Movable Feasts

Call them “underground,” “unofficial,” or “occasional.” Whatever the name, restaurants that don’t have a permanent address and that eschew traditional licensing are popping up all over town. Eating at one is the dining equivalent of choose-your-own adventure: diners, who exchange hushed e-mails to get on the list, show up where they’re told and eat whatever the chef feels like preparing. It’s fun, sure. But at $25 to $100 a pop, are they any good? Chicago checked out a few to find out.

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Sinhá

THE SETUP: Every Sunday afternoon, Jorgina Pereira opens up her home-a Liberace-like palace of alabaster paint and wooden furniture near the United Center-and dishes up Brazilian brunch. All business is word-of-mouth, which, depending on the day, could mean a handful of neighborhood folks or a rambunctious bunch of Brazilians.

A TYPICAL MEAL: Tasty deep-fried artichoke empanadas and stuffed olives to start, followed by feijoada, the national dish of Brazil, an amalgamation of rice, black beans, and various pork products. Her feijoada is magnificent, coupled with three kinds of meat, including rich, smoky pork hocks.

THE VERDICT: Like a family dinner-great, home-cooked food, odd company. Pereira, who hails from Rio, is like the Brazilian grandmother you never had (unless, of course, you're Brazilian).

HUSH FACTOR: Medium. To sign up, call 312-491-8200 or go to sinhaelegantcuisine.com.

This article appears in the July 2007 issue of Chicago Magazine.

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