Brasa
Brasa has received a lot of ink (and keystrokes) recently, and deservedly so. From its organic ingredients and comfort food to its intimate seating, this Southern/Jamaican-hybrid restaurant keeps me coming back for more.
It’s simple really. Take a former gas station, paint it warm shades of brick red and mustard yellow, add good service and a savory menu and you’ve got Brasa. Pulled pork, rotisserie chicken and a variety of sides are the only menu items, but they are worth it. Although my favorite is the pork, both it and the chicken are tender and full of flavor. The sides are quite tasty too, although I am confused at to why the spinach with jalapenos and the cheese grits got so many great reviews. Sure, they were tasty, but I have to give my endorsement to the sweet potatoes with chorizo. This side dish of perfectly cooked sweet potato, not too mushy and not too hard, combined with the salty, slight-charred bites of chorizo is the perfect combination of flavors, savory and sweet. To top it all off, don’t forget the corn muffin – a requisite in my opinion.
While eating a freshly cooked meal at Brasa was a fine feast, we felt the only logical next step was to apply the Camacho rule to the leftovers. Growing up a Camacho, I learned that almost anything (particularly leftovers) goes perfect with tortillas. From leftover Thanksgiving dinner (turkey tacos with stuffing and mashed potatoes are my favorite) to macaroni and cheese (yes, I have seen my father eat this) we have tested this rule time and time again. Kyle and I put Brasa to this test and we were completely satisfied.
Bottom line, not only do I recommend Brasa for a night out, but I highly recommend over-ordering and bringing home some goodness to put in a tortilla. Top it with a little cheese and Louisana hot sauce and call it a meal. Perfection.
Tags: Food, restaurants, rotisserie, twin cities
April 15th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
[...] restaurant that specializes in rotisserie chicken, pulled pork and southern/caribbean sides and wrote a review. To sum it up…Brasa is [...]
April 19th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
Note to self, put camacho watcho back into my rotation of bloggers to check…because then I would have known about this place before last Thursday.
I found out about it at 6:30pm and since I was only a mile away when I learned, I was eating there by 7:30pm. I was unprepared for juggling leftovers and it was too late to overeat, so I went with the simple spicy braised beef sandwich, which arrived with a gentle side salad…both of which were probably ‘right-sized’ and ‘good’ for me, and great for what I asked for. Just not for what I desired.
My regret as I type this comment is not with Brasa, which as Katie noted above has all the right stuff, but with my ‘good for me’ place in life. It would have been much more fun to have had a glass of wine or beer and a full-sized meal of decadent delight. But as you know, I’m on a 30-day challenge to stay off alcoholic beverages and in training for a trail run next month, so I got what I deserved, a damn fine meal for a runway model.
I should put the date in my schedule right now to revisit Brasa when my 30 days expire. Regards!
April 20th, 2008 at 8:14 pm
Mike – You should definitely mark your calendar to revisit when you’re off your 30 day “runway model” challenge. After you go again (experiencing its full glory) – definitely let me know what you think.