It is a scientifically proven fact that Brazilians are the sexiest people on the planet.   You know this is true.  Try listening to that song, “The Girl from Ipanema” without picturing the most beautiful young girl in the world, wearing the tiniest bikini imaginable and swaying down the beach in Rio.  It is virtually impossible.  I have a 1960’s era recording of that song that I sometimes flip into the CD player on my way down to Chima, the chic Brazilian churrascaria in Fort Lauderdale.  It’s Astrud Gilberto singing in that sexy whisper of a voice about the beautiful girl that makes all the boys go “ahhh”, and it always puts me in the right mood for a swank Brazilian night on the town. 

 

Before I say anything further about Chima, I’m going to stop here for a minute for a quick lesson in Brazilian Portuguese.  Certainly it would be impolite to jet off to Rio without first learning a few words of the language.  The first vocabulary word is churrascaria.  A churrascaria is a Brazilian steakhouse, like Chima.  Chima serves Rodizio, which is a type of service where passadors (waiters) roam the dining room floor, offering slices of fine cuts of freshly roasted meats, from skewers that they carry from table to table.  The passadors at Chima offer diners 16 delicious cuts of meat, including Filet Mignon wrapped in bacon, pork loin with parmesan cheese, and picanha nobre, a Brazilian cut of meat also called baby top sirloin.  There is often a fish dish as well, usually salmon, but for the most part, Chima is for meat lovers.  Come hungry.

 

I would say Chima is not for vegetarians, but it is possible to go and just order the salad bar.  I’m not sure why you’d want to, but it is an option for that one vegetarian friend in your crowd who wants to go along anyway. 

 

At Chima, as in many churrascarias in the U.S., diners go to the salad bar for their vegetables, salads, soups and side dishes, and the waiters come to the tables to serve the meats, beverages, and desserts.  Chima places a plastic chip at each place setting.  If you leave your chip black side up, the passadors will leave you alone.  Turn it orange side up, and they will stop by your table one by one, continuously, each offering a different cut of thin sliced meat, until you’ve had enough and turn your coin back over to black.

 

Okay, I’ll stop for a minute again before I lose my foodie readers.  I know what you’re thinking.  You don’t usually hear the words salad bar and fine dining in the same sentence, but it’s not what you think.  This is nothing like the salad bar at that steakhouse out by the mall.  There are no plastic cafeteria trays, and nobody will be shoving past you to get to the factory made croutons with the Monterey Jack cheese before they run out.  Not to worry.  This is the Gucci and Prada set, and Chima’s is a traditional churrascaria salad bar with beautiful smoked meats and fish, calamari salad, caprese salad, and a huge assortment of fresh vegetables, salads, soups, appetizers and side dishes, much more than I can list here.  I suppose Chima could try to figure out how to serve the vegetables at your table, but then you wouldn’t get to walk across the room and show off those brand new Jimmy Choos or Ferragamos you bought for the occasion.

 

By the way, if you came to Chima to see and be seen you’ll want to drop by the lounge, one of the chicest watering holes in town.  It’s just off the main dining, right next to where that drop dead gorgeous Brazilian hostess checks you in and (hopefully) checks you out.  As sleek and elegant as the lounge is though, I usually skip right by it and head for the outdoor courtyard, where you can have a drink under the stars in a beautiful garden setting.  Last Saturday there was a Brazilian jazz duo singing in the courtyard and the ambiance was magical.

 

Right now the lounge at Chima is offering a promotion called “Sip, Swirl and Savor” that includes up to five samplings of fine wines and a variety of cheeses for $10.  The offer is good every Tuesday night from 5 PM to 7:30 PM, through July.  If you go for the “Sip Swirl and Savor” Chima will also invite you to stay for dinner afterwards with $25 off the purchase of two rodizios.

 

Chima’s is planning a special Mother’s Day event too, with prizes for Mom like theatre tickets and a spa day, and free ice cream and coloring activities for children.  This is a great restaurant for the whole family, especially that teenage Olympian hopeful in your household that needs to eat at least 7,000 calories a day and can’t get enough steak.

 

Great food, a chic setting, Brazilian jazz, and a chance to show off those new shoes - sounds like a perfect night on the town, right?  Take it all in, enjoy, and put off the new diet until next morning.

 

Bon Appétit

Rob Lubin

 

P.S.  I have been hearing about a number of Brazilian churrascarias opening around the country and I have been wondering which ones are worth travelling for.  If there is a top Brazilian restaurant in your area, particularly a steakhouse, I would love to know more.  Click on the comment link below and leave me a note so I can give it a try.  Thanks!  RL