VUE

In the past few years, seldom a week has gone by where I haven't popped in to eat only to be greeted by my favorite servers with that friendly "you again?" smile. I attribute my frequent patronage to—aside from my regular obsession with fried yuca and Brazilian pork sausage—Samba's consistency, cuisine that tries new things but never strays away from its vision. I know what I'm going to get and I know I'm going to enjoy it. Samba is a testament to Chef/Owner Ilson Gonçalves' passion for home-style Brazilian cooking, devotion to his customers and astounding business acumen. Samba just does it right. Great cuisine that's modern while paying homage to Brazilian tradition, a menu that's conscious of today's dietary restrictions without compromising on flavor (their vegan cheesecake is better than most real cheesecakes), a welcoming Brazilian farmhouse atmosphere and constant incentives for diners to make repeat visits. More impressive still is Gonçalves' journey. A native of Southern Brazil, he grew up at the edge of Mata Atlântica—a massive forest that stretches from Rio Grande do Norte all the way down to Rio Grande do Sul. As a kid, Gonçalves picked root vegetables right from his backyard and was constantly sneaking cookware from his home to create meals for his friends. Ultimately though, he owes much of his love for all things culinary to his mother, who for many years, ran a local restaurant in Blumenau. It was there he would learn everything he could, even if that meant squeezing in some hours before school. Despite later studying computer engineering and going into finance in Brazil, he longed to get back to his cooking roots. And so, at the age of 23, he made the move to the US and began his career by bussing tables, before eventually taking on managerial roles and enrolling in culinary school. It wasn't long until Gonçalves opened Samba as a deli back in 2010, and aer much positive feedback of his Brazilian specialties, he reimagined the space as we know it today. Now a resident of New Jersey, Samba is a living dream for Gonçalves. And despite so many accolades, he remains humble that his cuisine is able to capture the hearts (and stomachs) of people new to Brazilian cooking and those looking for a taste of the old country. Many times I've been dining at Samba and found myself thinking about how great it would be to try making some of the dishes at home— like so many of us do at our favorite restaurant. And luckily, within the last year, Gonçalves published "e Samba Montclair Cookbook" which is available for purchase both online and right in the restaurant. With fall right around the corner, I can think of no better way to get back into the kitchen and emulate (as best I can) some of my favorite dishes. In Brazil, cooking is largely defined by what ingredients are readily available; their dishes oen feature root vegetables, citrus fruits, or hearty stews with black beans or meat. Here, I've selected a couple of my favorite Samba Montclair recipes for you to try this fall. V U E N J . C O M 105

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