nynyeateat » South American

Churrascaria Plataforma – Brazilian BBQ, Midtown West

justinrhyme — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:30:15 +0000

Churrascaria Plataforma
316 W. 49th St, between 8th & 9th Ave
(212) 245-0505 (reservations recommended)

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Brazilian
Favorite Dish(es): Ribeye, Sirloin, Filet Mignon (Prix Fixe $54.95), cheesepuffs (free)

This is the restaurant that introduced NY to the famous Brazilian BBQ – an endless feast of assorted cuts of beef, pork, sausage, turkey, and lamb brought to your table on sword-like skewers. It’s sort of like Dim sum style Smorgasbord, where they bring the food to your table. They have a very good buffet salad bar (if you really need some roughage), but it’s just a distraction for the main attraction – the meat. Included are a few sides like plaintains, broccoli, and some tangy sauces for the meat. They just keep coming by with more and more meat until you flip your coaster to the red side, signaling to stop. The quality of the meat is fairly good too, and by the time you get to sample just about every possible cut of beef, you’ll need to get wheeled out of the restaurant for a triple-bypass. This place is great for big groups, being in the Theater District, with reservations of course. I recommend not eating for about a week before you go to Plataforma.

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Pio Pio Salon – S. American (Peruvian BBQ Chicken), Upper West Side

justinrhyme — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 23:23:54 +0000

Pio Pio Salon
702 Amsterdam Ave, at 94th St
(212) 665-3000

Pricing: Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: S. American
Favorite Dish(es): Chicken Pio ($10); Salchipapa, side dish ($4)

It’s a decent sized restaurant, good for guests, and seems a bit on the fancier side for this sort of cuisine, but isn’t unreasonably priced or pretentious. We haven’t tried any of the other main courses, nor do we really need or want to. Just go ahead and order the chicken Pio, with a side dish or a salad. It will be the juiciest, most flavorful, and tender rotisserie chicken you’ve ever had in NYC. The Salchipapa is a side dish that resembles hot dogs over french fries, but the sausage is a bit less salty and tastes much more like real meat. This is one of our favorite new finds, and highly recommend a try.

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Calle Ocho – S. American, Upper West Side

justinrhyme — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 22:39:35 +0000

446 Columbus Ave, between 81st and 82nd Sts
(212) 873-5025

Pricing: Not Cheap
Venue: Sit Down
Cuisine: Contemporary South American
Favorite Dish(es): Rabo Oxtail Empanadas ($12); Chicharron Calamari ($11); Assorted Sangrias – Peach, Mango, Tangerine (drinks $9)

Spacious with modern decor, lounge/bar area, and the tastiest complimentary little cheese puffs served before dinner.

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