Favela Grill

High-spirited Brazilians are conspicuous among international Astoria’s expat community, especially during Carnaval and the World Cup. Other times, they gather over caipirinhas and feijoada in the ‘hood’s Brasileiro restaurants. Favela is one of the most appealing, as proven by the cozy storefront’s full-house seating by 7 p.m. on weekends. Slinging English and Portuguese in equal measure, Favela’s crowd embraces gaggles of gal pals, local couples and first-daters. With so much going for it, Favela could’ve skimped on the food. But the homey chow is quite good, and even random meals should hit a standout or two. Salgadinhos (a mix of six fresh-made Brazilian empanadas filled with, say, chicken, or codfish and potato) make especially tasty starters. A few bucks will score you a half-dozen. Entrees are hearty; several renditions of sirloin steak offer up a carefully cooked-to-order, bone-in chop the dimensions of a man’s shoe. Moqueca de peixe and bobó de camarão, Afro-Brazilian recipes from Bahia, are rich with coconut milk, manioc puree, and cardiologist-condemned palm oil. Daily specials showcase long-simmered dishes like Saturday’s feijoada, as smoky and satisfying as the night those first-daters are hoping for.