Porcao

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Porcao

Photo: Cititour.com

Contact Info:

Address: 360 Park Avenue South (26th St)
City: New York, NY
Zip: 10010
map: View the Map
Phone: (212) 252-7080
Website: http://www.porcao.com.br

Food Info:

Cuisine: Brazilian

Cititour Review:

If in the old days, the ultimate male bonding experience was going out on a hunt and then sharing the fruits – or should I say meats – of your labor around the dinner table, it appears the 21st-century version is getting together at one of New York’s numerous new steakhouses and churrascarias. Certainly, that could explain the many super-large tables of young guys dominating the scene at Porcão, the vast Brazilian all-you-can eatery, the other evening. And either they were anticipating large end-of-the-year bonuses or were blessed with the gift of corporate expense accounts, since three-figure-per-person bills here are relatively easy to run up. While the $50.90 tab covers the unending supply of meats and the ginormous salad bar (vegetarians can do their own buffet thing for $35), drinks and desserts, which come by on rolling carts, carry extra tabs. It will take enormous willpower to pass up the house’s freshly made caipirinhas, the customary Brazilian cocktail made with cachaca, and here augmented if you wish by fresh strawberry and passion fruit. They go down easy and hit you hard. If wine is more your speed, Porcão has an extensive list of fruits of the vine, with many nice selections by the glass. Of course, you can buffer the buzz easily by chowing down hard. The so-called salad bar encompasses dozens of selections, ranging from chicken stroganoff and seasoned shrimp to sushi to a simple Caesar salad. None of it is horribly special, although my dining partner was completely taken with rounds of pasta oozing with cheese. But why waste the calories when the restaurant’s raison d’etre is so delicious? While we were told that as many as 16 varieties of meat can come by, we sampled closer to 10 on our visit. If you don’t know the churrascaria system, it’s very easy to learn. You have a little disk – it looks like a drink coaster – on your table; when the green side is up, waiters come by with meats on a skewer of which you can partake; and when you want to rest or completely stop, flip the disc to red. Trust me, that’s much more of a challenge than it sounds. Simply put, every cut of beef was more fabulous than the next – filet mignon, top sirloin, flank steak, strip steak, all gorgeously rare, heavily salted, and unbelievably flavorable. A beef rib was tasty if overcooked. Lamb chops and sausage were pleasant if uninspired, and only a dry pork loin truly disappointed. If you see those desserts carts rolling around, you’ll be tempted to eat less meat. But truth be told, the house’s many varieties of finales are best for those with a very very sweet tooth – the Brazilian specialties taste primarily of sugar. Instead, have another piece of steak and settle for a glass of port or liqueur at the end of the evening. Then all you have to do is hunt for a cab to get you home.

 

Review By: Brian Scott Lipton

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