With the World Cup played in Brazil this year and American interest in soccer at an all-time high, the timing couldn’t have been better for Meg Hudson to open Lula Brazil in Rehoboth Beach. Lula shatters the stereotype of a steakhouse where servers carve obscenely large cuts of meat at your table. Instead, Hudson has created a seafood restaurant (with steaks) that draws on the many styles of Brazilian fare, with its African and Portuguese influences. “It’s something new for people in the U.S.,” Hudson says, and especially fitting for the beach. Look for lots of fresh fish, traditional dishes such as the seafood stew known as moqueca, as well as ingredients like plantains, yucca, exotic fruits and dried meats. Lula Brazil offers 10 flavors of Caipirinha, a popular Brazilian cocktail, and there’s a fresh juice bar with fruits such as acai berry, mango and passion fruit. All of it is wrapped up in a room that is decorated in Carnivale colors. Hudson, a former co-owner of Domaine Hudson in Wilmington, first visited Brazil as a high-school exchange student. She’s returned often since. “It’s a culture I just love,” she says. Look for Lula Brazil to open this month. (212-2755) For updates follow Lula Brazil on Facebook or sign up to be on their email list!
