Brasilian seafood in Chicago??

Just got back from Cambridge, MA, where we had a fabulous meal of moqueca, Brasilian fish stew (also made with shrimp and other seafood, but we were limited to fish by one person in our party). Also a black bean stew with pork and sausage, and something they called plantain lasagna (sweet fried plantains, with a creamy white sauce and melted cheese, very delicious in small quantities).

Searched LTH and can only find the Brasilian meat places. I fear that is because we don't have any other Brasilian restaurants, but I take comfort in the fact that if and/or when we do, LTHers will be able to tell me...

For lack of a Brasilian restaurant locally, I found a recipe for the moqueca, and it is actually quite good, but this does not allow me to explore the rest of the menu.

Search on this site for feijoada, the black bean meal, which has been discussed recently. Moqueca is one of my all-time favorite dishes, but it's seldom seen here. Sadly, the late great Rhumba made a mean moqueca. But you're 12 or 15 years too late for that place. Some of the fancier pan-latino places have it or something similar from time to time. Sushi Samba and Nacional 27, maybe. A very similar dish, camarones encocados, may be found at Ecuadorian spots. Cuenca (Mi Ciudad) on Irving, for example. I find if it's not on the menu, they will make it by request. Good luck with the other thing. I'm not familiar with it.

Thanks, not quite sure how I missed that thread. Now that I have the spelling of feijoada (it was spelled with an x at the place in MA, feixoada?) I have googled a recipe. More complex than moqueca to make, it seems, but not out of the question. I'll try to get out to Oak Park some weekend to try it there. Can we persuade more Brazilians to move to Chicago?

I know it's on the menu at Suchi SambaRio, but having never been to this restaurant, I haven't tried it.

I saw moqueca on one of those Travel Channel shows and it looked so good, I've made it myself. So far, my own rendition is the only moqueca I've had - unfortunately, I haven't been able to find dende oil, so I don't know how authentic the flavor actually is. But authentic or not, it's one of my favorite dishes both to make and eat.

Dende oil is another name for palm oil, which can be found at Caribbean and African supermarkets in Chicagoland. You know its dende if its red like hot sauce, the oil and solids have separated, and the packaging looks like a re-used plastic water bottle. You can find it here, among other places:

Old World Market
5129 Broadway (Broadway & Winona)
Chicago, IL

Moqueca is now permanently on the menu at Taste of Brazil in Oak Park.

I moved away from chicago over a year ago...does anyone know if Brasil Legal on Western, just south of Fullerton is still open? It's a little Brazilian market, but they made a delicious feijoada that was introduced to me back in the day by RST. they'd probably know where to get the seafood dish in the city, if it's available anywhere.

from google search:
2153 North Western Avenue Chicago, IL 60647-4146 - (773) 772-6650
Open Mon-Sat 10am-7pm; Sun 10am-5pm

Hi, check out this thread

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=6236&hilit=brazilian

Sinha is open only for brunch on Sundays and the centerpiece of the buffet menu is a feijoada completa, and the couple of times I'd been there, she had fish and seafood dishes as well.

It's very popular with the Brazilian expat community here in Chicago and you have to call for reservations a week in advance. One time I went we sang "Parabens pra voce" (Happy Birithday) to the Brazilian Consul-General who was also at brunch that time. Fun times and great food!

Santander wrote:Moqueca is now permanently on the menu at Taste of Brazil in Oak Park.

Anybody know if the moqueca served at Taste of Brazil is moqueca bahiana or moqueca capixaba? The former hails from the northeastern state of Bahia and includes both coconut milk and palm oil. The latter, from the southeaster state of Espirito Santo, omits the coconut milk and palm oil, although it does get its red coloring from annatto. Moqueca capixaba is thus much lighter, lower in saturated fat, and easier on some tummies that tend to be upset by the heavier palm oil used in the version from Bahia.

jonathanlehman wrote:

Santander wrote:Moqueca is now permanently on the menu at Taste of Brazil in Oak Park.

Anybody know if the moqueca served at Taste of Brazil is moqueca bahiana or moqueca capixaba? The former hails from the northeastern state of Bahia and includes both coconut milk and palm oil. The latter, from the southeaster state of Espirito Santo, omits the coconut milk and palm oil, although it does get its red coloring from annatto. Moqueca capixaba is thus much lighter, lower in saturated fat, and easier on some tummies that tend to be upset by the heavier palm oil used in the version from Bahia.

I forgot to ask about this earlier in the week, and will remember the next time I'm in, which will not be long considering we are totally addicted to the prestijo cake. I think of this commercial (the 'Got Milk?' priest) every time I take a bite.

The mixto quente (meesto kenchay) is also a noteworthy $3 pleasure, a typical smooshy white bread grilled cheese with both cheddar and mozz, dried herbs, ham, and a sprinkling of farofa.

Santander wrote:

jonathanlehman wrote:

Santander wrote:Moqueca is now permanently on the menu at Taste of Brazil in Oak Park.

Anybody know if the moqueca served at Taste of Brazil is moqueca bahiana or moqueca capixaba? The former hails from the northeastern state of Bahia and includes both coconut milk and palm oil. The latter, from the southeaster state of Espirito Santo, omits the coconut milk and palm oil, although it does get its red coloring from annatto. Moqueca capixaba is thus much lighter, lower in saturated fat, and easier on some tummies that tend to be upset by the heavier palm oil used in the version from Bahia.

I forgot to ask about this earlier in the week, and will remember the next time I'm in, which will not be long considering we are totally addicted to the prestijo cake. I think of this commercial (the 'Got Milk?' priest) every time I take a bite.

The mixto quente (meesto kenchay) is also a noteworthy $3 pleasure, a typical smooshy white bread grilled cheese with both cheddar and mozz, dried herbs, ham, and a sprinkling of farofa.

It turns out to be bahiana and quite delicious, using tilapia. It is not terribly thick and seems simpler than I've seen in some places, but like everything else here the flavors are quite clean and balanced.