Lunch at Madero Curitiba
This past July (2011), I traveled to Curitiba, Brazil to visit friend and photographer Paula Anddrade. I had a great time there, relaxing some, and encountering something different on the other side of the continent. I realized I merely glossed over a delicious lunch in an earlier post; I’m bringing that lunch to life in this post.
Paula wanted to take me to a really nice place for lunch in town. There was very little disappointment and lots of satisfaction to be found at Madero Prime Steakhouse on Avenida Jaime Reis, just west of Largo da Ordem and the historical district.
The restaurant interior was cozy yet spacious, with warm red-brown colours and a mixture of brick and wood-paneling. The ceiling was high, and the street-facing windows allowed a lot of natural light to illuminate the space within. There were approximately ten to twelve tables, which aren’t many, but they were all busy. We arrived a little late for the lunch hour; there were a lot of office-workers and other small groups finishing their meals. The service was efficient, knowledgeable, casual yet attentive, but never pushy.
The restaurant’s menu itself is revealing. Even in Brazilian Portuguese and without the immediate benefit of translation, there is little doubt about what’s on offer and the quality that awaits.
My eyes went straight to the picanha or rumpsteak. With my request for medium-rare, edging on the rare side, I ordered the 350 grams (12 ounces) of rumpsteak; the menu states that all of the meat-cuts come from Uruguay. I also ordered two side dishes: steamed white rice and the ubiquitous “farofa“, which is manioc flour fried in butter, mixed with chopped eggs and bacon bits.
We made quick work of the appetizers including olives, cheese, bruschetta, and grilled palm hearts (palmito). Some might find palm hearts on the bland side, but the description “assado na brasa com Flor de Sal de Guerande” (barbequed or grilled with ‘flower salt‘ from France’s Guérande) was apt. Marked with a light char, the palm had a light smoky flavour.
Appetizers – palmito, bruschetta, cheese, olives.
The main or entrée – picanha.
Main – picanha, spicy garnish.
Sides – steamed rice, farofa with eggs.
One look at the menu’s final page told me there would be room for dessert. One dessert on the menu in particular was voted “2010′s best dessert in Curitiba” — the Petit Gâteau de doce de leite (the little cake with caramelized milk) — which you can revel in its full glory below.
Petit Gâteau de doce de leite.
The sweet liquid centre.
The restaurant and the food were just some of the highlights for my visit to Curitiba.
What are your food highlights?
- Where is the best steak you’ve had, in your city or out on the road?
- Where is the best dessert you’ve had, in your city or out on the road? Was it because of taste or presentation or both?
Disclosure: No Connection, Unpaid, My Own Opinions. I have not received any compensation for writing this content and I have no material connection to the brands, topics and/or products that are mentioned herein (cmp.ly/0). We went to Madero — we had lunch, we thoroughly enjoyed lunch, and we paid for lunch ourselves.
I made the photos above on 12 July 2011. This post was published originally on Fotoeins Fotopress (fotoeins.com).
