During a trip to São Paulo last year, my wife and I had the chance to dine at D.O.M., chef Alex Atala’s Michelin two-star restaurant. In 2012 it was ranked fourth by Restaurant magazine for its World’s 50 Best Restaurants ranking.
David Kinch’s Manresa also appeared on the same list, and the two chefs are collaborating this month as part of Manresa’s reinvention on Village Lane.
Like Kinch, Atala celebrates local ingredients. He’s been a champion of sourcing Brazil’s biodiverse bounty to go beyond the conventional and produce a culinary experience that’s far from ordinary. Like any breakthrough chef, he curates an experience that transports, educates and leaves an indelible memory. It will be interesting to see his interpretation of Santa Cruz Mountains and coastal terroir.
Atala’s residency, which lasts until the end of this month, gives locals the chance to sample his innovative Brazilian artistry without the annoyance of having to figure out whether an American needs a visa to fly to São Paulo.
The leftie government this month flip-flopped between no visa requirements, then requiring one (along with three months of bank account statements or your last four pay stubs to prove income), then changing its mind again and delaying the visa requirement until April 2025.
Thankfully, for Los Gatans who don’t want to submit financial documents to the Brazilian consulate, Atala is in town this week for the Ritual at Manresa series.
The roster of celebrity chefs headed to the town of the cats from Paris, Tokyo and elsewhere will follow this schedule:
- May: The Clove Club, Chef Isaac McHale (London, 2 Michelin stars)
- June: Odette, Chef Julien Royer (Singapore, 3 Michelin stars)
- July: Ikoyi, Chef Jeremy Chan (London, 2 Michelin stars)
- August: The Jane Antwerp, Chef Nick Bril (Antwerp, 2 Michelin stars)
- September: Lasarte, Chef Paolo Casagrande (Japan, 3 Michelin stars)
- November: Chef Paul Liebrandt (New York, Chef of Previous Michelin-starred restaurants)
- December: Château de la Chèvre D’Or, Chef Arnaud Faye (Paris, 2 Michelin stars)
A few coveted reservations still remain and can be reserved online. More information on the series can be found on the Ritual at Manresa website.
