I’m still not sure how I feel about Sao Paulo. It’s a crazy place. You’ll see people with huge Vuitton bags and small dogs and big Rolexes, but then everyone will tell you that you will be robbed at any moment. And that in Rio, the robbers will not only rob you, they will KILL YOU. SP is a dense place, tall buildings everywhere. It’s a crumbling place, where locals will laugh AT YOU when you explain how you would expect the Internet to work when it rains. And the traffic, the traffic is miserable. Too many people with too many cars and no trains and everything above ground.
I went to D.O.M. while I was in town. You know, one of those 50 best places. (The 6th best right now.) For lunch. A business lunch. I felt bad taking photos because the place was pretty deserted and I would have been a bit conspicuous, so this is all you’re getting. Some decent steak, and some very nice plantains. And the ubiquitous green stuff that Brazilians love. It was all very nicely done, and there were lovely copper pots of rice and beans and potatoes and of course, FAROFA. I really like farofa. Was D.O.M the absolute best meal of my entire life? No. It was just food. My meal at Mani the night before was far superior and inventive and delicious. If you go to Sao Paulo, of course you should go to D.O.M. — lunch was a surprisingly good value. I think we got out of there for about $60 each — but you should also really go to Mani. Really.
