A Very Foodish Boy
One of the perks of having a blog is that you have all kinds of interesting encounters with people who share similar interests. I get a steady trickle of correspondence from people asking for advice on moving to Brazil or wanting a particular recommendation for their trip, but once in a while I hear from someone doing something completely different.
For instance, a few months ago I was contacted by Stacy, who lives in the US. Stacy has a pet capivara (capybara) and was visiting Southeast Brazil on a mission to see a wild capybara in its native habitat. Thus ensued a long and hilarious correspondence regarding the best places to spot the world’s largest rodent.
More recently I met someone doing something that made me green with envy. People who follow the Eat Rio Facebook page will have seen that last weekend I had a very late night and this was due to my latest fascinating encounter: a very Foodish Boy.
That’s not a typo – though I’m sure Alex himself would admit that he’s not beyond a little foolishness from time to time! Read on…
Five months ago, Alex (AKA the Foodish Boy) started out on a great journey. His mission was to travel around the world in a year, working in a different food related job each week. On hearing of this plan, my first reaction was “Why didn’t I think of that?”. Ah well, I guess there are some pretty solid reasons why I couldn’t do it myself, so I graciously decided to be happy for him instead. When I heard he was coming to Rio I suggested we hang out.
The Foodish Boy getting involved in some liquid nitrogen gastronomy in Iceland.
Alex is a great guy in the midst of a grand adventure and he is fast compiling a list of fascinating experiences. He has harvested agave on a tequila farm in Mexico, worked with a superstar chef in Peru, helped slaughter a goat in California and confronted a childhood trauma in New York.
Take your pick from the following captions: Trott and Roll; Pork Life (Blur); Loinkin Pork; The Notorious P.I.G… (those were taken from The Foodish Boy’s own site, so don’t blame me!)
During his time in Rio, Alex was lucky enough to work with Thomas Troisgros, part of Rio’s culinary royalty, the Troisgros family. He spent a few days working at Olympe and then moved on to CT Boucherie.
And what was my contribution to this time in Rio? Well, I decided he should have a night out on the town with the Eat Rio crew! We tasted obscure Amazonian fruits and sipped cachaça, drank cuia de pajé and ate the ribs of a fish so large that they serve each rib individually. Our little group made its way from Santa Teresa to a rather swanky apartment in Ipanema and the conversation continued to flow as we chatted about adventures past and future.
At 5.30am we found ourselves on the beach, watching the sun come up. Alex was due to fly to Argentina later that same day, and as if rising to the occasion, Rio decided to put on the sort of show that I expect the Foodish Boy won’t forget too soon.
The sun coming up and a seagull with excellent timing.
Amazing to see how many people get to the beach early.
Having completed this masterpiece, foodish boy decided it was time to rest!
The finished work. Thanks Foodish Boy! Come back soon!
Follow the Foodish Boy’s adventures at: Foodishboy.com
Thanks Tom, an amazing end to my time in Rio and real pleasure hanging out with you. Alex
Ah, thanks Alex – the pleasure was all mine (until the hangover kicked in the next day!) ;)
Enjoy the rest of your epic journey!
I loved this post! What a great evening!
Hee hee! Thanks Rachel – we had a lot of fun :D
Sounds like an awesome night out. I haven’t pulled an all nighter here in Rio (yet)
Yeah, it was great! Until the next day… And the day after… God I’m getting old :-(
I think it is the wisdom that comes with age. The unstoppable twenty something can now see (as he approaches 40) the train wreck that will come if he carries on. I have been down to the beach at Barra at 5am on my bike and quietly envied the people sat there on their 43rd bottle of original but know that I would be curled up on the sand by that point
Ha ha, I think we’re at the same point in life Richard – my memory is a bit hazy, but Alex tells me they had to wake me up when it was time to go home! Still, it was fun to revisit the old days :)
Man, falling asleep on the beach wearing black pants must make for an extremely hot and unpleasant awakening. Better than waking up with no pants at all though.
Btw did Stacy and the capybara live happily ever after?
Heh heh, we all made it home before the sun got high enough to be a problem :)
And as far as I know, Stacy is now home with her own capybara, who was a bit jealous that she had gone off to ‘see other capybaras’…
In case you haven´t heard:
http://grittypoet.blogspot.com.br/2013/10/thanks-lou.html
Dia triste hoje :-(
Sad news indeed.
I would LOVE my own Capybara! And that sunrise is stunning, I suspect well worth staying up for and the inevitable hangover the next day!
Me too man! A capybara comes just below the Giant Anteater on my pet wish-list :)
What awesome pictures, and sounds like an awesome night too :)
Thanks Alex – it was a lot of fun. Still, I can’t do that too often anymore. This weekend was a far more restful affair ;)
Damm that’s a clever idea. Sounds like a great way of seeing the world, learning your profession and having stories to tell your mates down the pub. Plus his PR skills will help him walk into a top restaurant after his year. My envy levels are sky high now but fair play to him and well done for having the balls to make his dream come true.
Rio didn’t disappoint and showed herself in her full glory. Nice one Rio and the Eatrio crew!
Thanks Chris! I was a bit worried that Rio would do one of those wet weekends that she throws up once in a while, but she came through in the end! Can’t have Buenos Aires showing us up! :D
Hi Tom!!!! It seems you and the Foodish Boy had a great time together! I have to admit I’m a little envy of him too…: ) But in a good way!! By the way! What a great blog you have!!! I’m already following you! See you soon!
Thanks Cristina! I’m really happy to have discovered your blog too – I’ll be adding it to the Eat These links on the right :)
And yes, we had a great time when the Foodish Boy came to stay. That boy knows how to have fun!
Always wanted to start a blog just with the aim of corresponding with random people.
Shame I’m too lazy!
Ha ha ha! I was like that back in London when I had friends. Then I moved to Rio and the resulting lack of social life was the push I needed :) Don’t feel too sorry for me though, after 3.5 years, my social life has improved a little!