Churrascaria Tribeca (CLOSED)

For anyone who’s never had the gluttonous pleasure of a visit to a churrascaria—the Brazilian meat-skewer equivalent of a revolving sushi restaurant—Tribeca provides a convincing experience; no reciprocal visa required. Start with the color-coded disk from your attentive host: placing it green side up on the table gives a regiment of skewer-wielding waiters the signal to charge. You’re free to decline regular offers of beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon, flank steak, sirloin steak, short ribs and leg of lamb (along with the odd skewer of garlic bread), but until you flip your card to red—the cue to stop the red meat madness—you’ll find the carnivorous onslaught does not relent. A (brave) vegetarian won’t go hungry, especially one who eats fish (the salmon with passionfruit sauce is especially worth asking after). Unless you’re a carbophobe, you’ll want to make plenty of space on the table (and in your stomach) for fried polenta cubes and sweet bananas, ground manioc powder, mashed potatoes and rice. And the buffet bar is a cornucopia of cold salads (tomato and fresh mozzarella, hearts of palm) and hot plates (white fish with saffron sauce, bacalau casserole). With sleek fountains and the occasional live pianist, the interior wouldn’t look out of place in Ipanema, the upscale Rio neighborhood that inspired the design. The $50 prixe fix doesn’t include dessert, coffee or drinks, but for a meal that packs in a weeks’ worth of food, it works out a deal.