When dreaming of Virginia cuisine, images of fried chicken, grits, pies and cobblers pop into most of our heads. Yet Charlottesville is home to a surprisingly eclectic range of international restaurants: from Spanish tapas at Mas to sosatie at Shebeen to dumplings at Marco and Luca's, you can travel a world of cuisine in an evening.
In this spirit, we had been itching to try the Brazilian fare at Copacabana. For a night we could be transported to Brazil and sample delicious foods, tropical drink in hand, with the beat of samba dancing in our ears.
Maybe those expectations were slightly unrealistic. Upon stepping into Copacabana's dining room it was clear no effort was being made to transport us to the southern hemisphere. Tacky travel posters, random plants and floral seat cushions do not an exotic atmosphere make. The atmosphere was much more Middle America than South America.
Such geographical confusion reigned on the menu as well. Although it may have been unrealistic to expect truly authentic Brazilian food in the Shopper's World Court on 29 North, this "Brazilian International" menu seemed to take the "international" much more seriously than the "Brazilian." There were heavy doses of France (Brie, escargots), Spain (paella) and standard American (Caesar salad, NY strip steak) fare. Many of the entrees seemed to be the same food, such as chicken breast, doused in different types of sauces.
Though we were confused, we went on intrepidly, bravely ordering the baked Brie appetizer to share. We were pleasantly surprised: the Brie, in a super-crisp breadcrumb coating with strawberry sauce, was pretty good. One problem: we had come to eat Brazilian food, not a French cheese you can find at a dozen other Charlottesville restaurants.
In an attempt to try some slightly more Brazilian fare, we branched out with our entrees. Ann ordered the highly recommended house paella, while James tried the vaguely titled "chicken and shrimp in spicy Brazilian sauce." Although the sauce was, indeed, spicy and quite tasty, the lackluster chicken breast, two -- count 'em, two -- shrimp and boring pasta and vegetables were poor accompaniments. After a few bites, the initially interesting sauce became monotonous and didn't quite manage to mask the bland meats and veggies.
The "paella Copacabana" fared even worse in our books. This (supposedly) hearty dish of pork, chicken, shrimp and shellfish cooked in rice can be delicious but was less than mediocre here. Although the scallops were sweet, tender and cooked perfectly, the chicken and sausage were dry and the entire dish lacked a flavor that no amount of added salt could remedy. It was clear that saffron -- necessary in paella -- was completely absent. The turmeric-stained rice was watery and flavorless and the accompanying collard greens tasted and looked more like Easter grass than the savory side (we had come for South America, not the American South).
The highlight of the meal was the passionfruit mousse, which packed a surprisingly tangy punch. Although the presentation was nothing special, the dessert was cool and refreshing after our schizophrenic entrees. It was decadent without being too rich -- downright delicious.
The mousse, however, was too little too late, especially when we got the bill. Although $15-$20 is not necessarily exorbitant for an entrée, it is far too much for the quality of food we were served. Copacabana capitalizes on its exotic sounding ingredients but definitely cuts corners.
In fact, Copacabana makes very little effort to be either authentic or original. It seems to cater to a more middle-aged clientele, who may want to feel exotic without venturing out of their meat-and potatoes-comfort zone. We, on the other hand, were not comfortable at all.
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