To meat with love, Carnaval Brazilian BBQ

In pediatrics it is standard to ask every parent about family history of medical diseases/disorders. The reason stems from the fact that lots of diseases run in families and the idea of genetic inheritance. Macroscopically, Carnaval is the epitomization of the human carnivorous inheritance. I had the wonderous opportunity to celebrate a friend's birthday at Carnaval Brazilian BBQ.

I had previously blogged about Carnaval and am happy to report that not much has changed. Located on the corner of Waterfront and Bannatyne, Carnaval attempts to soothe the meat lover in all of us. Featuring a rodizio prix fix, you get the opportunity to sample as many of the different meats and sides as you possibly can.

Going with a group of people allows one to try more sides than you would normally be able to. Thus this meal will be to, again, showcase the meats and highlight some of the better side dishes that Carnaval has to offer.

The Cordeiro (Lamb Shoulder) was improved from last time. The spice rub mixed in with the juiciness of the lamb made this a hit around the table. One sometimes shies away from lamb because of the gamey-ness but Carnaval's was completely devoid of such taste. 

The Sobra-Coxa De Frango (Chicken Thighs) were an excellent second offering. The crispy skin with the juicy meat reminded me of a Brazilian version of fried chicken. The generous spice rub does well to accentuate the nature flavours of the chicken.

Alcatra (Top Sirloin) was served next. I received a side piece of the steak which initially disappointed me. I was excited on my first bite as this was still wonderfully soft and tender and had a umami deliciousness to it.

Maminha (Tri-Tip Steak) was served medium-well and was altogether okay. Perfect for those on the table who preferred this meat more cooked through.

Pork Sirloin was somewhat disappointing. Pork is difficult to do in a buffet style setting as it can dry easily. Such was the case with the sirloin with the meat tough, dry and bland.

Ancho (Rib-Eye) was similarly bloody compared to last time. This rendered a nice tenderness to the meat. However the rub was disappointingly lacking and all one could taste was meat and fat.

Linguica (Chorizo Pork Sausage) was one of the highlights of the night. Fatty chorizo with a sharp spicy kick to it made this a wonderful multidimensional dish.

Costela De Porco (Pork Ribs) were a huge disappointment for me. Fatty pieces of rib with minimal meat, this was devoid of any semblance of the honey mustard glaze Carnaval touts on their menu.

File Com Bacon (Bacon Wrapped Tenderloin) was one of the stars of the night. When you mix in the deliciousness of tenderloin with the saltiness and smokiness of bacon, you get a package that cannot be dismissed.

Similarly the Frango Com Bacon (Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breast) was also excellent. The bacon served a second purpose here to envelop the chicken and keep it nice and moist. Very well done!

Our sides started with the Heart of Palm Salad. A vegetable from the inner core of a growing palm tree, the heart of palm resembled a bamboo shoot. This worked well with the freshness of the cucumbers, arugula and finished with the sweet onion vinaigrette.

Batata Frita (French Fries) were a consensus at the table. What better way to compliment a bunch of meats than with their best friend, potatoes! Carnaval's fries were fine: nicely cooked and had a slight salty flavour.

The Squash Salad came highly recommended. Squash, arugula, raisins and pumpkin seeds made this a nice compliment to the fatty meats. Carnaval touts to using a honey ginger vinaigrette but it tasted simply of honey with nary a ginger flavour in site.

The Roasted Yams were a table favourite. Oven roasted with fresh herbs, this was a great way to end our meal.

Overall Carnaval remains a unique and fun experience for those in search of meat. It was refreshing to revisit a restaurant after a few months and see it continue to provide quality food.

Meat, meat meat. Carnaval Brazilian BBQ

Last night of Marilyn's stay in Winnipeg was the most anticipated meal for the both of us. In Edmonton we had always wanted to go to a brazilian BBQ restaurant with the rodizio style menu. Alas, we never got around to going there. To my utter joy, one of the first restaurants we heard about in Winnipeg was Carnaval:

Carnaval works on a rodizio menu where, for a fixed prix, you can eat as much meat as possible. The meats are brought out on metal spits from the grill and you determine how much and when you want the meats. All other vegetables and sides were ordered from our server.

Red means no more meat.

Green should be self explanatory

First meat was Cordeiro (lamb shoulder). Wonderfully roasted, medium rare and not very gamey.

Frango Com Bacon (bacon wrapped chicken breast). The bacon added a lot of juiciness and flavour to the chicken.

Close-up of the bacon wrapped chicken.

Pork Sirloin. I am used to Asian style cha siu, so this pork was less appealing. Dry and a bit tough.

Alcatra (top sirloin). The steak was well done but overall lacked some flavour. Could use some extra seasoning.

Linguica (chorizo pork sausage) was absolutely delicious. Spicey, juicy and crispy on the outside. One of the best of the day

Our sides came in the middle of our meat massacre. From left to right: Kale and Broccoli Salad; Squash Salad; Roasted Yams; Chorizo and Chickpea Stew. Star of the sides was the broccoli and kale.

Sobre-Coxa De Frango (chicken thighs). This was delicious. The crust from the marinade kept the inside juicy while doing a juicy and sweet dance in your mouth.

Maminha (tri-tip steak). We wanted a well done piece for Marilyn. A little tough for me but the crust had some nice herbal aromas.

Ancho (rib-eye). This came out way too bloody for Marilyn so I had both helpings for the two of us. Tender, but altogether non-seasoned.

File Com Bacon (bacon wrapped tenderloin). STAR of the show by far. Delicious tenderloin wrapped in delicious bacon, grilled to deliciousness. Did I mention it was delicious?

Ordered a couple more sides including a side salad and cauliflower. Both decent.

Wonderful way to finish any Brazilian rodizio menu is grilled pineapple. This was SO GOOD. As you can imagine we were terribly full when we got to these guys, but the aroma set us off. Simply marvelous.

Perhaps obviously, Carnaval is only for those who love meats. Furthermore I would only recommend it if you love meats done of the medium rare doneness. Service was good, location was excellent. Would highly recommend for the carnivore in the family.

First day of school! And food at Peasant Cookery

For some reason, going to residency orientation felt like first day of school. I woke up extra early that morning to shower, do my hair and pick out my attire. I found the first two days of orientation a important but relaxing way of easing us into the swing of things. For the majority of us new residents, we had taken the last couple months off as a vacation and did not go anywhere near a stethoscope, much less see patients. Thus, a few days of reminders about policy and rules were a nice gentle jolt back into the life of a doctor.

Our reward was a fancy dinner with our program director and chief residents at the Peasant Cookery. Our dinner was scheduled at 6:30PM and I left my place with only ten minutes to spare. Okay, I will be honest: I was watching the NHL Draft and see who my Oilers were going to pick third overall. Nevertheless, I had Google Mapped the distance and knew I could make it in the ten minutes. Or that's what I thought.

Upon pulling out from my complex, I was immediately welcomed by a torrential rainfall. Winnipeg had been overcast and drizzling over the past few days but this was the first time where it downright poured. Gritting my teeth and cursing my luck, I set out to Peasant Cookery. What should have been a ten minute drive amounted to twenty, then thirty. I realized that Winnipeg, similar to Edmonton, has a pothole problem. When these potholes are filled with water and other cars drive through them, up comes a colossal wave of rain water that fills your entire windshield. Needless to say, I was blind q30seconds (that's medical talk for every thirty seconds). At one time, I could not see the road anymore so I had to slow to a crawl just to make sure I survived this drive. Case in point: give extra travel time when going somewhere unfamiliar.

I was grinning from ear to ear for the rest of the night though. The Peasant Cookery menu looked marvelous. And dining with my fellow residents and staff also made sharing a possibility:

I started off with a Stiegl Radler. My friends in Edmonton had previously taught me that a Radler was a beer mixed in with a juice or soda. Wanting something refreshing I got the Stiegl which is a beer mixed with grapefruit juice.

The first dish I shared with a few of my co-residents was the beef tartar. Delightful chunks of beef mixed with onions and seasoned perfectly.

The beet salad was light, fresh and refreshing. A nice accompaniment to my beer and contrast from the tartar.

Two of my fellow residents raved about the oysters at Peasant Cookery and constantly reminded us about the buck a shuck Wednesdays. Having heard about these oysters so much, I had to order one to try. Out came a freshly shucked beautiful oyster. Topped with my favorite condiments I can see why people go crazy about these


For my main I had the beef brisket. It came with mashed potatoes, green beans and beans covered with a homemade BBQ sauce. Overall this dish was a disappointment. My pieces of brisket were over 50% fat! The small pieces of meat I did have though, were delicious.

For dessert we shared profiteroles. I learned that night that these were souped up versions of cream puffs and were invented in the United States. No wonder I looked odd when trying to order them with an Italian flourish.

We also ordered a creme brulee. Very well done, nicely crusted sugar topping on top of smooth custard. No complaints, very tasty.













Overall an incredible meal with incredible people. It makes me more excited to share these next four years with them!