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Mexican, Chinese, American, and Japanese foods are available in masses. Several chains offer commercialized cuisine to authentic cuisine and everything in between. But what about the other countries? The search for authentic and some of the most amazing food you will ever encounter is over. South America is now in the States in the Brazilian Tucano’s restaurant.

Tucano’s is a Brazilian experience. The menu is of epic proportions, literally. This restaurant starts with a salad bar. But it is not just any salad bar. It includes exotic foods from bamboo to quail eggs. The opposite side of the bar includes hot cuisines with pasta, potatoes, breads, and other side dishes. Once this is finished the real fun begins. Each table comes with a red and green totem that is flipped to the green for go and red for stop. During the green light phase servers carry various kinds of meat table to table. Most meats are skewered and are freshly cut directly onto the plate. Other meats come fresh in bowls to also be served directly onto your plate. When you are full, just flip the totem to red and the servers will stop coming.

Meats include top sirloin, garlic beef, sirloin tip, beef tender, beef brisket, Brazilian sausage, sugar-glazed ham, pork loin, bacon wrapped turkey, cod, chicken hearts, and others. One of Tucano’s specialties is their sugar-glazed pineapple. Vegetable and fruits are also available, not to mention countless exotic desserts.

Tucano’s is a meat experience that is found in only four cities: Provo, Utah; Boise, Idaho; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Salt Lake, Utah. They also cater and offer a free birthday meal when signed up. Tucano’s is an unforgettable experience.

There is always the ease of walking to the mall’s food court and finding Asian cuisines. But what about the real non-Americanize cuisines? One restaurant provides the culture of family-style dining possibilities with authentic foods. PF Chang’s is a restaurant chain that is both of these things. As a more high-ended enterprise, PF Chang’s combines sophistication with modern culture. This restaurant allows for reservations and online ordering. PF Chang’s menu is so popular that eight of the most popular selections are now being sold in the grocer’s freezer section. So what makes it so special?

PF Chang’s has a full bar with beer, wine, specialty drinks, sake, tea, and coffee. The menu starts with small plates and starters ranging from dumplings to lettuce wraps. Different soups and salads are also offered. The menu also includes sides of various vegetables, including asparagus, green beans, and cucumbers. Sixteen different duck and chicken options are available as well as seven beef options, five pork and lamb options, and seventeen seafood options. Vegetarian options and noodle sides are also on the menu. PF Chang’s even has nearly thirty gluten-free options.

Lunch bowls are available in smaller portions and at smaller prices. A special dinner for two is optional that comes with choices of a starter, cups of soup, two entrees, and two small desserts. A more specialized menu is available with happy hour drinks and foods. There is even a kid’s menu. And of course there is dessert in twelve different varieties and sizes.

Like most American restaurants, PF Chang’s comes with an American flare, like their happy hour Asian street tacos and special spare ribs. For a step above the Panda, PF Chang’s is sure to satisfy even the pickiest of diners.

One of the biggest food locations in in the southwest is the Mexican-inspire restaurant called Café Rio. Not only does this Mexican café provide a chain of across-the-border delights, it also does so with class and perfect taste. Café Rio is the winner of countless awards, including the Zagat award. So what makes this café of burritos and salsa so special?

The secret is in the sauce and the pork. Café Rio specializes in the perfect sauces for their meats. By far the most popular meat is the sweet pork. This pork has been cooking for hours and falls apart when it is eaten. It is that good, and of course it is sweet. Fire grilled chicken and steak are also available. These meets will blend with black or pinto beans in one of six ways: quesadillas, burritos, tacos, salads, tostadas, or enchiladas. Each combination is different and comes with lettuce, pico de gallo,  cheese, and smothering options. The sauces come in hot, medium, or mild concoctions.

Appetizers of chips, salsa, and avocado are available, as well as flans and tres leches options. Each day Café Rio offers a different specialty item that is only available that day. Monday is the chile relleno. Tuesday is the coconut shrimp tacos with mango salsa. Wednesday is chicken tostada salad. Thursday is the pork or chicken tamale. Friday is the grilled steak or chicken fideo. And Saturday is the fried shrimp taco. Each week the specials are the same and bring customers specifically on those days for those hot commodities.

The atmosphere of Café Rio is bright and happy, with Spanish words flashing in the air and on the walls. This restaurant originated in St. George, Utah in 1997 and has now expanded to forty locations across California, Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, Utah, and Colorado.

Where do you go when you want something light but still want a variety? In these cases soup and salad options are available. Many restaurants advertise a low price for soup and salad, but very few restaurants actually have high quality soups or even a vast selection. Other than a soup of the day, a house salad, and the occasional Caesar salad options most restaurants do not have the soup and salad options that are actually worth the price.

There is one restaurant, or more of a café, that provides these options to the maximum for the same price. Zupas is a restaurant of huge proportions and options. This café offers not only soup and salad but also Panini sandwiches, desserts, and fondue. The salads come in seven varieties from fruit infused selections with strawberries, raspberries, and strawberries to chicken taco salads. You can even create your own selections. Just pick your protein, your lettuce, your dressing, and your toppings.

Soups come in all kinds too. With ten different varieties you can even add more toppings to make them your own. Soups range from lobster bisque to tomato basil to clam chowder. You can even mix soups together if you wish. Each month a new soup is featured, and free samples of any soup are included.

The Panini options are also huge. Zupas has nine different sandwich options that can include alterations if you wish. The turkey spinach artichoke includes an artichoke spread that is unforgettable, not to mention the ultimate grilled cheese option, made with two cheeses and a pesto spread. The desserts come in large portions. Cookies, custard cups, chocolate fondue, bars, and cakes are provided. Each meal also comes with a chunk of French bread and a chocolate-covered strawberry.

The sizes of soups and salad vary and a half-and-half option is available. Customers can choose half a salad, half a soup, and a Panini in whichever combination they choose for a lowered price.

The varieties of these light options are literally endless.