Priscila Pastre
The activity at Frangrill’s brick barbecue grill at lunchtime is astounding. She stays in the lounge, which is always crowded. A no-frills place, for those moments when all we want is real food.
Not that the food served in the city’s most hyped restaurants isn’t real. But this is the expression that many people use when they want to refer to a good dish of rice and beans or one of those recipes that remind us of our grandmothers’ specialties, such as stewed chicken and oxtail with polenta.
In part, that’s what people expect when they sit down at Frangrill: A homey dish. Furthermore, the house offers good meats prepared on the grill.
The atmosphere is informal, with cold light and a floor that at certain points becomes slippery due to the fat dripping from the meat. To fit everyone, it’s certain that your table will be right next to someone you’ve never seen in your life. And no one bothers. It’s part of the ritual.
The reward is basic, tasty and well-served commercial and executive dishes. In both cases, you choose the meat and it arrives with portions of rice and beans. The difference is that the commercial comes with salad, and the executive one comes with fries.
On the day of the visit we were three people, and two orders were enough. We opted for executives. A mistão (R$52), which comes with ribs, chicken and sausage, and a roast chicken (R$33). To drink, a jug of tangerine juice (R$22), which was enough for the three of us.
The rice and beans were great, very much in the line of homemade preparations. The potato was dry. The meats made you salivate as soon as they arrived, with the smoked aroma taking over your nose. In the mouth, you first feel the marked flavor of the grill. Then, you can see that the inside maintained moisture, which guaranteed juiciness.
The dishes are for one person, but it is common to see groups sharing. In this case, you can complement it with extras such as a small salad (R$8), vinaigrette (R$6) or a side of fries (R$12).
When you remember that you are in Pinheiros and that the excellent chicken meal cost R$33, it brings joy to your heart. In terms of daily dishes, prices remain friendly. The rib in sauce, with rice, beans and salad (R$ 32) is served on Wednesdays. With the same accompaniments, chicken in sauce (R$30) is offered on Thursdays.
The visit took place on a Friday, and one of the dishes of the day was oxtail (R$52) with rice, beans and polenta. As we were already satisfied, we ordered to take away. So there was an extra R$3 due to packaging. I assembled the dish at home and tasted it. Full of flavor, but a little different than I imagined. It comes with polenta that is firmer than creamy and the meat is admittedly fatty.
If the idea is to go as a group for a snack, opt for larger portions. Like Tuscan sausage (R$40), termite sausage (R$70) or grilled picanha (R$110). The menu has snacks too. Among them, pepperoni with cheese (R$ 23) and bauru (R$ 17).
There is no dessert. Those who want to sweeten the end of the meal can get an ice cream stick from the freezer at the entrance.
At the table, orders are taken the old-fashioned way. With a pen, on a piece of paper. Almost romantic.
Source: Folha
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