Lavagem da Rua 46

Some 24 hours before the big, boisterous Brazilian Day Festival, "The Cleansing of 46th St." presented a purifying ceremony, "inspired by the tradition, mysticism, charm, and religious foundation of the area of northeast Brazil known as Bahia," that began far too early in the morning for me. When I arrived in the afternoon, the street was lightly decorated in Brazilian colors, a lively pop group was playing for several hundred spectators, and a handful of stalls were offering food and drink.

The skewered-meat stall did nothing for me. Across the way, $8 for an acarajé, or $12 for a platter, was pricey, especially since those stuffed pea fritters seemed smallish. And the festival's most expansive stall, where for a moment I hoped to find moqueca, a Brazilian seafood stew, turned out to be staffed by a nearby Mexican restaurant.

That left me with the dessert table, and two options: bolo de cenoura, a chocolate-covered carrot cake, and quindim (Keen-Zheen; $3), a baked custard. Quindim won the coin flip largely on its glistening good looks; it's heavy on the egg yolks, a testament to Portuguese colonial roots. It's just as heavy on the sugar and coconut, reflecting the bounty of Bahia as well as someone's very intense sweet tooth.

Lavagem da Rua 46
46th St. between Sixth and Madison Aves.
www.LavagemDaRua46NY.com