But the porch seems more innately tropical. A large icy caipirinha also sets the scene. This is a jolting limeade made with clear Brazilian liquor, lots of lime wedges and a little sugar. It calls for immediate food to cushion the blow, particularly since this is one of the many restaurants where appetizers are the stars. Carne seca is chunks of cured dried meat cooked to crispness yet nearly falling apart.
Mussels come drenched in garlic and dill and flamed with cognac - just right for dunking bread.
Other seafood appetizers are flavored with coconut milk and palm oil, a theme that carries through the entrees. A nutritionist probably would recoil in horror, and many people find the strong palm oil an acquired taste. But if you've loved food in the tropics and haven't found any here that matches your memories, palm oil may be the missing link. The star of a Brazilian restaurant is feijoada, a large pot of black beans crammed with ham, sausage and other varieties of pork. It's accompanied by a platter of toasted manioc meal, reminiscent of bread crumbs, with shredded collard greens and slices of orange.