We moved closer to the downtown area near Granby Street and the Waterside just a few months ago in the summer, and had always wondered what the sense of community life and activity would be like in comparison to our former haunts.

In the years we’ve lived in Hampton Roads, we never really strayed far from the nerve center that we’d come to know as Colley Avenue near Ghent. We enjoyed the fact that the Naro theatre and video store, many of our favorite coffee shops and restaurants, the grocery store, at least two drugstores, a laundromat, and (down the other way) a children’s playground, views of water surrounding quiet walking and residential areas, plus the Norfolk Sentara Hospital system, were within such easy reach. It’s a different nerve center of the city that we now live closer to. But, surprisingly, we’ve found we can claim the same sense of an ability to retreat to a quiet pocket, though we are right in the middle of road and light rail construction activity, and there is considerably higher local and tourist traffic especially near the Nauticus and the recently renovated Waterside Park complex.

When we came to Hampton Roads 12 years ago, new colleagues and friends spoke of the diversity of these parts and attributed it to the history of Norfolk as a port city. In the student population at Old Dominion University where I teach, that sense of diversity is something I’ve noted as well. While it may have naturally increased in more recent years (along with more global trends), there’s nevertheless a good part of local ethos and practice still firmly steeped in the regional and traditional. And so, it’s always interesting to see in what mix and balance these elements might come into play when observing local culture: what’s novel, what’s appropriated or not, what’s altered or embraced, when local community bumps up against bigger world, and vice versa.

We had the opportunity to make further observations on January 2, when invited to review one of the still relatively new restaurants on Granby Street for AltDaily. Those who chose to stay home that bitter cold (and windy) evening may have been dining on leftover holiday ham or turkey, collard greens or black-eyed peas. As for us, we gamely bundled ourselves up (and our youngest daughter, eight years old, excited at the prospect of serving as food reviewer’s assistant), lured by the prospect of a plethora of barbecued meats at the Brazilian churrascaria, Espeto na Brasa. Since my husband and I were both raised on Filipino cuisine—a good part of which is Spanish-influenced and therefore meat-friendly (lots of stews, jamon- or sausage-laced cocidos)—the idea of taking on all 12 to 14 meat selections offered by Espeto na Brasa did not faze us. We’ll have small portions and share, we promised, remembering too the time our good friend Scott took us to our very first churrascaria adventure at the Fogo de Chão chain in Chicago; back then, we had not yet truly comprehended what an experience of gustatory largesse it could be.

Espeto na Brasa first opened in 2007 in Norfolk (and just three months ago added a new location on Laskin Road in Virginia Beach). The Granby Street location downtown is housed in a stately building with links to the old Norfolk Railway Station established in 1909. Thus, the dark wood-paneled interiors, colonnades, and graceful mezzanines in a way lend it an Old-World charm that is fitting, considering that the food it spotlights traces its roots to traditional rustic cooking prepared many centuries ago by nomadic homesteaders and cowboys or gauchos in the pampas of southern Brazil. It seems a bit ironic therefore that the churrascarias (especially large chains like Rodizio Grill and Fogo de Chão) which seem to have gained such popularity of late in many large cities across the United States, are associated with the idea of an “upscale” contemporary dining experience. The very amiable Alex De Paula, one of Espeto na Brasa’s owners, explained to us shortly after we were seated by our efficient hostess that this was very much a family enterprise. Alex, his mother, and brother (who are originally from Sao Paolo), are involved in a very hands-on way in Espeto na Brasa, which has attracted a loyal following even in such a short time because “there’s nothing quite like this in the whole area”.

A passador, or meat waiter.

Alex and our also very likable main table server Soufania pointed out the salad bar and the hot bar across the main floor dining room, and we decided that we would start with plates from there before lifting the little bandeirinha on our table to the green end for the first time (to signal the passadores or meat waiters we were ready for the main offerings). The salad bar and the hot bar were nicely reflective of the fact that Brazil really has an eclectic mix of regional cuisines and temperaments, hinting not only at the crosscurrents of settlement and immigration there but also at the ways in which these interpretations are wont to eventually accommodate popular tastes and knowledge. For instance, at the salad bar, alongside the de rigueur mixed and salad greens, the tray of crisp-tender Brazilian hearts of palm, artichoke bottoms, and smoked and baked salmon acknowledged the northern Amazonian region’s predisposition towards fish and root vegetables. At the hot bar, the stewed coconut shrimp (which were sweet and delicately flavored although their texture may have been rendered less than ideal from sitting too long in the chafing dish) and black bean stew made a nod toward Indian-influenced regional cuisines; and the dish of mashed potatoes—pronounced by our young assistant reviewer to be most excellent and creamy—well, that’s popular and American.

Now we were ready to flip the bandeirinha to the green end (red is for when you want to stop awhile and pace yourself till the next meat tasting)! But first, naturalmente, we clinked glasses of Brazil’s most popular drink, the caipirinha (Espeto na Brasa does a tart and potent, lovely mix of muddled limes, cachaca or sugar cane rum, sugar and crushed ice— the caipirinha and the Cuban mojito I think are my two favorite mixed drinks in the world). I hasten to add that our young companion opted for the slightly apple-y, slightly lemony Guarana Antarctica soda, flavored by the Brazilian guarana berry. By this time that evening, the restaurant had steadily filled up with clients, despite the most unsouthernly weather outside— many tables filled with baby carrier-toting families, couples, or groups of friends (clearly, this is a type of dining that needs to be shared). Despite the busy atmosphere, the white-shirted passadores (all servers in Espeto na Brasa are Brazilian) approached each table with quiet efficiency, bearing a tall metal skewer of some particular cut of meat, and a sharp serving knife. We began with two kinds of Linguica or cured pork sausage (we enjoyed the second one more, flavored with herbs and a hint of cheese), then worked our way through Lombo (pork loin), Beef Ancho (rib eye), Cordeiro (Lamb), mini Filet Mignons, Costela de Porco (pork ribs), Fraldinha (bottom sirloin), Alcatra (top sirloin), and Picanha (top sirloin). We didn’t really look for the Frango or grilled chicken, as even with the judicious pacing and small servings, we were certainly near done but wanted to leave room for dessert.

Prior to arriving at Espeto na Brasa, I confess that I’d looked at just a few Norfolk dining guide sites online, where folks can send little reviews of their experiences at downtown restaurants. I was frankly perplexed by those who complained and found the meats at Espeto na Brasa “bland” or “unflavorful”, and who were (I surmise) basically looking to sink their forks into something overdone to mush, or drowned in A-1 Steak Sauce or Texas Pete’s. I was heartened to read a few reviews by Brazilian diners who were looking for something close to what they knew of back-home, Brazilian cooking, and had found it at Espeto na Brasa. Alex came around to inquire about how we enjoyed our dinner in the lull after we finally laid our bandeirinha down and waited for coffee and desserts (the hot, tart and sweet contrasts of grilled pineapple dusted with cinnamon; plus a plain cheesecake and slice of lemon creme cake because there was no coconut flan available that night).

The reviewer's (very picky) daughter's review.

We were most definitely and wonderfully satisfied (including our picky young assistant reviewer who discovered that night how much she loves a good sirloin): my husband loved the lamb and all the beef choices—moist and flavorful; whereas I listed at the very top of my favorites that evening the pork ribs which were tender, naturally sweet, and were seasoned with just the right amount of coarse salt. When I mentioned that I enjoyed most of all the fact that the meats at Espeto na Brasa were completely unadorned except for salt and (in the case of the rib eye) just a hint of garlic, Alex enthused that this was really the heart of rustic Brazilian cooking: the way the simple application of heat from coal or wood embers is meant to bring out the natural flavors of food.  Before we left that evening, the hostess asked us to wait a moment in the foyer because Alex had just found out that there was Pudim de Leite (Brazilian Milk Flan) just hot off the steamer in the kitchen, and he wanted us to take home a generous slice in a little box.

We’ll most certainly return to this restaurant that fuses the world of our new neighborhood with such a rich and generous horizon of tastes. And for that coconut flan.

Location and Information

http://www.espetonabrasa.com

Weekday Lunch: Open for Reserved Parties of 10 or More Only
$17.95 for 7 meats, salad bar, and hot items
$9.95 for 2 meats, salad bar, and hot items

Weekday Dinner:
$35.95 for meats, salad bar, and hot items
$19.95 for salad bar and hot items only
Children 6 & under free, Children 7 to 12, 50% discount

Disclosure: At the time this review was written Espeto na Brasa was not an AltDaily advertiser. They now are.