(February 2, 2007)

Brazilian cuisine is one of my favorites. From the seafood dishes (like vatapa) of the northeast to the barbecues (churrasco) of the south, Brazilian fare bristles with an intriguing mix of exotic tastes and delightfully compelling textures. So it was with much enthusiasm that I first dined at Magna Sampaio's restaurant that opened near campus in 2001. Sampaio, a native of Brazil, came to Austin to attend UT. She eventually wound up working in the restaurant business for Creed Ford and Norman Abdallah at Fired Up Foods (Johnny Carino's). Armed with hands-on management skills and with her mother's recipes, she decided Austin needed a Brazilian restaurant. She was right. She soon outgrew her campus location and settled into new digs on 4800 Burnet Road. The rest as they say, is herstory.

Alas, space limits me as it does us all from time to time. So I'll only tell you about my three most favorite appetizers at Sampaio. (Lord knows there are more.) The Mandioca Griddles are exceptionally tasty. If you like yucca, you'll love this dish. The yucca cakes are topped with spicy tomato sauce and melted cheese. They have dense, robust texture and are a perfect appetizer for a someone who is hungry. The Mariscos au Molho Verde are among the tastiest mussels I have tried. The sauce begins with baked fennel and chicken broth and ends with garlic, salt and pepper, olive oil, cilantro and tomatoes. What a dish! And try the Coxinha de Frango which translates to "little dreams". OK with me. They are diced chicken and cheese rolled into a pastry crust and served with an unbelievably piquant malaqueta sauce.

I had an entrée at Sampaio that was so good I would have trecked to Brazil to have it again. Luckily, you can go to Burnet. This dish was called Pesce com Pasta. It was baked, breaded snapper served in a sauce with shrimp bisque and rosemary over orchette pasta. The flavors were exquisite. Even my occasionally florid vocabulary cannot due justice to this one. And the Camarao ao Molho de Cachaca is another show stopper. The jumbo shrimp are sautéed in a Brazilian liquor (cachaca) and a garlic butter sauce. The flavors are beautifully integrated into one unassailable taste sensation.

And from the pampas of the south of Brazil, you have to try the Churrasco Platter. This is BBQ Brazil style. Sausage, beef, and chicken are presented on skewers with really interesting dipping sauces. You slice off some meat, dip in the sauce, coat it with farofa (ground yucca flowers) add some rice if you prefer and you have amazing flavor.

The desserts at Sampaio are equally delicious. And you can't leave without trying the national drink of Brazil, called the Caipirianha. This is made from sugar cane. A couple of these and you'll be booking tickets to carnival before you know it. So come on out this weekend and sample the wares of adopted Austinite but still passionately Brazilian Magna Sampaio. It's a good blend.

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