By Jay Forte, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – La Calaca gourmet Mexican restaurant in Leblon, which is co-owned by American expatriate Kristen Caverly Peixoto, is hosting The Rio Times TALKS speaking event on Wednesday, May 27th, from 7PM-9:30 PM. The “TALKS” speaker series event is bringing together a panel of experts in three essential areas for foreigners in Rio; setting up a business, buying real estate and investing in Brazil.
La Calaca opened in September 2014 and has established itself as the go-to Mexican eatery in Leblon, with a sophisticated menu and ambiance to match. For the TALKS event, they are offering a special promotion of R$10 margaritas and R$20 taco plates (three deliciously created soft-shell tacos).
Co-owner Kristen Caverly Peixoto said, “Hosting this event is a great opportunity for us, because while Brazilians are still discovering Mexican food, most foreigners already love it.” Adding, “Expats have been our biggest fan base since the very beginning so we hope that with this event we can strengthen our relationship with this community while being a platform to strengthen their knowledge abroad.”
The La Calaca margaritas are served in elegant martini glasses and the soft-shell taco options range from crusted whitefish with guacamole to tender pork and pineapple, sure to please the discerning palette. Furthermore, the restaurant is set in the heart of Leblon’s culinary corner with an open front to people-watch and mingle.
Regarding the event and the topics of the panel, Peixoto explained, “I think the issues being discussed in this series are close to the heart. When you move to a new country you feel like a fish out of water. To survive you are just trying to acclimate. You don’t have time to get your life settled and brush up on all of these topics. And often times, it is difficult to obtain this [kind of] information. Having been in Brazil for four years, I still have things to learn.”
She continues, “In the expat community it’s great to have this opportunity to get some information and questions answered. I constantly see these topics being discussed on groups on Facebook and I think it’s time to offer more support here in Rio.”
Speakers for the event include Mathieu Piques from Europartner who will speak about the legal and financial process of creating a business in Brazil. Alessandra Marzano from Rio Exclusive will speak about how to buy property in Rio de Janeiro and Brazil, and Amit Ramnani from Ipanema Wealth will speak about financial planning and investment options in Brazil.
Entrance to this event will be limited to fifty places, and a guaranteed seat requires pre-purchasing a ticket for R$50 online. If seating is still available on the night of the event, entrance will be R$80 (cash only). In addition, the hosts La Calaca will have a small R$30 minimum consumption with special promotions of: R$10 margaritas and R$20 gourmet taco plates.
The event will be moderated by Kim Levone from Improbable Comedy, and include a short comedy introduction by her team. Find out more and stay updated on new announcements and promotions by joining the Facebook Event page.
What: The Rio Times TALKS Series
When: Wednesday, May 27th, 7-9:30 PM
Where: La Calaca Restaurant, Av. Ataulfo de Paiva 1240, Leblon
Entrance: R$50 reserved online/R$80 without (cash only), plus R$30 minimum consumption