Top buteco/bar that stands out for its creative food. The owner/chef of Patorocco has created lots of great dishes to share, some of which won prizes at the Comida di Buteco and other festivals. We have been here a handful of times and have now tasted a decent portion of the menu. A sampling:
Koningüiça: Ragout of calabresa sausage and mandioca with gorgonzola creme. This was the winner of the 2003 Comida di Buteco festival. Cool presentation (looks a bit like little ice cream cones) and also yummie.
Tutu Bola: Little bite-size balls filled with layers of bean paste (tutu), kale, and pork. The crust is made with pork rind. Super creative and delicious! Entry for the 2014 Botecar festival.
Acarajé Mineiro: Patorocco's take on the famous snack from Bahia state. Some of the classic ingredients have been replaced with local favorites, such as sausage instead of dried shrimp and creme of corn and cheese instead of vatapá. This is nicely presented and the ingredients work very well together. (Minor flaw, the 'bolinha' fried in palm oil was a bit dry.)
Tô Fora!: Ragout of dried meat with dehydrated Jiló served on a tortilla. Again, great presentation (6 pieces for only R17,50 in May '16). Although relatively simple this tasted super good. Would definitely order again.
Torresmo: delicious pork belly; succulent inside, and crispy outside. Highly recommended.
Porco ao Molho Pardo: Served in a miniature traditional Minas kitchen (so cute!), this dish serves tender pieces of pork in a delicious sauce, sticks of fried polenta, and quiabo vegetable. One of our favorites here. Delicious and amazing presentation.
All in all, Patorocco is fantastic and should not be missed during any culinary exploit of BH. read more