Picture this… you go to the beach and don’t have to lug a half campsite to be shaded, fed and happy. In the US going to the beach takes a full car load of gear, coolers, and anything you may need to survive the day in the sun. In Rio, beach vendors have everything you might need, and even extras.

I left Brazil before I was old enough to consume coffee. It is no wonder that in my return to Rio last year, as a coffee-requiring adult, I became enamored with the “cafezinho” break. If it invites me to slow down, sit, and mindfully enjoy something I love, I’m in.

If I have started to convince you to visit Rio, save this post for your to-do food & bev list.

Academia da Cachaça (@academiadacachaca) is a local institution. By day you can get a delicious “prato feito,” my beloved PF; by night, it’s a fun bar scene with delicious bites. And of course caipirinhas…

Like many modern lasting relationships, I met Monica on Instagram. I was in a rabbit hole so deep I can’t remember how I got to her, but I was immediately in love with her work. I reached out about my project, @thecariocakitchen, that was still in its studs back then, and she agreed to meet me in person on my next trip to Rio.