Cafe Belo (Allston, MA)

 Robert G. wrote:

 > A while back, the Globe featured Cafe Belo in the Cheap Eats column,
 > and as a result I tried it and loved it.  This is a Brazilian
 > cafeteria, where all of the food is in steam tables, and one's plate
 > is weighed to determine how much the meal cost.  I went four or five
 > times over a couple of weeks, and found that the dishes varied
 > considerably, and were almost all good.
 >
 > I went back on Monday evening, and found that the restaurant had
 > gotten quite a bit better without getting more expensive.  Next to the
 > steam table, they have added a wood-burning grill, with an attendant
 > keeping an eye on skewers of beef and sausage, which he will cut to
 > order.  The price is the same as for the rest of the food--around four
 > dollars/pound--making the grilled food quite a bargain.  I didn't try
 > the sausage, but the beef was quite tender and called out for a glass
 > of red wine.  Alas, the only drawback of Cafe Belo is that they don't
 > have a liquor license.
 >
 > To save you the trouble of a search:  Cafe Belo is in the Osco Drug
 > Plaza on Brighton Avenue, near the corner of Brighton Avenue and
 > Harvard Street.--Rob

 An outstanding find in Allston. You pay by the pound, I think $3.50 per.
 Next door to Belo is a similar one, with less selections, but lower
 prices. Both have interesting pastries. There are quite a few other
 Brazilian eateries within a few blocks. Cafe Brazil on Cambridge Street is
 another favorite. With white table cloths and traditional dishes on
 weekends.

 Actually, the Allston/Brighton area has a very good selection of ethnic
 restaurants. They tend to offer great value for quite authentic fares.

 Try the Vietnamese place directly across the street from that plaza. I
 cannot recall the name, but their luncheon specials are so ridiculously
 low that I had to give the owner/waiter/cook a few extra dollars since I
 felt he was losing money on me.
 C.

 Someone wrote:
 >
 > Robert G. wrote:
 >
 > > A while back, the Globe featured Cafe Belo in the Cheap Eats column,
 > > and as a result I tried it and loved it.  This is a Brazilian
 > > cafeteria, where all of the food is in steam tables, and one's plate
 > > is weighed to determine how much the meal cost.  I went four or five
 > > times over a couple of weeks, and found that the dishes varied
 > > considerably, and were almost all good.
 > >
 > > I went back on Monday evening, and found that the restaurant had
 > > gotten quite a bit better without getting more expensive.  Next to the
 > > steam table, they have added a wood-burning grill, with an attendant
 > > keeping an eye on skewers of beef and sausage, which he will cut to
 > > order.  The price is the same as for the rest of the food--around four
 > > dollars/pound--making the grilled food quite a bargain.  I didn't try
 > > the sausage, but the beef was quite tender and called out for a glass
 > > of red wine.  Alas, the only drawback of Cafe Belo is that they don't
 > > have a liquor license.
 > >
 > > To save you the trouble of a search:  Cafe Belo is in the Osco Drug
 > > Plaza on Brighton Avenue, near the corner of Brighton Avenue and
 > > Harvard Street.--Rob
 >
 > An outstanding find in Allston. You pay by the pound, I think $3.50 per.
 > Next door to Belo is a similar one, with less selections, but lower
 > prices. Both have interesting pastries. There are quite a few other
 > Brazilian eateries within a few blocks. Cafe Brazil on Cambridge Street is
 > another favorite. With white table cloths and traditional dishes on
 > weekends.
 >
 > Actually, the Allston/Brighton area has a very good selection of ethnic
 > restaurants. They tend to offer great value for quite authentic fares.