Carnaval: Join the Meat Parade!
Yes, Carnaval Brazilian Grill has a menu you can order entrees, apps and even flat breads off of.
But if you’re not ordering up “The Gaucho Meal,” also called rodizio, or let’s just call it what it really is: the Meat Parade, you’ll be missing out on a fun experience. You’ll also miss out on some good food.
There is something awesome and gritty about eating meat off spears that almost feels primal. Which is ridiculous since you’re sitting at a table with white cloth top and napkins, the room dimly-lit with a rotating rainbow of light and no one at the other tables is eying you, club ready, as a threat to their own pile of flesh. (Okay, that was a bit much. I just didn’t want to say “meat” again. Sorry!)
Before you even turn over your personal totem from red to green, signalling the gauchos you’re ready for the parade to start, your meal also comes with one of the best salad bars in the city, rivaled only by Minerva’s. I know salad bars aren’t for everyone, but I love them, and this one, with it’s four types of greens, chunky blue cheese, an enormous glass bowl of sliced, hot peppers and at least seven other salads, is worth the initial trip.
Just don’t fill up.
Once you turn that indicator to green, you will be overwhelmed with top sirloin, bacon-wrapped beef, Parmesan beef, Parmesan chicken, chicken drummies, chicken breast, lamb, bbq pork, pork tenderloin, a house sausage called Linguica and the house signature Picantia. Not to mention caramelized with pineapple with brown sugar and cinnamon and shrimp if you order the up-sell.
My favorites were the lamb, bacon-wrapped chicken, bbq pork and the Linguica. The Picantia was not for me, as there was a tangy, bitter spice I couldn’t identify. Though others certainly like it. Others, like the Parmesan chicken, could have been good, but came to our table a bit dried out. My guess is the timing of eating meat off spears, walked around a building is somewhat important.
At points during your meal, it’ll be important to flip the signal back to red in order to catch your breath and enjoy what’s in front of you uninterrupted. Otherwise, the Meat Parade will wash over you. And if you are going to avoid the Meat Sweats, you’ll want to take your time.
Carnaval also has a nice rounded bar area that is a great spot to grab a drink after a movie (Century 14 is just across the parking lot), and the restaurant often has live music (including hosting Link LIVE, Fridays at 4 p.m. PLUG!).
Have you joined the Meat Parade? What was your impression?
