Brazilian Coffee

Brazilian Coffee Fields

Coffee was introduced in Brazil by Francisco de Mello Palheta in 1727 from Cayenne, French Guiana. Today, Brazil is the world’s largest coffee producer and is becoming a significant player in the specialty coffee industry. Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Mundo Novo coffee varietals are grown in the states of Paraná, Espirito Santos, São Paulo, Minas Gerais, and Bahia.  Bourbon and Typica are the two most popular Arabica coffees grown worldwide, Typica being the base plant of many coffee varietals. The highest grade of well-known Brazilian beans, Bourbon Santos is a coffee to savor at any time of day.  It is smooth and pleasant with fruity notes, medium body and mild flavor. Next time you buy coffee, check the origin of the beans. It’s quite possible they will be Brazilian.

Feijoada

At Mainstreet Restaurant, we love bringing a little Brazilian flair to the table. One of our favorite dishes to serve is Brazil’s national dish, Feijoada. Feijoada is a black bean, sausage, and pork stew served on jasmine rice with traditional accompaniments of farofa (toasted manioc flour), vinaigrette, orange slices, and sauteed kale. We smoke our meats in house, which ensures superior flavor. Come in for a little taste of Brazil and some hometown atmosphere. We’re betting that once you’ve tasted our Feijoada, you’ll be back for more.

Comfort Food – Maqueca

Comfort food takes many forms. Sometimes we want something absolutely, traditionally American – like mashed potatoes. Other times, we are looking for a “new” comfort with the qualities we desire: creamy, filling, and totally satisfying. If you’re looking for something new on a cold autumn night, come into Mainstreet for Moqueca, a traditional Brazilian seafood stew. Brazilians have been making Moquecas for 300 years. This stew is in a delicious savory coconut cream broth with vegetables, shrimp, calamari, and cod. It’s served on jasmine rice with sauteed kale, a Brazilian salad, and fresh house-made French bread. And, as always, breads are available for purchase by the loaf, so you can take some of that stick-to-your-ribs comfort home with you.

Cafe de Colombia

Coffee was first introduced to Colombia in 1723, presumably by Jesuit priests that brought the seeds from Venezuela. The country produces about 12% of the coffee in the world, second only to Brazil. Colombian coffee is often regarded as some of the highest quality coffee in the world. Colombia has traditionally grown arabica beans although today Bourbon, Typica, Caturra, and Maragogype coffee varietals are cultivated. Its unique geography makes Colombia perfectly suited for producing a delicious, high quality brew.  Arabica beans come from  a species of coffee originally indigenous to the mountains of Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula, hence its name. It is also known as the “coffee shrub of Arabia”, “mountain coffee” or “arabica coffea”. Coffea arabica is believed to be the first species of coffee to be cultivated, being grown in southwest Arabia for well over 1,000 years. Gourmet coffees, such as Colombian coffee, are almost exclusively high-quality mild varieties of arabica coffee. The climate in Colombia has traditionally been hot and dry enough to grow this variety very successfully, although climate change in the last twenty years has caused coffee production to drop off some in the region. These beans are so popular, the next time you’re in a restaurant and order a cup of Joe, chances are you’ll be drinking Colombian. Freshly roasted Colombian coffee beans are rich in flavor, heavy bodied, have a bright acidity, and are intensely aromatic. So drink up – and enjoy!

Brazilian Stroganoff

It’s that time of year when we long for comforting food – cheesy or creamy, warm and filling. We want to eat a satisfying meal with friends, and savor the warmth it brings to us in our cold and snowy Rocky Mountains. If you’ve grown tired of the tried and true stand-bys, come in to Mainstreet Restaurant for Stroganoff Brazilian style. It’s a slow simmered beef steak in a rich mushroom cream sauce, that’s served on a bed of jasmine rice, and topped with crispy potato sticks. This yummy meal also comes with sauteed kale, a Brazilian salad (chopped romaine with hearts of palm, bacon and black olives), and fresh homemade French bread. This kind of food makes you feel loved! And remember, the bread we serve is made fresh, from scratch, right here in this restaurant. If you want fresh bread without the fuss of making it yourself, all of our breads are available to take home by the loaf.

A Little Brazil

Josh and Micheli, two Idaho Springs locals, are the owners of Mainstreet Restaurant on Miner Street. The restaurant has a quirky unique feel that is all its own, lending to its charm and appeal. The feeling of comfort and welcome one has in the eatery is in part due to the decor.

Micheli is Brazilian, and several authentic Brazilian dishes on the menu attest to this heritage. But if you take a moment from your scrumptious meal and look around, you will see many hand-painted Brazilian plates on display that are sent to Micheli by her mother who is still in Brazil. These plates are hand-crafted works of art, each one unique, with a special beauty all its own. They are certainly something special. Between the food and these lovely plates, Micheli has created a little bit of Brazil right in the heart of this cozy mountain community.