When we think of Brazil, we think of soccer, the amazon and carnival. But what about its cuisine? With European and African influences, its delicious and nutritious foods reflect the country’s diverse mix of native and immigrant populations that have seen this fertile land throughout history. Kansas City is know for its strong entrepreneurial tendencies, and for its most diverse metro area, so it is no surprise that a little piece of Brazil has found its way to the City Market area and in only two months is already making a name for itself through its exquisite flavors and authenticity. Brazilian Restaurants in Kansas City are scarce, and the few out there are quite expensive, and offer limited menu choices that only showcase part of this country’s diverse cuisine.
This is not the case at Taste of Brazil Market on 3rd in the beautiful City Market district. With an assorted menu, they have something to offer to all palates that enjoy like to indulge in exotic foreign flavors.
Cristian & Marco have know each other for 25 years, and have been Volleyball teammates for a majority of that time. Volleyball is the reason Cristian ended up in Kansas City in the first place. Cristian Maciel and Marco Rabello, Both from Sao Paulo dreamt of owning their own business, since they arrived in Kansas City ten years ago. What better way to fulfill this dream than by bringing a little piece of home to their new one. Cristian is a long time entrepreneur, with lots of experience in the industry, he has had his failures and successes… you fall, you pick back up, learn, and start again.
“This area is perfect for us, because its so ethnically diverse, there’s all types of cuisines here and ours definitely stands out from the ordinary” -Cristian Maciel, owner
Taste of Brazil Market has been open for 3 months now and has seen much success since the grand opening. With over 900+ likes on their Facebook page, customers that are already “regulars” and three successful catered birthday events, Taste of Brazil is where Brazilians get together. The Carefully designed menu is only part of what the business has to offer, they also have goodies and exclusive imported foods in order to provide brazilians in Kansas City with some Brazil specialties. Some of the menu favorites include Picanha de Cleuza (#2), Carne Louca da Odete (#3), and Pao de Queijo (#10). Both number two and three are named after Cristian and Marco’s mothers, and both involve beef. As for the Pao de Queijo, which translates to “Bread of Cheese” it is a great accompaniment with any meal and is made in-house with four different cheeses, Asiago, Swiss, Provolone and Parmesan.
They get fresh shipments of natural coconut water, to provide customers with the signature tropical experience. They slice the coconut right in front of you and put a straw in it for the customer to get the freshest product and to experience the way they do it in Brazil. “Everything in the store is exported straight from Brazil. All shipments go through Miami, since most distributors are located there, and then it makes its way to us.” shared Cristian, who is looking forward to the the big buy they are putting together for the holidays. “We are still figuring things out, what people like, what they don’t…” Brazilians in Kansas City make their way to the River Market to get their fix of home, and Marco & Cristian are creating relationships and getting to know what they come to the store for and what they would like to see. They have a board where customers can write down what they want to see in their inventory in the future, which has allowed them to involve their customers in the growth stage of the business which makes customers feel entitled & accomplished, and a bond with the business is created.
We are expecting great things from this Kansas City Original! And we look forward to a successful event on November 23rd & 24th, for their Faijoada tasting event from 11 to 4. For more information visit the Taste of Brazil Market Facebook Page.
For more information you can contact them at (816) 527-0400 or visit their website www.tasteofbrazilkc.com.
Obrigado, your Kansas City Blog.
