Brazilian Restaurant Casa Has Reopened in Tribeca

Tucked away on an obscure West Village corner at Bedford and Morton (in the soon-to-open Zimmi’s spot) Casa — Home — looked like a low-slung Brazilian farmhouse, with casement windows that glowed late into the evening. Open for nearly 25 years, it closed in 2022; a few months ago, owner Jupira Lee moved it to Tribeca at 157 Duane Street, near West Broadway.

The space that once housed Khe-Yo, one of the city’s only Laotian-inspired restaurants, was much larger than the previous Casa. A small bar is fitted into the front, while the dining room dominates with a high ceiling, bare brick walls, and the stray saint’s figure or folk art depiction of a village procession. Casa now seems more like an artist’s loft than a Brazilian farmhouse.

Luckily, the menu remains quite excellent, providing one of the city’s best palettes of Brazilian food, which shows Portuguese, West African, indigenous South American, and even Russian influences. Here’s a sequence of dishes to try.

Bolinhos de bacalhau

These fritters are made with salt cod, a staple of long ocean voyages and the most common method of preserving fish before the advent of refrigeration. The codfish preserved this way and reconstituted has a firm texture and briny flavor that is unforgettable. $15

Pao de queijo

These cheesy bread balls are bouncy and gluten free, and once you’ve tasted their elastic earthiness, you may prefer them to yeast-risen rolls. $15

Caldo verde

This simple soup contains potatoes and shredded collard greens, and is popular throughout the Iberian Peninsula. The addition of Brazilian sausage is optional, but the soup doesn’t really need it. A tracery of herb oil adds flavor to this perfect winter soup. $14, $18 with sausage

Moqueca de frutos do mar

This seafood stew from the northern state of Bahia flaunts its African influences — including bright orange dende (palm oil), and coconut milk. Garnished with cilantro, the seafood includes wild-caught fish, local squid, and wild shrimp, and the dish comes with white rice and farofa (toasted yuca). $38

Feijoada

Known as the national dish of Brazil, this wonderful entree — an order for one is enough for two — starts with a black bean and pork stew native to Portugal and adds numerous Brazilian flourishes. Those include toasted yuca (sprinkle it over the top), polished white rice, shredded collard greens, and orange segments for a sweet sunny contrast. The pig parts include smoked belly, pork shoulder, sausage, and sometimes tail and cheek. $38

Pudim de banana com merengue

The roster of desserts is brief at Casa, including passion fruit mousse and the chocolate truffles called brigadeiros, but go instead for the banana pudding, filled with the flavor of ripe bananas and topped with a layer of browned meringue, which imparts a sticky and slightly smoky quality. $14

Drinks

Brazil boasts a number of unique beverages, including a caipirinha ($16), made with a sugar cane liquor known as cachaça. There are plenty of non-alcoholic choices, too, including suco du caju ($6), the juice of the cashew apple that’s bright and only slightly sweet.