’ve observed lately in NYC appears to be somewhat of a globabl phenomenon. It just so happened that my trip to Buzios coincided with the 8th Annual Festival Gastronômico, a wonderful street fair where many of the restaurants in the Centro district set up outdoor stalls selling small bites to pedestrians.

Humans can be very simple creatures. Although I had already eaten dinner on Saturday, when I strolled up Sabor Cubano (the stall with the longest line), my mouth watered to try the Shrimp with Yellow Rice and Fried Banana attractively presented in a banana leaf. Lucky for me, the Festival was a two-day affair that allowed me to get my satisfaction on Sunday. Like NYC’s Pomme’s Frites, this restaurant serves only one dish and it does so in a completely masterful way. The grainy texture and tangy taste of the rice is perfectly complemented by the warm and mushy sweetness of the fried banana and the springy savor of the grilled shrimp.

Googling around to find the restaurants address, I was surprised and delighted to read a great deal of internet chatter about the event. The thing that amazes me most about the internet is its ability to connect people and the more I learn about the online foodie community the prouder I am to have become a member of it. During a discussion entitled “I Call Bullshit,” (part of the festivities for the Food Network’s NYC Wine & Food Festival), food personality Anthony Bourdain was asked his opinion of food bloggers, and his reply was that he thinks that are great. Reminding the audience of how spoiled they are to live in a city with such a chronicled food culture, regarding overseas eating he pointed out, “who are you going to trust? the Lonely Planet writer who was there for a week or the local blogger who’s been eating his way around obsessively and recording it all in brilliant nerdy detail?” I couldn’t agree more! Now if only I could figure out how to read Portuguese.  

Details: Rua Manoel Turibio de Farias, Buzios, Brazil (+552226236991)