Pao de queijo in Astoria

[hotdishandkimchi]

Does anyone know if any of the local Brazilian restaurants have it? I've only been to Sabor Tropical which does not. I know you can buy it frozen at the Brazilian supermarket near Northern, but was hoping to find a restaurant that has it.

[bhill]

Hmm. I remember eating pao de queijo at Cafe Brasil in LIC. I bought some coxinas there too...

[driggs]

I have toyed with opening one of these in NYC
casa do pao de queijo

[Jim Leff]

It'd kill. Do it not in the brazilian strip (36th ave east of 31st), but in central astoria. the brazilians will come for it, and you'll get crossover trade. Just be sure to put some english on the sign, and play up the veg aspect.

[driggs]

I agree. I go to Brazil often and have wondered why it hasnt made it here. There are two rouge places in Newark with same name, but not part of the oficial franchise.

[hatless]

I'm a little surprised the other Latin bakeries in the neighborhood haven't started making it in order to make some extra dough off the Brazilians. If you're already making pan de queso, it's not much of a stretch. They should take a cue from the Italian bakeries in Bensonhurst that have added things like egg custard tarts, Mexican sweet rolls and bok-choi-shaped marzipan(!) to their repetoire.

[Jim Leff]

The problem is they're all balkanized. even "casa de pan we ain't just bread" has settled into comfy columbian-ness. They'd just as soon make crêpes suzettes as pao de queijo.

[hatless]

We're moving (in my case, back) to the neighborhood, and when we were camping out on an air mattress in the new apartment recently, yeah, we heated up some of the frozen parbaked ones. I'd be a bit surprised if there really isn't a place that makes them fresh in Astoria, given the size of the Brazilian community.

Me, I'm happy with the larger Colombian(?) variant at the bakery on Broadway around 38th, but my partner in crime is Brazilian and keen on finding the real thing made fresh. As soon as we get everything loaded off the moving truck, she'll probably start asking around in Portuguese.

[flooz]

they sell the frozen packages and the mix at the brazilian market on Steinway between 30th and 28th Aves. its the easiest thing to make and so nice fresh from the oven. they had them at Churrascaria Tropical so i would assume that Sabor Tropical has it as well but i could be wrong.

[The Chowhound Team]

The Chowhound Team split a pao de queijo recipe to the Home Cooking board: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/360741

[Toot]

Buy the frozen pao de queijo bags at Rio Bonito Market, 32-86 47th Street. The frozen one is great, and you only have to bake them. The mix is terrible!

[driggs]

Go early while they are fresh is very true of all places. In Sao paulo no one would put up with anything but soon out of the oven. That does not happen much here.

[Peter Cuce]

I know this is Outerborough board, but I know a couple of places in Manhattan. Good & Plenty To Go (43rd between 8th & 9th) has them almost everyday, although it's better to go earlier, because sometimes they run out. I like theirs a lot. Cafe Colonial on Mott & Houston also has them, but they're not that great.

[driggs]

Best place is the pizz place mentioned above. Not nearly as good as in Sao Paulo, but the best I have found here in NY. You can buy the mixes at the Rio store near northern, it actually comes out ok.

[lambretta76]

That pizzeria (Copacabana?) had them. In a pinch, Trade Fair has the mix to make them.