I also had my first vatapá, a traditional Afro-Brazilian dish from Bahia. The restaurant was Emporium Brasil, on W. 46th Street, a/k/a Little Brazil. There are a number of Brazilian restaurants on the block between Fifth and Sixth Avenues, but Emporium Brasil seems to have the best reputation. Vatapá is a very rich dish, described on the menu as: A Puree of Bread Crumbs & Smoked Shrimp, Peanuts, Cashew Nuts, Flavored with Coconut Milk & Palm Oil. The day I ordered this dish was within my window of opportunity: the day after my annual physical, but before I would get my cholesterol test results.

Diners who think of Brazilian fare as a never-ending parade of beef and more beef are doing themselves a disservice. There’s a whole spectrum of food beyond the all-the-meat-you-can-eat rodizios that populate the city, and Little Brazil Street is the place to find it. Once a market and coffee shop, Emporium Brasil has a minimal atmosphere. The tiled dining room, with midgrade lighting and grey and orange walls, could be any restaurant, anywhere….

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