Hello! My name is Keyla Nogueira, but you can call me Keyla!

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I am a “chefpreneur” (chef + entrepreneur) because “I work just as hard on the business as the food, and there is not one without the other”. I was the proud Co-Owner and Head Chef of the beloved Casa Brasil, where I spent years sharing the authentic flavors of my home with Pittsburgh.

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That journey continues today at Mercearia Brasil, my Brazilian market. I'm thrilled to now bring my flavors directly to you through our new grab & go section, offering my specialty cuisine in a fresh, convenient format. It's the next chapter in my mission to share the true taste of Brazil.

 

So, a little bit about me…

 

I was born and raised in Juquitiba, São Paulo, Brasil (yes, I don’t use the z, but that’s another story). I learned how to cook at a very young age, and during my teen years I became more familiar with cooking especially by helping my family prepare our daily meals.

 

I moved to the US in 2006 and I had to learn how to cook again, this time learning how to make the food I grew up eating but in a foreign land. It was not an easy task, since many ingredients used in Brazilian cooking were missing or tasted different than what I was used to, so I had to learn how to adapt my recipes and it worked. I was happy to eat and make some delicious meals thousands of miles away.

 

Fast forward to 2014 I started sharing the flavors of my home country’s cuisine with Pittsburgh through catering, supper club dinners, and pop-up events—a culinary exploration focused on home-style, traditional cooking based on family recipes.

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I’m proud to say that I bring to the table dishes heavily influenced by the three main cultures in Brasil: Afro-Brazilian, Native Brazilian, and Portuguese, serving the best of comfort food that represents Brazilian culture and cuisine. Now, I invite you to experience these flavors at Mercearia Brasil.