20045 Wed May 29 22:23:30 -0700 2002 7 1 San Francisco Bay Area 0 68439 Brazilian specialties plus pizza. We had mozzarella w/ tomatoes & basil: the cheese was superb but it is just too early for tomatoes. The steamed mussels in white wine were succulent, the hearts of palm salad, excellent. These were appetizers along w/ good, good pizzas of red bell pepper & tomatoes: again the tomatoes are not in season. Our main courses: feijoada completa: an excellent black bean stew w/ fresh & smoked pork & beef; superb collard greens --sauteed in olive oil & garlic; moqueca de camaro: prawns sauteed w/ coconut milk, peppers, onions: we thought the prawns were over-cooked; xim xim de galinha: chicken w/ okra -- changed everyone's mind about okra -- not slimy. These hearty dishes were served w/ steamed rice & polenta & farofa (toasted yuccca flour.) We felt this is an unpretentious, good value place w/ a v. friendly & obliging patrone. Strong recommendation here: food is hearty & nicely spiced. We had a Ballentine Napa Zin & a Paso Robles syrah, Eberle. Joel W brought these as a present. Wed May 29 22:23:30 -0700 2002 0 Karen Faircloth 1 68451 This was the second part of the V&C Limsterfest walk. I think we were all pleased and a little surprised at how good everything was. Thu May 30 00:51:35 -0700 2002 68439 0 jaweino 2 68494 Beautifully executed tour, Joel! Wish I could have joined you. A chow note about M di Bufala - when I first met Alpha Hound Jim Leff some 7 years ago (before Chowhound was even a glimmer in his eye) on his first visit to San Franciso, I drove him down Fillmore St. so he could get the vibe of the neighborhood. I'm now recalling that he saw the sign for Mozzarella di Bufala and wanted to check it out. I didn't stop, telling him it was just a pizza joint and he should save his calories for some other treats. Now he's going to be mad at me! He has an eerie sixth sense about these things . . . Thu May 30 15:15:24 -0700 2002 68451 0 Melanie Wong 3 68497 Yes, I'm FURIOUS! : ) That trip you also showed me Eastern Bakery, which I remember liking more than you did (though you liked it fine)...seems like you've come around on that one, too! : ) When I screw up, I screw up big, though. Ew, two smilies in one message. I need to de-perk. ciao Thu May 30 15:21:15 -0700 2002 68494 0 Jim Leff 1 68460 Thanks for taking notes, Karen! I was too busy eating. First, the pizza was quite good -- a thin-crust style fairly similar to that at Tommaso's. Since I don't care for tomatoes, I happily scarfed a couple of pieces with strips of red pepper. The feijoada was rich with smoked meats, and the chicken, which had been lightly floured and browned before stewing in the saffron sauce was juicy and flavorful (and yes, the okra was tasty and not at all slimy [g]). We all liked the rich coconut-milk broth on the shrimp, and marvelled over the delicious collard greens which had been cut in a chiffonade and flash sauteed with garlic in olive oil to preserve the bright green color. Like Brazil itself the meal was a mixture of cultures and traditions. Our incredibly charming and enthusiastic host explained he'd selected dishes that reflected the different regions of Brazil and his own Italian heritage ... and then served the entrees in Chinese claypots, which he'd found were inexpensive and easily available substitutes for the traditional Brazilian vessels. It was a true chowhound experience to find such good, apparently authentic food in such plain surroundings: a handful of tables in the back of a barebones pizza joint. And amazingly, after we'd stuffed ourselves silly with enough leftovers for another dinner for four, the tab -- with tax and tip -- came to $15 apiece! Thanks to Joel for sniffing this place out and arranging this special meal. Thu May 30 02:25:37 -0700 2002 68439 0 Ruth Lafler 2 68462 Nice find! I love Brazilian food but don't get to have it very often. Did the feijoada completa come with oranges and toasted manioc to add as garnish? This is an omission from another place in town that I can't accept. Thu May 30 02:30:30 -0700 2002 68460 0 Melanie Wong 3 68464 ...with a more careful reread, I see that toasted farofa was offered. Yeah! Thu May 30 02:35:21 -0700 2002 68462 0 Melanie Wong 3 68531 the feijoada at canto do brasil comes with farofa and oranges-- if memory serves). though it came w/beef in addition to the pork, which is highly untraditional. Fri May 31 02:04:00 -0700 2002 68462 0 shocker