Junta Local – A food event in Rio that actually works!
I’ve had some very disappointing experiences with culinary events held in Rio. Not long after we moved to Santa Teresa, Mrs Eat Rio and I were really excited to hear that there was a kind of ‘eating market’ event being held in the nearby neighbourhood of Lapa. Various restaurants and other food producers would be selling small dishes at stalls – it sounded like the perfect way to sample lots of different dishes/ingredients and simultaneously have a fun and gluttonous day out. In short: just my cup of tea.
We skipped down the hill with empty stomachs and high expectations. Then we saw the line and our hearts sank. There must have been nearly 500 people waiting, the line snaking up through the Lapa Arches and then doing that miserable switch-back thing that tells you you won’t be getting in any time soon. With the heat of the afternoon sun beating down on us, we decided to find our culinary entertainment elsewhere.
Fast forward to late 2014 and the culinary events that everyone was talking about revolved around one thing: an exciting ‘new’ concept called Food Trucks. It may have taken a while for food trucks to reach Rio, but the idea still held quite a thrill for me. I was picturing amazing pulled pork buns, kimchi slaws, artisanal beers, kickass cocktails and a million other foodie clichés tasty treats.
The first of these events that I attended was Rio Gastronomia, held at the Jockey Club in Gávea and I have to say I wasn’t impressed. The food was overpriced, there were very limited options, very few producers and major overcrowding leading to a long wait to get anything to eat. After an hour and a half we had only managed one glass of wine each so we left due to hunger and boredom. Also, excuse the reverse snobbery, but most of the people seemed to fall into what you might term the ‘White SUV crowd’ – rich Cariocas who don’t do public transport, manners or consideration for others*.
Rio Gastronomia – for me a big disappointment which left me frustrated and hungry.
A while later we attended another food truck event, this time held at the Planetarium in Gávea and things were better. I got into the event area without any delay and although there wasn’t a huge amount of choice, there were at least a few pretty tasty options and the prices were fair. I managed to have a quick chat with one of the event organisers who was lamenting the low turnout, “It’s because of this sunshine”, he explained. “Everyone has gone to the beach instead”. Of course the organiser and I had different priorities – I was delighted to be able to try the food and drink without having to wait ages; he, quite reasonably, wanted ‘bums on seats’.
Where are the lines?! The Feira Planetária food truck event at the Planetarium had a fairly low turn-out on the day I went but the food and drinks were good.
A few months after that there was another food truck gathering held in the gorgeous Parque Lage. It was sponsored by a Pepsi-owned soft drink and billed as the first national food truck event in Brazil. Who could say no to good food in such a lovely setting? Sadly I had to work that weekend, but I remember noticing the heavy rain and thinking that the organiser wouldn’t have to worry about competition from the beach this time around.
By all accounts it was an utter disaster. For some inexplicable reason the event didn’t open its doors until 3pm and then closed at 9pm! Many of the food trucks ran out of supplies and closed early, people were waiting more than 40 minutes to get a drink and 2 hours for food! Also, there wasn’t enough shelter for people to get out of the rain. Around 10,000 people showed up over the course of the weekend and judging by the venting on the event’s Facebook page, most of them left feeling annoyed and short-changed.
Food trucks always come with a line, but 2 hours in the pouring rain for an overpriced and lacklustre bite to eat? It didn’t prove a popular formula…
With all this in mind, you can imagine how wary I have become when I hear news of an ‘exciting’ new food event. Clearly there is a huge, ahem, appetite among cariocas for these things, but is there anyone capable of putting together an event that has the capacity to meet demand and the quality and variety of vendors to make it interesting? Happily I can finally report that there is!
Junta Local
Clearly I have not had my finger on the culinary pulse. Junta Local have been around for a while and staged several events in January and February this year, however I only really got wind of them recently. When I heard that their next event was being held at Casa da Glória (very close to Eat Rio HQ) I decided it was time to give one of these events another chance and I’m very pleased that I did!
Junta Local. Finally someone is getting it right!
Junta Local (translates very roughly to ‘Local Gathering’) describe themselves as “a community for locally produced and fairly priced food – bringing together the people who eat with the people who make [i.e. the producers]”. The venue was gorgeous, and spacious enough that, although busy, there was always a spot to perch when you wanted to take a break.
The stalls were spread across several different levels of the garden and also inside the large house.
There was a good balance between producers (selling everything from cachaça and honey to coffee beans and organic vegetables) and vendors. Highlights from vendors included innovative cocktails from Sandra Mendes, tasty little pão de queijo sandwiches from NUU and a delicious pork belly sandwich from Mané Maná (see video below – drool!). The beer from Hija de Punta also deserves an honourable mention.
NUU’s pão de queijo sandwiches were filled with tasty morsels like sun-dried tomatoes, pesto, cream cheese and rocket/arugula, etc. In short: yum.
And as well as getting the basics right, I felt that the organisers had somehow engineered just the right atmosphere for an event like this. There was live music played at the right volume (i.e. you could still have a conversation), there was plenty to keep kids entertained including a creche-like area and even a swimming pool (which proved popular in the afternoon sun).
So, a big parabéns to the producers and organisers alike. Junta Local has a Facebook page and also a very nice website (in Portuguese). Their mission statement is like a breath of fresh air and goes a long way to explain how and why they’ve got things so right.
If food be the music of love, eat on…
*I’m sure many lovely people went to the Rio Gastronomia event. I expect there are also many very kind, considerate Cariocas who drive white SUVs. I just haven’t had the pleasure to meet them yet…
I really enjoyed this post, and it’s a good thing you included the disclaimer about the “White SUV crowd.” I mistakenly thought that the adjective “white” referred to the color of their skin, not the color of their vehicle, and it wasn’t clear to me until I read your footnote! ;-)
Whoops! That hadn’t even occurred to me at the time, but I totally see what you mean now that I read it back. Close one! ;)
We had similar disappointment at the Village Mall Food truck event, my food truck dream is always centred around Taco trucks, upscale roach coaches dishing out cheap and good food. Ended up with a duck ciabatta for about R$30.
However, next time you are in SP, head for the Butanta food truck park. It is a little corporate perhaps in it’s fixed location etc but ultimately they are giving it a good shot with some imaginative options from all over the world.
Hey Richard – we keep getting our hopes up just to be let down again don’t we? Out of interest, if we left the price aside for a moment, was the duck ciabatta any good?
I’ll definitely be checking out Butanta next time I’m in SP.
One thing which I found interesting was the organiser reactions to the complaints related to the Parque Lage fiasco. First off I’m really glad I didn’t/couldn’t go, but still it was interesting to hear the organisers saying that people needed to better understand how food trucks work. You don’t necessarily get cutlery and often/usually end up eating on your feet. And lines at food trucks are expected. Of course that doesn’t excuse the lack of organisation, but it’s true that you do often hear of amazing food trucks in the US at which people will wait in line for 2+ hours. I think the big difference is price and quality. If the food is seriously amazing and it is priced fairly then I might consider waiting an hour or more for it.
Perhaps some Cariocas need to update their expectations a little for certain types of dining. Just recently I saw a ridiculous review of Sei’s awesome Ferro e Farinha restaurant in which the reviewer complained that he had to eat his pizza without knife and fork and that he ‘detested’ wine and beer and couldn’t believe they didn’t sell refrigerantes (soda/soft drinks). Personally I don’t really value the culinary opinion of anyone over the age of around 14 who hasn’t managed to develop an appreciation of either beer or wine, but I guess that if you’re used to eating in air-conditioned restaurants in Leblon, then the more modern, urban approaches to eating could lead to a certain amount of culinary culture shock…
Some disturbing PDA in that last pick (and I bet the dude finished a pork sandwich right before the kiss, ugh!). I almost ran over a Brit while navigating to leave the gathering; the guy was filming the event and just taking up the entire sidewalk – which is my favorite lane! Note to self: take SUV in for tune up.
And yes, even I will play along with class warfare from time to time; better to see people as individuals though, especially given that manners need to improve across the board (when you detect a sense of entitlement behind rudeness it is extra annoying, that I’ll grant).
Gritty, I couldn’t agree more that it’s better to see people as individuals. I hope this applies to making generalizations about members of certain political parties as well.
Phil,
I agree; yet it is quite a challenge to talk to many of the members of such parties in those terms (In Brazil: PT, PSOL, among others) because their party manifestos indicate to supporters that they must shed individuality in lieu of collectivism: they are not supposed to see themselves as individuals for that hinders the pursuit of the common good. Of course this is a joke since, as events reveal time and again, the bribes they accept are funneled both to party (collective) and pocketed (individual).
I encounter the same thing when I meet someone whose political or religious views are inconsistent with my own. But when I follow your excellent advice and try to see them as individuals, it is almost always possible to make a connection. It’s certainly worth a try! ;-)
Ha ha! It was you was it Gritty! I shook my fist and shouted my best Portuguese palavrões… ;)
Off topic: just loved this.
Heh heh – he’s a funny guy!
This post reminds me that the weather is getting warmer here and that means lots of festivals with music and food, drink, food and more food. Good things to look forward to.
Noooo! Although most Cariocas (including Mrs Eat Rio) would probably say that the weather here is starting to get ‘better’ (less heat, more rain, less sunshine), but feel rather sad that the heat of the Rio summer is fading. Still, I guess we southern hemispherites have had our turn and now it’s time for you guys to have some fun! :D
I just LOVE Junta Local! I’m attending since the first event at Comuna and didn’t miss one! Every edition is different from each other, with different foods and producers :) Next time please try the Hocus Pocus beers, it’s delicious.
And you should go to Comuna too, they make delicious hamburgers!
:)
Hey Barbara – I think from now on I will be a devotee like you! :) I did see the Hocus Pocus and almost got some but I guess it is good to save something for next time. I know (and like!) Comuna and I definitely rate their burgers!