The Grill From Ipanema: A piece of Brazil in the heart of DC

Brazil is one of my favorite places on earth.  I love the people, the music, the culture and the food.  During the week of Carnaval, I was especially missing Brazil and wishing I could be in the thick of the parties and parades.  Instead I was stuck in my hometown of Washington DC, so a friend and I decided to take the 10 minute walk to one of my favorite spots in DC to get the feeling of being in Brazil.  We went to the Grill from Ipanema.  Located in the ethnic melting pot that is Adams Morgan, the Grill from Ipanema is a restaurant, bar, and occasional dance club that makes you feel you are in a café on Copacabana beach or Salvador de Bahia.  Featuring food, drinks, music, and staff from all over Brazil, it is a great introduction to Brazilian culture and cuisine.   

On this particular evening my friend and I started out with a cocktail to get us in a festive mood.  We opted for the marucujinha, a very refreshing and delicious cocktail made with passion fruit juice and cachaca, the sugar cane liquor Brazil is famous for.   It was so good that we had to have two more.  It was carnaval after all!   

For an appetizer we split the casquinha de siri which is sautéed crab with olive oil, garlic, tomato, cilantro, onion, and green pepper, and topped with roasted yucca flour.  It was quite tasty, but the dish was a little on the small side so I wouldn’t recommend sharing.  I was craving a moqueca, one of my favorite dishes from time spent in Bahia.  Moqueca is a seafood stew prepared in a blend of palm oil and coconut milk with fresh cilantro, tomato, onion, scallions and green pepper.  Grill from Ipanema serves two variations of moqueca with the choice of eight different kinds of seafood.  We chose to split the Moqueca a Baiana with shrimp.  It came bubbling in a clay pot with yucca puree served on the side.  This version had more of a tomato based stew than the versions I’ve eaten in Brazil, which are heavier on the coconut milk.  Still, the moqueca was absolutely delicious and generous enough to split.   Drinks and Appetizers typically cost $7 to $10 a pop.  Entrees hover around the $20 to $25 range 

The Grill from Ipanema also has one of the best happy hour deals in town.  From M-F 4:30-7:00pm you can get amazing caipirinhas for $3.99 and good deals on appetizers on appetizers as well.    

I have always received great service at the restaurant, which is saying a lot for DC.  This isn’t a city known for good customer service.  I don’t ever feel rushed at the Grill from Ipanema.  I’ve had four hour meals here without any problem.  Also, be sure to come during the warmer months when you can dine alfresco.  It is fantastic people watching.   

Grill from Ipanema is a little taste of Brazil with super friendly people, a great vibe, and tasty drinks and food.  If you love Brazil as much as I do, this is the place for you!   

Busboys and Poets

Imagine a place where you can grab a sandwich, attend an open mic, have a cocktail, pick up the latest books by America’s leading black intellectuals, attend a lecture by a nobel laureate, and plug-in to free wi-fi.  Well, you will find all this and more at Busboys and Poets in DC’s vibrant U street/Shaw neighborhood.  Named after a reference to famed Black poet, Langston Hughes, Busboys and Poets is not just a restaurant, it’s a community center.  Busboys and Poets makes no secret about promoting progressive values, but you will find everybody and their mama here.  Looking around during a packed Sunday brunch you will see Howard University students, young white hipsters, and older Black ladies with their pastel hats and church suits.   

I almost always inevitably show up here for at least one meal when I have out of town guests.  They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night food at reasonable prices.  It’s a fantastic spot for brunch and is packed on weekend mornings.  The menu is eclectic and global.  The food is consistently good and everybody will find something they enjoy.  The baristas are top-notch, and the coffee is always perfect.    

Busboys and Poets hosts daily events.  On any given day you can attend a film screening, lecture, open mic, concert, or networking event.  They also were quite popular during election season, and lines formed down the block to get in for debate and inaugural parties.   

Busboys and Poets business is so booming that they opened two more locations in the DC area, but I am loyal to the original on 14^th street.  If I ever leave DC, Busboy and Poets will be one of the places I will really miss.  There is a vibe and energy here that is so unique. Few places these days are as community focused and there is always something going on here, interesting people to meet, great art to look at, and good times to be had.   

2021 14th St NW 
(between N U St & N V St) 
Washington, DC 20009

202) 387-7638

www.busboysandpoets.com

Fhilos de Gandhy and other Blocos

They are immediately recognizable as you walk through the Carnaval areas. Men in white and blue with several beads around their neck. Over 10,000 men participate in the Bloco over the entire Carnaval and it is one of the most recognizable Blocos because of the intricate costume. Originally limited to Black men and followers of Candomble, over the years they have opened the Bloco to include all races and even allow tourists to participate. It is tradition for the men to give their beads to women in exchange for a passionate kiss. This is not a peck on the cheek or even a small kiss on the lips. These are the kisses that win awards and are usually shared by intimate partners. This has made the Bloco a draw for tourists looking for ways to connect with women watching or near the Carnaval.

Our very own Andre has participated in the Bloco for years. He explained that most of the men who are long time participants of the Fhilos de Ghandy stay in the middle of the group to enjoy the music. They also hope to connect with the original purpose of the Bloco, to spread a message of peace and tradition. The border and outer edges of the Bloco are often full of tourists and as the Bloco passed I saw many men happily participating in the tradition of kissing women who accepted their gift of beads. The beads worn by long time participants have been blessed so see if you can get someone to give you the beads without the kiss and you can still take advantage of the blessing.

The Fhilos de Ghandy is one of the most recognizable Blocos during Carnaval because of the elaborate costume. The other is the Masquerdas. The bloco is made up entirely of men dressed as women. Each year they take on a central theme for their costumes and this year they were superheroes. With red capes, horrible wigs, and water guns they follow behind their trio electrico in the Bloco, living out their annual drag celebration. As an outsider not aware of the tradition, I at first assumed that this was a drag group celebrating or possibly a gay group. This was not the case. We were told that in fact all, if not most, of the participants are straight men that only dress this way during Carnaval. From locals I learned that the group is made of mostly police officers and the water guns are actually a flirting technique similar to the beads of the Filhos de Ghandy. Women are shot with the water guns as the Bloco passes. Interesting way to pick up women…

From Markets, Cigars and Samba - a taste of Bahia

Cachoeira is the area of the state of Bahia in Brazil where the majority of the slaves entered the country. It has been said that Bahia boasts one of the largest concentrations of people of African descent in the world, second only to Nigeria. A tour of the Cachoeira area is not to be missed when visiting Bahia and is a little more than an hour by car from Salvador. It will provide you with a different side of Bahia than the urban pace and beautiful beaches of Salvador. Start in the market - Feira Popular in the small town Santo Amaro da Purificacao. Filled with beautiful chapels and buildings, it is a great place to see culture and learn a little of Bahia history. Here you will find everything from clothes and fresh food products to handmade cigars. Cachoeira is central to Afro-Brazillian history and the city has a museum that helps to highlight and tell the story of the slave trade in Brazil. You can also visit the sisterhood of the Boa Morte or visit a cigar factory and see the women hand roll cigars in front of you dressed in historical Bahian clothes.

We have done it all during a trip to Bahia and we share some of our views here.