Taste: Fernandes Steak House

Flying home from Newark was a seemingly great opportunity to visit a colleague-recommended Brazilian Restaurant offering an mouth watering all you can eat Rodizia of only the best beef cuts. As he drove us to the restaurant the notion of sitting still on Virgin Atlantic VS002 for the following 7 hours was only a distant cow-bell in the back of my mind.

It's a big, traditional 'effect' restaurant, who's entranceway overlooks a daunting grill. Spits of exciting looking cuts rotate automatically across the coals. Even though its early (6pm) we're led through a busy restaurant to the table.

Of course we're here for the $23 Rodizia and as the first jug of sangria arrives we're waved over to the salad bar. We may be new but we're not mugs so go for only a small plate of leaves and olives and one piece of bread. It's the steak we're here for.

And the steak we get. For the next 45 minutes it's eyes down for what I can only describe as a meat onslaught. Waiters circulate the room carrying spits of meat, show it to the table and proceed to cut a slice for whoever doesn't say no. Within 15 minutes I had a wedge of flank steak, chicken hearts, smoked ham, sliced topside, garlic rump, prime rib, fillet mignon and cheese steak (wow). By the end of the first iteration I had a graveyard of beef. Our Brazilian host was wiping his plate clean ready for round 2.

Drifting in and out of sleep at 40,000 feet and the cow bell is ringing loud.

Supposedly there are more pricey alternatives in Manhattan, however this one was all it could be if you're in New Jersey (although not recommended on day of travel!).

Fernandes Steak House
158 Fleming Avenue
New Jersey
+1 (973) 598 4344
http://www.fernandessteakhouse.com/location.html

Taste: Mambo Italiano

Think of the most corny Italian restaurant imaginable. You're here, its Mambo Italiano. Walls painted with frankly awful celebrity cariacture freezes (complete with speech bubbles); one big dining room with a dozen more tables than space; adolsecent waiters in dirty aprons and santa hats pushing each other through the gaps; party of 30 celebrating a 40th; a blue suede suit, polished bald headed, falsetto singer - crooning along to numbers everyone in the room (except me) knows.

All together this adds up to one overwhelming scene, but once through the shellshock (I cant hear myself think) it's quite appealing - although must be experienced in a group to avoid being completely submerged in a sea of garish sound, colour and rich Brooklyn-Italian accents.

The menu, family-style, which means heartly portions of everything to share; salad, pasta, seafood, meat. Definltey quantity over quality but well-constructed delicate dishes would have been completely out of place.

Your huge italian family has been coming here for 20 years. If you don't have one, this is the place to get involved.

Mambo Italiano
8803 3rd Ave.
Brooklyn,
New York
+1 718-833-3891