Garifuna Flava (2518 W 63rd St, Chicago, IL) had been on “our to-eat” list for such a long time! there was another Belizean restaurant on Howard (Tickie’s – now Redz) but it did not feature the unique cuisine of the Garifuna coastal culture of Belize. Garifuna culture, centered on the Caribbean coast of Belize, is a blend of African and Indigenous Caribbean influences, which manifests itself in a totally unique cuisine. When we dined in, the place was doing a brisk takeout service, and it also seemed the place was a favorite of cops, which tends to be a good sign, since they know all the local food options.
For appetizers we got Panades, corn fritters stuffed with curried fish, which was definitely unusual, and spoke to the West Indian influence in Garifuna food. We also heard good things about the guacamole with plantain chips, so we had to give them a try (how could we resist). Also on offer were conch fritters, which we had sampled at other Caribbean joints. For mains, there were a variety of stews (beer, chicken and oxtail) and jerk dishes. Unique fish dishes rounded out the selection, including conch soup and Hudut Baruru with Falumou, a king fish soup with coconut milk and a side of hudut, a plantain mash that is used like fufu in African cuisines. Another feature we were fans of, was the lunch special for less than $7 you got a main, a side (choice of pigeon peas, plantains, rice and beans or cabbage) soup and salad. We selected the jerk chicken and the chicken stew from the lunch specials.
There was such an insane amount of food with the lunch specials, that the pleasant server brought it over on a cart, nay, a 2-level cart. Chicken soup, salad, a huge cup of rice – along with a generous helping of stewed chicken and jerk chicken. Everything was delicious and made from scratch, and we were surprised by the mild and nuanced flavors. For dessert we had to have the sweet potato cake – even though we were already pretty stuffed, and it was worth it – the cake was moist and spicy!
We washed down the meal with a spicy ginger soda and a passion fruit smoothie. It definitely felt like we were in the tropics, especially given the 90 degree weather outside. Garifuna Flava is an excellent place to get a taste of an underrepresented cuisine – we’ll definitely be back to try more of the menu.
We are huge fans of Ethiopian food, and we heard that Washington D.C. had a thriving 
São Paulo is a mecca of pizza. In our relatively short stay in São Paulo we tried to sample as much pizza as possible, and we definitely found some of the most consistently good pizza outside of Italy. Many will vouch that the pizza in São Paulo is even BETTER than that found in Italy. One of our friends particularly recommended 
There is a section of the menu dedicated to authentic Neapolitan pizza, which for about 40R apiece (about $20) was a pretty good deal. It is worth noting that this restaurant was the first in Latin America to receive recognition from the 
There is nothing we love more than a good market, and London has them in spades. 
Fogo’s seemed to be set up in a similar mold to Nando’s. Like Nando’s you can order the type of chicken pieces you want (breast, thigh, etc.), and then select the sauce, ranging from a mild lemon to super spicy. Fogo’s boasts that all of their chicken is marinated for 24 hours. We thought the chicken was slightly more reasonably priced than Nando’s, and you can get a quarter chicken for less than $5. Other options include chicken wings and chicken strips, and a surprisingly large vegetarian section with many wraps and sandwiches filled with paneer (an Indian curd cheese). There were also some unusual sides, like yucca fries and corn on the cob. Customarily L ordered a quarter chicken with medium heat, and M ordered spicy (is there any other way?)
We were cruising around Miami, in the mood for some Caribbean flavors and seafood. Bahamian restaurants, specializing in the nation’s fish-heavy cuisine, dot the city. We heard good things about Bahamian Pot (1413 NW 54th St. Miami, FL), so we decided to pop in for a quick lunch. When we entered, a few tables were full, and people were chatting over glasses of iced tea and huge plates of fried fish and chicken.
We scanned the tables and pretty much knew what we wanted to order, and what were the specialties of the house (FISH!). The menu was simple: a few breakfast items like fried chicken and waffles and a variety of fried seafood, including shrimp, whole snapper and tilapia. If you are feeling like meat, the oxtail draws praise. Bahamian Pot’s prices were reasonable, with everything falling in the range of $10-15. The portions of the dinner plates were generous and came with 2 sides, which included mac and cheese, plantains, string beans, crinkle-cut fries, okra or beans and rice.
You see Mexican food carts selling fruit throughout Chicago, usually serving clear plastic cups with fruit chunks and a topping of chili pepper or 
What Calumet Fisheries does is smoked fish, though they have fried options as well. A big seller is smoked shrimp, which is our favorite. You order your fish by the pound (smallest order is the half pound), or get a dinner plate with fries and slaw, and pay in cash. Some of the other smoked seafood options available include: Salmon, Sturgeon, Rainbow Trout and Eel. We never feel like we have room for sides, but there are a range of options including macaroni salad, potato salad, mushrooms and fried pickles.
There are Austrian cafes dotting Lisbon, including one of our Lisbon favorites, 
