Jiquitaia gives way to the Italian restaurant Stasera in SP, which keeps the bar hidden

The move of the trendy Jiquitaia restaurant to Paraíso, in the south of São Paulo, made room for the little house that was his first home, in the Baixo Augusta region, to become another venture — but under the baton of the same chef, Marcelo Corrêa Bastos. . This is how Stasera was born, in a partnership that also includes Jean Ponce and Greg Caisley, from Guarita.

The earthy tones that gave a rustic atmosphere to the property on Antônio Carlos Street, in the center of the capital, gave way to white, red and green, like the flag of Italy, the country that guides the kitchen of the new restaurant, which opened a week ago. .

“It’s a modern trattoria”, defines Nina Bastos, Marcelo’s partner and sister. “These are easy recipes, with fresh and national ingredients. It’s not an Italian to the letter”, she says.

The proposal appears in orders such as caponata with bacon, which makes up the selection of antipasti along with zucchini and eggplant preserves, roasted tomatoes and olives (R$ 33). There are also arancini —rice balls—, made with pumpkin and cheese (R$35 a portion), and a salad that combines fresh cucumbers, sheep curd and candied grapes (R$48).

The main dishes section lists pasta, served in generous portions. Traditional combinations include carbonara rigatoni (R$60), bolognese noodles (R$70) and spaghetti with sugo (R$60). But there are also creations such as the orecchiette with broccoli and codeguin, a type of Italian sausage, for R$65, and the trighetto with zucchini and ground shrimp, which costs R$63.

The partnership with Guarita is evident on the upper floor of the property, where the Bar do Stasera is located — following the tradition of Jiquitaia, which also had a bar there, with its own drinks and snacks that became a hit. Even the layout is the same: the public is divided between the shared table and the counter, while they talk, eat and drink, in a more relaxed atmosphere than in the lounge.

Signed by Nina and Ponce, the menu features cocktails such as penicillin (R$38), negroni and fitzgerald (R$34 each). There is also the caipirinha from Jiquitaia, with cashew and Tahiti lime, and from Guarita, with cachaça and lime (R$29 each). To eat, there’s the pork burger from the Bastos brothers’ house, or the black garlic burger from Greg Caisley, for R$35 each.

Opened in 2012 where Stasera is now located, Jiquitaia is a contemporary Brazilian food restaurant. Marcelo, chef of the house and the new Italian, also works at Vista, near Ibirapuera Park, and at Lobozó, in Vila Madalena.

Run by Ponce and Caisley, Guarita was born as a drinks and snacks bar in Pinheiros. The duo is still behind businesses such as Fechado and Patties.

Nina says that the four of them are very good friends. “One day, they came to ask what we were going to do with this point in the center. We told them about the project and they agreed to join us”, she says. “We thought it could give us the strength to start over after the pandemic.”