Brazilian Restaurants in Scranton? There's at least one...

If you search Yahoo! local for Brazilian restaurants in Scranton, here's what you get: Sorry, no Brazilian Restaurants found in or nearby Scranton, PA. Funny, there's one about half a block from me here in North Scranton. Ipanema Grille is most definitely Brasilian in tone, flavor, presentation and the food on the menu!

Of course, given that local listings from a huge, impersonal search engine can be mistaken, I feel it's my duty to set the record straight. This is an authentic Churrascaria with a special flair.They describe it this way: “Churrascaria is a traditional Brazilian Steak House that distinguishes itself from others with its specialty, Rodizio...”

Their rodizio has to be seen to be believed! Oven roasted meats (more than a dozen varieties, with grilled pineapple as a delightful “foil” to those flavors) are presented on skewers at your table and hand carved directly onto your plate. There's a method to this madness, too. You get a “flipper”, which is red and green:

Green means "Bring it on"

Red means "Stop for now"

1st Stage- Keep the flipper Green side up, the carvers will keep on visiting the table.

2nd Stage- You always can slow it down or take a break by turning the flipper to Red.

3rd Stage- When you are ready to indulge again, turn the flipper to Green and keep on enjoying.

4th and Last Stage- Remember you are in control of how much your stomach desires. Your Rodizio meal is only over when you ask your waiter to remove your plate.

There's a sumptuous salad bar, a varied menu that includes American and even Italian cuisine and incredible desserts. They have a fully-stocked bar that offers all your favorite cocktails, Sangria and Brazilian caipirinha.

They're open for lunch and dinner:

Tuesday to Friday -- Lunch : 11:00 am/3:00pm. Dinner: 5:00pm/10:00pm
Saturday & Sunday -- Lunch: 12:00pm/3:00pm. Dinner: 5:00pm/10:00pm

Call for reservations! You may walk in on a night when they're packed and have to wait, stomach growling, as some table turns their flipper to green. The number in Scranton is 570-558-0742.

Ipanema Grille: the answer to the question, “Are there any Brazilian restaurants in Scranton?”

Scranton Malpractice: Doctors and Lawyers and...Counties?

Professional malpractice, whether it's involving doctors or lawyers, is a hot topic in our increasingly litigious society. That's why this article in The Times-Tribune caught my eye. For those of you who inevitably won't click through to it, the article lays out a case for possible "municipal malpractice" in hiring 5 local lawyers with questionable qualifications to work on a bond issue. It turns out that "none is a member of either the National Association of Bond Lawyers or the Pennsylvania Association of Bond Lawyers."

Wait, it gets better. Some don't even practice in areas of finance and municipal law. Sure, there's at least one who does medical malpractice and personal injury. But where's the expertise in finance, municipal law and bond issues in particular? I especially liked this quote from the article: "Mr. Munchak conceded that hiring an attorney who does not have a background in finance to work on a municipal bond transaction doesn’t make sense." The real issue here is one of transparency and accountability, not finger-pointing.

This brings up the point as far as The Scranton Front Door Pages: is there a need for a new classification: scranton/municipal? That'd be the place for Scranton Lawyers Municipal Malpractice and Scranton Insurance Municipal Malpractice to promote themselves. While I invite local law firms who specialize in medical malpractice and insurance agencies who issue malpractice insurance for professionals to avail themselves of the service, I'm not sure I want to get involved with any municipal malpractice at all!