NFT: The Good Life-Royal Treatment

My new favorite restaurant is Pap Açorda. It is a churrascaria (food buffet where your food is weighed) that also serves an all you can eat pizza buffet. The claim to fame for the pizza buffet is that they have over 150 toppings for their pizzas. (For the record, I do not order the pizza buffet. I did see this outrageously topped pizza that had thick, French fries falling off of it!)

My enchantment with this restaurant is that they have some rotisserie chicken that is more outrageous than that pizza I described. It is dee—lish-ous!! I eat my chicken with salad, rice, beans, spinach, cooked carrots.

It appears that my nickname is Solzinha (single female) or Solzinha Flamengista (Single female Flamengo fan) because I have heard managers and owners refer to me as such. Well, when I, Solzinha, step into the restaurant, the production begins. A waiter takes my bag and escorts me to my usual table in front of the flat screen. If a big game is on, they turn to the channel. When I return to my table, my bread basket, water (without ice) and chair is in place. I am scooted in, and my table is constantly circled. As of late, they have been sending over slices of their dessert pizzas (which are quite rich) and offered me a shot of chocolate (not a fan of the flavored alcohol shots…)

Although I get a mafia boss feel with the owners keeping an eye on me and everything else, I like this place and give it lots of thumbs up. If you are in Leblon, please stop by. The guys may not know all of your preferences because you are not Solzinha Flamengista, but you will be treated quite well!

NFT: The Good Life-Not Everywhere You Want to Be..

Yogoberry seems to be the new “it” place to be. It was featured several times in MTV’s reality show The Hills. Yogoberry is a yogurt shop where you can put all sorts of toppings on your different, fruit flavored yogurt. I have not ever tried Yogoberry’s product offering, but I happened to pass a location while in Ipanema the other day. Here was my chance for a little nostalgic taste of “LA it.”

Unknown to me, the taste wasn’t going to happen on this particular day. Yogoberry in Ipanema does not accept Visa! I didn’t have any cash on me so we were at an impasse, and I haven’t gone back. Visa card members it is not where you want to be, but if you have some cash….you might just taste something worth talking about…

NFT: The Good Life-Back to Kansas

After you run wild with your credit card in Shopping Leblon, you might still have an empty feeling inside. No, it is not the feeling of spending too much money. It is a feeling of “it would be nice to see what my favorite store is like in Rio.”

Don’t worry make-up fiends and Rick Ross Bosses, I have got you covered.

In case you need to gloss up those lips before you hit the beach or the discotech, I have located everyone’s trusty make-up Queen M.A.C.

For the others who want a luxurious rush that gets you noticed in Sandra Rose’s Photo montage of People with their Louie’s, I stumbled upon our favorite luxury provider Louis Vuitton. It is a must see if you are in Ipanema. The staff is divine!

NFT: The Good Life-Can You Deliver?

Sometimes after a long day at work or at the beach, you just want to stay in the house. However, you have groceries to buy, prescriptions to fill and take-out to order. No need to worry. You can pick up your phone and have everything delivered right to your doorstep. Most businesses (grocery stores, restaurants and consumer businesses) have deliverymen that, for a small fee, will delivery everything that you need right to your doorstep. If you are expecting a car or truck to show up, think again. Most of these deliveries are done by bicycle or motorcycle!

NFT: The Good Life-Fashionistas

Ever since I had money in my pocket and a hand full of fashion sense, I have always brought home a souvenir from every city that I have visited. My souvenir is always a nice addition to the wardrobe. If you are like me and you want to pick up a few Brazilian souvenirs to commemorate your trip, ask the bus or taxi driver to point you in the direction of Shopping Leblon. In this multi-level mall, you will find lots of fabulous and unique stores. There is only one misstep. It is the Tommy Hilfiger store (the merchandising choices were shocking).

After you finish procuring enough fashion finds to stuff your luggage bag, head check out the fabulous city view from the food court, check out the hugely popular bookstore or catch your favorite movie. Shopping Leblon has it all!

NFT: The Good Life-Need A Lift?

If you are living as a family unit in Ipanema or Leblon, it is a high probability that you are enrolling your filho or filha (son or daughter) in private school. Since school is only fours hours each day, it may be hard for you to transport them to school in time for class at 1:00 p.m. Don’t worry; many schools have private buses or vans that will scoop your kid(s) up from the nanny at your residence.

You have to admit. This looks a lot classier than that big yellow or short yellow (for some of you readers) buses that you used to ride to school…

NFT: The Good Life-Free Parking!

Owning a car in Rio is an expensive undertaking. Due to the import taxes, cars cost the same as they do in America. However, the pay wage is much lower. Also, the cost of insuring a car is more expensive here as well.

If you find yourself one of the fortunate few and need a place to park when you run into your favorite Ipanema or Leblon location, do you need to pay for parking? The answer is Yes!

You will not find parking meters. There is a man or woman located in the vicinity of your parking location wearing a vest that reads “Estacione.” This is the person that you need to pay. Otherwise, if you make the choice to skirt the law, I can’t tell you the consequences. However, I doubt that they are pretty…