Brazilian meat emporium comes to CityWalk

Restaurants that embrace the theme of a country's culture are often cheesy fun -- unless that country is Canada, and that culture is hockey. Puck that, and embrace the cultural tornado that is Brazil, at Samba

A South Bay staple expanding to CityWalk tonight, Samba's a colorful, patio'd churrascaria, embracing all sides of Brazilian culture, including monster amounts of meat, a bar dedicated to caipirinhas, and gorgeous, be-feathered dancers, wearing outfits so revealing, just a glance will give away whether they've embraced their role as Brazilians. Food's mostly all-you-can-eat style, with tableside skewer servers doling out 12-15 meats per night, including lombihno (pork sirloin), pichanha (steak), and turkey-wrapped-in-bacon (turkey-wrapped-in-bacon); also included's a salad bar, while available separately are sides like lobster mashed potatoes and farofa (yucca toast w/ bacon, butter, and salt), as well as an appetizer menu featuring dishes like mini fish tacos and Angus sliders, all of which sound delicious but negate the fact that the dinner you're already paying for is ALL THE MEAT YOU CAN EVER HOPE TO EAT EVER. Though there's a full cocktail menu and beer & wine, there's also that patio-bound, dedicated caipirinha bar, turning out cachaca/sugarcane/lime traditionals as well as variants using coconut milk, jalapeno & cucumber, and a vodka variant with bubble gum, in case you want to feel like you've just turned both 21 and 12

The entertainment comes not just from the over-the-top dancers but a live Latin band, with diners encouraged to shake it -- just wait till the effects of the dancers have passed, or risk a penalty for high-sticking.