Rancho Nordestino

R. Manoel Dutra, 498

Bela Vista

11-3106-7257

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Nestled away in the back streets of Bixiga is a rustic northeast Brazilian eatery decked out in wood planks, with just enough grittiness to make you feel like you're really getting authentic food the way they make it up there, while the bar looks like it's seen a good old-fashioned cachaça-fueled bar brawl considering the 50 varieties available. Tables are wooden; wobbly, dusty bottles of cachaca hang precariously from the mezzanine floor's ceiling; and the no-thrills service leaves much to be desired, but hey, you're here for the food—baiao de dois is a super hearty serving of sun-dried meat and rice with pork scratchings; and the carne-de-sol, bright-red strips of sun-dried meat fried in butter, shouldn't be overlooked. A slice of Brazil in Little Italy. Photo: Crispin R. Cairns