Friday nights and friends ...and a downpour! - São Paulo

Jacare Grill Vila Madalena

Yesterday one of my closest childhood friends arrived with his family from New York. They had had one of those hell trips that involve 2-hour lines for security snaking through the airport as everyone tried to escape the winter storm. They arrived here 2 1/2 hours late and eager for warm sunny weather.

We took them out to one of our favorite places in Vila Madalena, called Jacaré Grill (Alligator Grill). It's a really fun place on a Sunday with Harley riders pulling up and drinking a beer right on the street. You can't find a place to sit after 2 pm. Friday night is a different crowd and also 80s music blaring from the speakers. Okay, we enjoyed the 80s music, even the teenager. 

Carne Louca

Food was a mixture of "carne louca" (crazy meat), pork and sausages. And a great salad for you vegetarians. And a lot of cold beer. We were tucked back so far in the restaurant that we didn't even notice it had started raining some time during our dinner. No, not raining, POURING as it does in tropical countries. The roads were already rushing rapids since Vila Madalena is filled with little hills like in San Francisco.

We made a run for Bacio di Latte, the gorgeous gelato store on the next corner. We were soaked from a 20 second run. We ordered giant pots of ice cream and stood around getting dripped on from the glass ceiling with obvious weather-proofing issues. Then we sat around and sat around waiting for a break in the rain so we could get the car parked two blocks away. It rained harder. Even when I thought there was no possible way for it to rain harder, it rained harder. The New Yorkers were exhausted. And cold--believe it or not. In wet clothing in an ice cream store. Albeit a very nice ice cream store.

Bacio di Latte Vila Madalena

We ordered tea which arrived lukewarm and not delicious. I don't think they had ever before been asked for tea. My friend had first wanted decaf coffee, which they did not have. Brazil simply does not have decaf coffee. Or if they do have it, it's not good.

Finally, with kids falling asleep on the benches, my husband made a run for the car. The rain, the wonderful long-absent rain, continued through the night.