Waiters whirl through Grimpa Brazilian Steakhouse's streamlined interior, dancing with swords that skewer more than 15 kinds of meat. Diners can sample steaks and an 18-item salad bar and hot buffet in the art-strewn dining room or on the outdoor patio, where swaying palms and ghost cowboys bring to mind traditional gaucho camps. An onsite wine cellar accommodates international vintages of red, white, and bubbly, and an à la carte menu allows chefs to pair tender cuts of beef and fish with gourmet sauces and sides.
Inspired by Brazilian gaucho—or cowboy—style of cooking meats, the owners and chefs of Brazaviva Churrascaria opened their restaurant and devoted its menu of endless dishes to the Old-World grilling method. As the restaurant describes it, the wayfaring gauchos roamed the expansive grasslands of Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul, skewering their meat dinners and roasting them over a fiery pit, before carving off thin slices to be shared around the fire.
Holding true to that tradition, the eatery's expert carvers bring skewers of fire-roasted beef, pork, lamb, chicken, and sausage tableside to pile plates high. Guests eat as much as they like, using a card that is green on one side and red on the other to indicate to the friendly staff carvers to keep the feast flowing, or to take a moment's savoring pause. Whatever belly room is left over after all cards go red calls for filling up with one of the eatery's unique desserts that swirl South American flavors such as passion fruit and papaya into rich smoothies and mousses. A collection of fine wines selected specially to compliment the charred flavors of the meats is available to complete the experience.
The Miami New Times magazine named Rincon Argentino the Best Argentine Restaurant in 2009. TripAdvisors give its Coral Gables location an average of 3.5 owl eyes. Yelpers give the Coral Gables location an average of 4.5 stars, and seven Yelpers give the Kendall Drive location an average of 3.5 stars.
Kone specializes in sushi hand rolls known in Japan as temaki—te, which means hand, and maki, which means roll. These tiny wonders rely on a strong Brazilian influence, and contrary to traditional sushi principles and intense protesting from old-school fishermen, they are crafted in a cone shape. Though Kone has more than 60 temaki recipes in salmon and tuna, patrons can modify rolls or create their own to specifications for pairing with a wide array of appetizers, salads, sashimi, and traditional-style house rolls.
Located in South Beach less than 1,000 feet from the Atlantic Ocean, Kone's modern dining room harbors a black-and-white color scheme, with glints of red in chairs and wall segments. In a separate lounge area, diners can also sip on Sakerinha, the sake version of Brazil's most popular liquor drink, or dish on a brazilian waffle treat called brigadeiro, made per tradition with chocolate and fresh fruit.
Bolivar Restaurant and Lounge, which takes its name from that famous revolutionary figure, brings Spanish, African, and native South American elements together. Colombian flavors color Peruvian ingredients, and Venezuelan influences make Bolivar's dishes even more unique. Ceviche, grilled skirt steak, and sautéed salmon with creole sauce are but a few of the specialties savored in a moodily dim dining room/lounge caught between sponge-painted walls and a glowing, crimson bar. Tapas step in with a taste of Spain—fried calamari, beef empanadas, chorizo. Then there's the bandeja paisa, which almost became Colombia's national dish. It's a large, oval tray heaped with 13 ingredients that must all be present—and have their homework completed—if the dish is to be considered a true bandeja paisa. These ingredients include red beans cooked with pork, plantains, fried eggs, pork rind, black pudding, and avocado.