So if you ever want to stuff yourself silly and have conversations about the pluses and minuses of "the buffet," and of making yourself puke, then work up an appetite and stop by Ataulfo, located just a few blocks from Ipanema Beach in Leblon. Of course, I mean this in the best possible way. Half deli, half sit-down restaurant, Ataulfo serves up something for everyone in a totally chill setting. The thing is, though we were both hungry like the wolf, we weren’t prepared to feel like we’d stuffed ourselves more than Violet Beauregarde with her three-meal gum.
Whether you’re just stopping in for a coffee or indulging in one of the tempting desserts that taunt you in the front display case, ask for a seat in the smoking section. It doesn’t really get too smoky because of the two air conditioners and the long, tall blue wall with water running down the side. It’s totally modern, circa 1992—sweet. Besides the non-smoking section on the main floor, there’s also an upstairs seating area.
The staff was great—they immediately sent over the one guy who spoke some English, and he recommended a few dishes and guided us through the extensive wine list. After looking through the various antepastos, saladas, sopas, and main dishes, we made our choices.
This is when we ordered a little too much food.
I ordered creme de queijo brie sopa (brie cheese soup) and raviolone de búfala ao molho de tomate e manjericão, and she went with the creme de couvre-flor com queijo roquefort (another cheesy soup) and filet mignon. No big deal, right? Soup and a main dish.
Okay—it’s not just soup. It’s the thickest, richest, tastiest, warmest bowl of cheese I may have ever had. And it’s served in a hollowed-out loaf of bread. They basically served us cheese fondue. Needless to say, it was hard to stop eating it, but eventually we pushed each bowl away like a kid who just can’t stomach another Snickers bar on Halloween.
Both of our main dishes were fantastic, too, and even though we were both pretty much full by then, we managed to kill most of each one. The old saying, "You’re gonna have to take me out in a wheelbarrow," was appropriate after this meal, that’s for sure.
Ataulfo comes highly recommended by yours truly. But don’t just go there thinking, "Man, Mr. Wonka says this place is good, so I KNOW it’s gotta be hot." Remember—eat responsibly. If you can manage that, if you can navigate yourself past all those decadent desserts and big bowls of cheese fondue, and still manage to walk out of there with your pants fitting, you’ll thank yourself the next day on the beach.