Check Out Brazilian Gourmet In Howard Co. As It Celebrates Culture, Cuisine

HOWARD COUNTY, MD — As Brazil Gourmet approaches its one-year anniversary at its Columbia location, owners Ariane and Keith Tuskey believe the crippling pandemic made them sharper business owners and established a solid business model for their eateries.

Brazil Gourmet's first location at Fells Point and the Howard County site near Lake Elkhorn serves Brazilian communities in the area along with others interested in sampling the business' coveted cakes, croquettes and caipirinhas.

"Columbia is a very exciting place to live and work; it's known as a good quality area, very organized and has a lot of diversity. Many of our customers live in the area, and they talk about how wonderful, how safe and beautiful Columbia is, and when this space became available, it was like a calling for us to expand our operations to this thriving community," Ariane Tuskey told Patch.

The couple expanded their business in the middle of a global pandemic, but it has paid off for them.

"During the pandemic, our business model had to change and we had to adapt to the world situation. All businesses suffered and were impacted significantly with the lockdowns. It was a very unsure time for us. But we discovered other unique and better ways to serve our customers, including offering catering, having a chef in-house and finding ways to take Brazilian flavors into peoples' homes. We also needed a bigger kitchen and space so we could offer catering," she said.

The Fells Point and Columbia sites feature a small grocery store with Brazilian sweets, cheeses and other specialty items, as well as a cafe counter serving popular dishes like cod croquettes, cheese balls and feijoada, a hearty black bean-and-pork stew. The Howard County hotspot also offers dine-in eating options, takeout, delivery and space for private party rentals. They also offer catering, which the larger Columbia spot allows for with a bigger and better kitchen, Ariane Tuskey said.

"Brazil Gourmet has a concept that is to bring the flavors and environment of Brazil to our store and restaurant with Brazilian groceries imported from Brazil, Brazilian appetizers and sweets, traditional dishes, vegan options, sandwiches and acai bowls. The coffee is 100 percent Brazilian and we encourage our customers to try our coffee options with our famous cheese breads baked fresh daily," she said.

Brazil Gourmet can be found at 7130 Minstrel Way, Suite 135, in Columbia.