Fellini-esqe

This week I started working at a popular, upscale Leblon restaurant called Fellini. In the food biz for nearly 17 years, this eatery offers a "por quilo" hot and cold buffet. Por quilo (or per kilo) is a popular concept here in Rio. Instead of the typical all-you-can-eat,  prix fixe system, here you fill your plate and pay by weight (the food's, not yours, thank goodness). So, the more you play, the more you pay.

My cousin, Evelyn, hooked me up. We went there for lunch on my first day in Rio (everyone knows Fellini -- it's pretty famous here). Evelyn is acquainted with owners Nelson and Ana, so I emailed some info about me, made my case for world travel cooking, and here I am. I'm doing what is here called an "estagio" -- internship -- working in every area of the place. Starting in the kitchen (daytime shift), moving to desserts, on to appetizers, salads, then to pastas and back.

The name "Fellini" has nothing really to do with the kind of food here. The menu is all over the place -- Staples are Brazilian black beans, rice, forofa (the workhorse of the nation's culinaria). It's served alongside tortellini, curried and fruited rices and pseudo risottos, pan-fried fish of every variety, assorted veggies prepared various ways, a sushi bar, salgadinhos (appetizers) and amazing desserts. And the menu changes daily, so you never know what you're going to see day to day (and, believe me, some people eat there every day).

My first day is in the kitchen ... stay tuned.