Dissent of the History Cervantes, Copa de Copa is only worth the sandwiches

There was no talk of something else in the world of carioca botequins in mid -2021, when the pandemic cooled and the restaurants returned to work: Cervantes reopened, celebrated the orphans of the house, which feared the permanent closure. Open parenthesis: Cervantes is a stronghold of Rio Bohemia and has been serving, since 1955, sandwiches listed among the best in the city. Close parenthesis.

He even reopened, but with a new owner, who passed a gourmet ray in the biggest attraction of the establishment, exchanging the milk roll for natural fermentation bread. Also changed the recipe for the ham. For what? In a movement of loyalty to tradition, there was an exodus, and those looking for the original revenues began to attend, since the same year, the Cup Parade.

The reason? The place is a kind of dissent of Cervantes, from which came about 30 employees, fired in the crisis or the insecurity of being dismissed. All are scattered in the three branches of the stop.

And they kept everything exactly as before. Those who go to the Ipanema store, even come across Araújo, 29 years of counter in the old restaurant, preparing the snacks. A huge déjà-vu. He continues to assemble the sandwiches with skills, such as shackle, without modifications, with cheese and pineapple (R $ 46). Fruit and cheese are optional, but in the first case, their presence is essential. Soft and sweetened, without acidity because it is cooked with sugar in its own broth, it gives the necessary contrast to the very salty meat.

The biggest success of the Cup Parade is, since it opened, the fillet-mignon snack with cheese and pineapple (R $ 60). Unlike the immense and showy pieces of ham and lumid – exposed at the counter and sliced at the time – the fillet is waiting for its turn to enter the game in a greenhouse, already cut, with care, and at the right point. There is a professional for this function. Hence the regularity of the bestseller: If it comes bad, it was lack of luck. It does not usually happen.

It is a pity that so much whim appears to be just in sandwiches, bar business card, which also serves draft, light or dark (rarity in the river), for $ 16. In the food and pinching measures. Botequim shoots everywhere in an extensive menu (Filet-mignon only 20 options), where nothing is in memory. Lack personality and that hand for spices so characteristic of other bars in the river.

At lunch, the roasted termite with pea rice and chips (R $ 37) seemed interesting until it arrived, warm and very salty, at the table. It was one of the “premium dishes”, as they call the afternoon PFs, and premium had nothing. He remembered the foods for a battalion served in the refectory of the newspaper where I worked.

The same happened with the skewers to the campaign with rice, egg farofa and fries (R $ 37). Sounds delicious, no? But the flesh of the skewer was hard, and the heterogeneous crumbs: the pieces of scrambled egg did not embrace the flour. Far below expectation.

The conclusion is that the Cup Parade is touched by those who understand the subject, a oil team, excellent sandwiches and food “to fill the belly” – a good cost, but bad benefit.