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On our first visit several months earlier, the resident matriarch had been absent for several days, and while Mom's away, the kids may play. Both main courses were overcooked: Bobo de galinha ($6.95) had chicken breast sauteed almost inedibly dry, bathed in an authentic, garlic-touched sauce of yucca, coconut milk, and red palm (dende) oil. OK, these delicious fats are supposedly bad for you -- but will one dinner's worth kill you? A special (one that always seems to be on hand) called "tropical seafood" had assorted pisceans (shrimp, mussels, and chunks of salmon and rock cod); some were tender but most were badly overcooked, served in an underripe hollowed pineapple, with a nice coconut sauce colored red by yummy dende heart-attack oil. The spicy table sauce was among the hottest I've ever tasted. But on that visit, the beans were a pinkish-gray species from a can. The rice, both times, consisted of short, slim grains, cooked with no great inspiration. The couve was slightly (and pleasantly) oily, its bitterness halfway between Cafe do Brasil's and Bahia Cabana's.
Feijoada completa ($8) is available only on Saturdays and Sundays. (In Rio, it's the traditional Saturday midday meal -- since lunch is the day's main meal, nobody can eat feijoada on a workday and then stay awake on the job.) At our return to Canto, we finally found the city's only true feijoada! The beans had complex flavors (with cilantro the ringing top note), and there was meat in every bite, including kielbasa, tender pork, and beef. (What's more, the tastiest, most generous feijoada in town was also the lowest-priced.) Our other entree, the special paella, wasn't so hot -- the rice was harshly flavored with turmeric, and the plentiful seafood and chicken pieces were desiccated enough to rouse strong suspicions of death-by-nuker. However, the friendly, enthusiastic young waiter stopped by our table frequently to answer questions, chat about Brazilian food, and speculate about local retail sources for cachaca -- making this a very enjoyable dinner.
The sole regular dessert is an excellent chilled version of pudim de coco ($2.95), with coconut shreds in a custard with a pronounced coconut flavor, the mound resting on a light, thin caramel sauce. Among the beverages, the standout is Brazil's own Xingu beer (pronounced "shin-goo," it's $5.50 for a feeds-two bottle), which is gentle-flavored but strong-mannered, topped by malty fuzz like a hops milkshake.
While none of the local Bahian restaurants bring the full blast of authentic spiciness to their Yank-adapted food (and all of them tend to overcook shellfish), Canto do Brasil offers the most credible hot sauce, the most rewarding feijoada -- and, unself-consciously, the most genuine atmosphere. More than in restaurants of other nationalities, the friendly, comfortable service counted: If we couldn't go to Brazil, our waiter brought a Brazilian spirit to San Francisco.
Canto do Brazil
3621 18th St. (at Dolored), 626-8727. Tuesday through Friday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Street parking is difficult. Muni via the 33 bus or the J Church streetcar. The dining room is wheelchair accessible, the bathroom isn't. Takeout avaiable.
Cafe do Brasil (aka Brazilian Fruit Basket)
104 Seventh St. (at Mission), 626-6432. Open daily 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Parking in unattended paid lot. Muni via all Mission and Market Street lines, as well as metro service to Civic Center. The restaurant is wheelchair accessible. Delivery available downtown.
Bahia Cabana
1600 Market (at Franklin), 861-4202. Doors open at 5 p.m., but actual food service is from 6 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Parking is difficult. Muni via all Market Street lines; also metro service to Van Ness. Bar tables and the dance floor are wheelchair accessible, the bathrooms aren't.
