Saturday, June 27, 2009

Up to 3000 books to download

The USP (Universidade de São Paulo — University of Sao Paulo) has launched a site that offers 3,000 books for download. At the website: www.brasiliana.usp.br it's possible to find rare Brazilian books, such as: historical documents, manuscripts and images that are part of the Library of Brasiliana Guita and José Mindlin, donated to the university.

There are plans to increase it up to 25 thousand titles, and include first editions of Machado de Assis and Hans Staden.

Check it out find some of the Brazilian preciosities.

Friday, June 26, 2009

Winter cuisine and sophisticated dishes

Once winter has already arrived, the gastronomic temptations come too. For those who are living or traveling in São Paulo, the best option is the big variety range of soups and fondues found on the best restaurants in town.

However, this season brings some novelties to the menu, that goes further the onion cream or cheese fondue. Specializes in Mediterranean cuisine, the restaurant Torero Valese, in Itaim, created unusual dishes such as pumpkin soup with mussels and seafood. It's possible to choose up to three flavors (about R$ 49,90). Most in a brazilian mood, the restaurant Bolinha made a real trip through the typical flavors of the country adding exotic dishes to the menu, such as pumpkin soup with cream, cinnamon and orange crust, pumpkin soup with ginger and peach palm soup (whole buffet for R$ 24). The charming Le Vin Bistro offers a mix of Brazilian spices with a French palate. The features are pumpkin soup with shrimp and cashew nuts; and soup of white asparagus (each for $ 24).


New flavors

Originally a traditional Swiss made by cheese, the tasty "fondue" got a new version.
Le Bistrot Marcel has among its options, the fondue au crevettes with shrimp and seven sauces (R$ 75). At Era uma Vez um Chalezinho, fondues are the highlights, made with ingredients from famous brands such as Éder, which brings cheddar with beer and Éder's sausages (R$ 98).
[By Luana Sanchez]

Service
Bella Paulista: R. Haddock Lobo, 354
Phone: (11) 3214-3347

Phone: (11) 3061-2010

Consulado Mineiro: R. Cônego Eugênio Leite, 504
Phone: (11) 3898-3241

Era Uma Vez um Chalezinho...: R. Itapimirum, 11
Phone: (11) 3501-9322

Konstanz: Av. Aratãs, 713
Phone: (11) 5543-4813

Le Bistrot Marcel: Rua Hans Oersted, 119
Phone: (11) 5505-2438

Le Vin jardins: Al. Tietê, 184
Phone: (11) 3081-3924

Phone: (11) 3819-3897

Torero Valese: Av. Horácio Lafer, 638
Phone: (11) 3168-7917

Villa Távola: R. treze de maio, 848
Phone: (11) 2842-9620

Introducing: MASP - Art Museum of São Paulo


The MASP (Art Museum of São Paulo) is the dream of its creator, Assis Chateaubriand*, of bringing together pieces of artworks and paintings to build a museum. When it was inaugurated in 1947, was far from becoming what it's today: the most important collection in the southern hemisphere and is considered a treasure of humanity.

Carrying the mission to get artworks, Assis Chateaubriand allowed his huge group of media to help the collection of funds for the acquisition of works of art. Three other people were also very important to this project: Edmundo Monteiro (CEO of the media group), the couple Pietro Maria Bardi (journalist and critic of art in Italy) and his wife, the architect Lina Bo.

The proposed construction of the headquarters of MASP aimed at preserving the vision of the Serra da Cantareira and the city center. It explains the proposed architecture of the building. It is the only one of the world for its peculiarity: its structure is suspended on four pillars separated by a gap of 74 meters. What would be the vision of the mountain, which unfortunately was later covered by buildings.

It's inauguration was held in November of 1968 with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of England. The MASP holds Italian works by Raphael, Andrea Mantegna, Bellini and Botticceli; of Flemish painters like Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Memling and Cranach. Among the Spaniards are Velazquez and Goya.

Most of the European art is French. We appreciate the four portraits of the daughters of Luiz XV, painted by Nattier, or allegories of the four seasons of Delacroix. The impressionist movement, can be found by several works of Renoir, Manet, Monet, Cézanne and Degas. The post-Impressionists, are represented by the paintings of Van Gogh and Toulouse-Lautrec.

One of the collection's highlight, is the space devoted to a complete collection of sculptures by Edgar Degas. A collection of 73 pieces of bronze, can only be seen fully in Masp and in a few museums such as the Metropolitan in New York, or the D `Orsay Museum in Paris.

The MASP also offers music, film and lectures. Two auditoriums designed by Lina Bo bring a space for these multiple activities.

(*) Important Brazilian businessman, owner of business communication. He was founder and director of the then main chain press of Brazil, the Daily Users: 34 newspapers, 36 radio stations, 18 television stations, one news agency, one weekly magazine (The Cruise), one monthly magazine (for cigarettes) as well the many magazines for children.

Service
Where:
Av. Paulista, 1578 - Bela Vista - São Paulo - SP
When: Thursday, from 11am till 8pm. Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Holidays, from 11am till 6pm
. (Tickets stop to selling an hour before closing).
Phone: (11) 3251 5644
How much:
R$ 15 and R$ 7 (students). Free for under 10 and above 60. Also free every Tuesday.
Website:
www.masp.art.br

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Samba Fresh Food

Thanks God, fast food is not synonymous of junk food any more. Samba Fresh Food is an example of a restaurant that offers health and well seasoned fast food. Wraps, salads, soups and sandwiches are some of the best options found in zero-frying menu. If we are what we eat, better to be practical, balanced and tasty than heavy, greasy and clear! [rebeca hidalgo by B-Coolt]

Service

Where: Samba Fresh Food, Alameda Jaú, 542, Jardins — São Paulo - SP
When:
Monday to Friday, from 12pm till 10pm; Saturday, Sunday and holiday, from 12pm till 6pm.
Phone: (11) 4003-0706 - delivery
How much: Around R$ 20 per dish.
Website:
www.sambafoods.com.br

Italian Art Codex

Over 20 years, the Centro per l'Arte Contemporanea L. Pecci di Prato are assembling a vast collection of books on contemporary international artists, from the exponents of the Visual Poetry or abstract, set up work of masters. This collection of 80 books left out in the Italian Art shows Codex. "The artists extend the idea of a book, surpassing the association, simple, text and image to ratify an inseparable fusion of form and content: the subject of the written tradition becomes work of art," explains the curator Marco Bazzini. [Camila Pompeu by B.Coolt]

Service

Where:
Centro Universitário Maria Antonia, Rua Maria Antonia, 298 — São Paulo - SP
When: Tuesday to Friday, from 10am till 9pm; Saturday and Sunday, from 10am till 6pm.

How much:
For free.

São Paulo, a Metropolis of Symphonia

In 1929, the New York Stock Exchange broke and turned the world upside down, coincidentally it was the same year that came up "São Paulo, a Metropolis of Symphonia", a documentary about Sao Paulo showing its enormous growth. Eighty years later, the film will be shown again, but now with soundtrack performed live by Livio Tratenberg and Wilson Sukorski, which incorporated sounds of the city using new tools, computers, objects of Sound and voices recited the poem of Oswald Andrade. "I suddenly impoverish. You enriched because of me", as Oswald said. [kaka gouvea by B-Coolt]

Service

Where:
Teatro São Pedro, rua Barra Funda, 171

When:
June 29th, at 9pm.
How much:
For free

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Introducing: Rua Augusta

Photo: Bia Parreiras
Every big city has a typical entertainment site. Rua Augusta is definitely one of the best of Sao Paulo. Well known on the past as the street of the strip clubs and prostitutes, this street puts together everything you need to spend a great night in the Brazilian Capital of food and entertainment. Nowadays, the story has changed. All the strip clubs have almost gone despite some still remain. But all the atmosphere kept on that period are the true engines of the Augusta’s nightlife.

Beginning the afternoon having some shopping, it’s possible to find nice clothes on the Rua Augusta's shops, most of them from independent stylists. Afterward a cinema’s section, culture is never enough and the Unibanco Cinema offers a huge range of national and international movies, but not Hollywood style ones, which on the contrary, can be watched at the Center 3 Shopping at the corner of Rua Augusta and Av. Paulista.

Got hungry? Well, there are plenty of options on Augusta’s and around. It’s possible to find any kind of food you are looking for and also from the cheap ones to the really expensive prices. So it could be a fast Mexican taco at the Tolocos, or Greek Moussaka at the Athena’s bar. Even a full meat buffet can be found at one of the coolest Churrascarias (BBQ house) of São Paulo: Bovinus, not forgetting the classical beer and “petiscos” (snacks) in any pub of every corner. Try Z Carniceria pub!

Now that you are well warmed up, it’s time to have some dance and listen to some good music. But guest what? It’ll be also hard to choose where… The options are endless, but there is one certain thing: nobody will get disappointed! If you don't like the first place you choose, you can still walk next door and see if the next club is closer to your musical preferences. Have a look in the best pubs section; we can help you to find the best place around Rua Augusta. Some of them are already posted in this blog and more will come up in the next weeks. No doubts you can have everything you want in such a small area.