Death by Meat ... In Toronto!!

After three years of eating meat, more meat and other more meat in Brazil, I figured that my iron levels would be just fine, thank you very much. Not so. Months of overconsumption apparently had no to negative effects on my iron levels. Four months since hitting Canadian soil, it was time to try again ...

DEATH BY MEAT AO CANADENSE

Driving down the Danforth on the way back from Christmas Eve lunch at my uncle's place we noticed a restaurant called the Red Violin. Being a odd-sounding name (makes me think of the Canadian movie more than anything else), we took a closer look only to discover that it was in fact a Brazilian Churrascaria - a.k.a Death by Meat - right there smack in the middle of Greek Toronto (gotta love it!). Plans would have to be made. Fortunately, one of my cousin's had had the same idea and after comparing schedules, we managed to arrange for our night out. So, without further ado, here is caipirissima's official out-of-five-stars rating of the Red Violin, a little piece of Brazil in the Canadian cold.

Caipirinhas -  ½
I have to admit, the Red Violin's caipis were this hotspot's weakest point. Not enough lime or cachaça. Plus they use Pitu, which is okay if you are on the beach in Recife, but not so much if you are paying $9 a pop in TO.

Salad Bar -  ½
The Salad Bar, on the other hand, was terrific. The selection was more than adequate (20+ options or something similar) and included quail eggs (I've never seen these outside of Brazil), sushi (a must is authenticity is at stake), mango salad, shrimp, mussels, smoked salmon (also a must), buffalo mozzarella, ten different kinds of salads and even farofa (toasted maniac flour - a northeastern staple). All extremely Brazilian. All very yummy.

The Meat - 
The meat, I have to say, was pretty decent. There weren't as many cuts as in Brazil, but I guess this is to be expected. The cuts they did have - picanha included - were mouth watering and tasty. Thumbs up on the meat.

Dessert -  ½
Bonus points for innovation and taste! A twist on the theme, dessert was slices of sugared and spit grilled pineapple. A novel idea! Apparently pineapple helps you digest as well. Considering how much meat we ate, this news was welcome.

Service & Ambiance -  ½
The service and ambiance were good and were definitely modelled after the more upscale Sao Paulo churrascarias and not the family fun farm ones near my place in Recife. The waiters did a good job slicing the meat off the swords despite the fact that they were not actually Brazilian (oh, and the owner is Argentinean ... ?!?). On the strange side, was the No Meat Until You Have Completely Finished Your Salad rule. We think that that one could have been blurred a bit. And, in true Brazilian fashion, it didn't really matter whether your meat card was switched to "Yes Please" or "No Thank You", the juicy stuff just kept on coming (we like that though!). There is live music and dancing Thursdays through Saturday, but as we were there on a Sunday, we can't report back on it).

Price -  ½
A tad pricey at $50 for the buffet (drinks extra) - although considering the amount of specialty ingredients we consumed, maybe not actually that outrageous.

Overall Rating - 
A solid four stars. Would I go back? A definite yes.

Thanks H & J for being up to the task! It was just like you had managed to visit us in Brazil!

Até a próxima!