Let the new year come!

When you get to a place where the sandwich you just ordered is so huge you just have to snap a picture of it, you know you've found a great place. Via Imperatore is like that, with its large amounts of food well prepared and delicious, just waiting for an equally large appetite.

On our first night in Porto Alegre, we had the Bauru sandwich (picture), which feeds two hungry mouths at a very little cost. We came back a couple of days later, and had lunch in their all-you-can-eat buffet service, which was also very good and varied, with different selections of meat, fish, chicken, pasta, salads and all the stuff you usually find in a place like this.

The place is famous for its pasta, supposedly one of the best in Porto Alegre. We had none, but everyone we saw did, and they all looked delicious, and also served in large portions for two people.

The place has two floors, with the second one beautifully decorated with a glass window, allowing the customer to a beautiful view of the city. The staff is very quick and polite, leaving no excuse for a bad evening at Via Imperatore. Everything is clean and on the cutesy side - creating a perfect ambience for dates.

Great moment of the night: when everyone was satisfied and the check arrived, no one suffered from indigestion. Lots of food, and at a more than decent price. We even felt encouraged to leave a larger tip!

Cavanhas is one of the most traditional places to eat at Cidade Baixa, the favorite youth hangout area of Porto Alegre. It competes with lots of other places around, like Speed Lanches, but it remains a solid competitor - it's always crowded.

Burgers sizes are gigantic, like most of the places in Porto Alegre. Their X-Coração (cheese and chicken hearts) is absolutely delicious, and feeds a grown man to the point of sickness. Yes, it's that big, and you can add bacon, eggs, etc.

The place has a fast-food-like menu, but there are waiters to serve you when your order is ready. Also, you can have bottles of soda instead of tiny cans.

There's really nothing much to say about Cavanhas, except that they fulfill all the basics at a master's level, and there's no way of getting out without feeling satisfied.

Very well located on a downtown area of Porto Alegre, but surrounded by residential buildings, the Arvoredo Residence is a business-class style hotel that gives you the feel of a cozy little apartment on a nice neighborhood. Still, it's near every major business spot in the city - our most expensive cab fare was just around R$ 20.

It's not as cheap as a hostel, or even some downtown hotels, but the extra is worth for the neighborhood and comfort the place provides, with an attentive and caring staff, and all the basics covered, like cable tv, air conditioning, fridge & kitchen, and an old but working computer with free internet on the lobby.

We stayed at the top floor, which is a smoking one, and I'm sure glad we did so. Our room was enormous, with a second floor complete with independent bathroom and a nice rooftop balcony where we spent most of our nights chatting on the cool and refreshing wind.

Breakfast is included, and while nothing special, it wasn't bad at all! Brazilian style, with lots of different breads and cakes, and also, all the basics, like eggs, sausages, ham & cheeses, milk & coffee, cereal, etc. They also have parking.