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Churrasco (slow-grilled and -roasted meat), one of the most famous foods of Brazil, originated in Rio Grande do Sul. But the cuisine is eclectic here in cowboy country, and rice and beans sit on southern tables beside Italian and German dishes, thanks to the South's many European immigrants. Look for barreado, a dish from coastal Paraná made by stewing beef, bacon, potatoes, and spices for hours in a clay pot made airtight with moistened manioc flour. Café colonial is the elaborate 5 pm tea—with breads, pies, and German kuchen—popular among the Germans in the South.
Be ready for a hearty feast: this highly regarded restaurant serves a prix-fixe Italian menu with galeto al primo canto (crispy grilled chicken) and a large selection of pasta dishes. Accompaniments include cappelletti soup, polenta, and radicci (a green-leaf salad).
This Italian cantina–style restaurant has an excellent prix-fixe salad-and-soup buffet at dinner. Surefire soup choices include the cappelletti—best topped with grated Parmesan cheese—and the Serrano (a local vegetable soup). If this light fare doesn't suit you, opt for the grilled beef directly from the grill.
One of the best-known establishments for Italian cuisine in Curitiba, Madalosso is also possibly the largest restaurant in Brazil: the hangarlike building seats 4,600 diners. The prix-fixe menu includes a huge selection of pastas and sauces, chicken dishes, and salads. The gnocchi and lasagna are particularly noteworthy. The restaurant keeps a large wine cellar, with many renowned Brazilian and international wines, as well as a house wine, made for the restaurant in the vineyards of Rio Grande do Sul.
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