See you another day Rafael Cavalieri could be signing this article. After all, his background is in journalism, having worked for almost ten years as a sports journalist and then a few more years as a food critic and reporter.
But food has been part of her life since she was a child. Son of a mother who was obsessed with pots and pans, Rafael ventured out beside him while reading and delving deeper into the subject. Still in the sport, he created the profile on Instagram @gastroesporte where he talks about food and football.
After leaving sports journalism, he enrolled in the executive chef course at Senac in Rio de Janeiro. There, alongside two classmates, he created Project Burger, an itinerant project that invaded the kitchens of bars and restaurants in Rio taking hamburgers and sandwiches that changed with each invasion.
In the midst of all this, an invitation to work as a gastronomic critic came up, which ended up interrupting the course, but not his vocation for the kitchen. In parallel with the evaluations and reports, he held his events until the day he decided to throw everything in the air and change pens for pots once and for all.
Started his way in the award-winning Laguiole , which even had a Michelin star and operated for years at the Museum of Modern Art in Rio until it closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. From there he went to the Heat Firehouse, a meat and American BBQ place at the time under the command of Elia Schramm . He then took over the leadership of Tasca Is Cute! until the invitation Thomas Troisgros to be the Sous Chef of TT Group
Alongside it, it launched two new brands for the group, the Tom Ticken and the Marola participated in the inauguration of the franchises of TT Burger (there are seven stores in Rio, in addition to units in São Paulo, Brasília and Vitória) in addition to continuing to collaborate on future projects.
Away from business, Rafael tries other flavors around the Marvelous City and shares his favorite places to eat well in Rio de Janeiro below:
bar rex
It is a bar with a discreet lounge and tables on the sidewalk of Rua do Matoso, which is part of the Gastronomic Center of Praça da Bandeira. for me, the rex makes the best chicken in town. The style is dog television, with its rotating skewers. But the detail is that the heat comes from the embers, giving a smoky touch to the house seasoning and leaving the skin crispy and burnt.
Add to that a nice broccoli rice, seasoned beans, egg farofa and standard linguicinha to accompany the cold beer or the coquinho with cachaça. The TT Group office is next door and meeting day became Rex’s day!
Bar Rex na Brasa: Rua do Matoso, 7 – Praça da Bandeira, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 96550-3910 (WhatsApp) / Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday from 11 am to 1 am.
Galeto Sat’s
It’s one of Rio’s bohemian temples, a place I’ve been going to since I started in sports journalism in 2005. At headquarters, in Copacabana, you have your elbow on the counter, the beer in your hand and your face on the barbecue, watching hearty portions come out. chicken, garlic bread, sirloin steak and, of course, the chicken.
All of this arrives accompanied by the incomparable farofa de ovo which is affectionately called breaded egg or flour omelette.
We also find delights at the branch in Botafogo with a larger hall, an exposed beer cooler with kilos of ice and a veranda that gathers a lot of people into the early hours of what is considered the city’s official nightcap. After all, as the great owner would say Sergio Rabello Sat’s is committed to drinkers.
Galeto Sat’s Copacabana: Rua Barata Ribeiro, 7 – Loja D – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 2543-8841 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 11am to 5am.
Galeto Sat’s Botafogo: Rua Real Grandeza, 212 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 2266-6266 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 11am to 5am.
Galeto Sat’s Barra da Tijuca: Estrada do Joá, 3962 – Joá, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 3796-1128 / Opening hours: Monday to Sunday from 11am to 5am.
Porco Amigo Bar
One of my favorite things to do is drink standing on the sidewalk. One of my favorite things to eat is pork.
Both at the headquarters of this bar in Botafogo and at the branch in Leblon, I can order my cold draft beer (or bottled beer, drink or wine) and eat delicious fried food such as pork shoulder, pork shoulder coxinha, skin or belly crackling in addition to delicious inventions by chef Nery Owczarzak, such as the carpaccio made with cured pork filet mignon.
In Leblon, with a more Portuguese-inspired menu, there’s pork knuckle, suckling pig, cheek and even good samba. Thin thing!
Porco Amigo Bar Botafogo: Rua São Manuel, 43 – Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 2137-4963 / Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12h to 1:30 am and Sunday from 12h to 22h.
Porco Amigo Bar Leblon: Rua Conde de Bernadotte, 26 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Phone: (21) 3012-1621 / Opening hours: Tuesday to Saturday from 12h to 1h and Sunday from 12h to 00:30h.
Babbo Osteria
the chef’s house Elia Schramm delivers everything: concept, technique and hospitality. It is possible to arrive just to drink very well-made drinks and eat starters such as the unbeatable shrimp cannoli or the raw meat finished at the table.
Or even make a beautiful meal with pasta prepared with care in food comfort like Pepenara, a fun version that combines cacio e pepe with carbonara, or gastronomic dishes like the open-faced prawn ravioli with pumpkin textures and a touch of surreal black garlic.
But be prepared: the queues are long, but they are worth it.
Babbo Osteria: Rua Barão da Torre, 632 – Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Tel.: (21) 99808-6496 (WhatsApp) / Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday from 12h to 16h and from 19h to 23h; Thursday to Saturday from 12:00 to 16:00 and from 19:00 to 00:00; Sunday from 12:00 to 18:00.
Le Blond
It’s not because he’s my chef, but the Le Blond is another safe haven for good food in Rio. Thomas Troisgros mixes classics on the menu, such as one of the best tartares in town, alongside dishes with his signature, such as the ceviche with heart of palm and coconut milk vinaigrette and a simple tomato, ricotta and eggplant bruschetta that I always order.
Among the mains, go for duck magret with kimchi rice or mackerel with mushrooms, toasted Brussels sprouts and a beurre blanc that I could eat with a spoon in a deep dish.
Le Blond: Avenida Ataulfo de Paiva, 1321 – Leblon, Rio de Janeiro – RJ / Phone: (21) 3322-1440 / Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00 and from 18:30 to 00:00; Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 00:00.
Source: CNN Brasil
Johanna Foster is an expert opinion writer with over 7 years of experience. She has a reputation for delivering insightful and thought-provoking articles on a variety of subjects. Her work can be found on some of the top online news websites, and she is currently lending her voice to the world stock market.
