Keith Richards’ Superstition with Shepherd’s Pie and Steven Tyler’s Blueberry Muffins; Rita Atrib reveals her favorites at the table of musicians and bands, during some shows held at SP
Is there a chance—however remote—that your favorite rock star will show up for dinner at your house one day? If you have any questions about the menu, ask banquet chef Rita Atrib, who runs the Petit Comité buffet and rotisserie in the capital city of São Paulo and knows firsthand the dining preferences of countless rock stars.
With more than 28 years on stage (in gastronomy, among other things), he has had the opportunity to sign the backstage menu of countless international shows and festivals that have taken place in the capital of São Paulo. And to celebrate World Rock Day, celebrated this Saturday (13), Palate invited Rita to visit the Patuá Discos vinyl shop, in Vila Madalena, and to remember some of these stories.
He started curating shows by chance, as soon as the buffet opened. “A friend hired us to organize his mother’s birthday party and, during that time, I met one of his cousins, Miriam Hinds, a producer of international shows and festivals,” recalls the banquet chef.
Miriam liked the food at the party so much that she asked Rita if she was interested in organizing a catering event for the shows. Even though she was scared to death, she accepted the challenge, and the first of these was one of the São Paulo editions of the Monsters of Rock festival, in 1996, which included bands like Iron Maiden and Motörhead in the line-up.
However, Rita’s connection with rock dates back to her childhood in the 70s, which saw the peak of stars like Elvis Presley (1935 – 1977) and groups like the Rolling Stones and Queen. In fact, one of the most memorable shows of her adolescence was that of the British band led by Freddie Mercury (1946 – 1991) in 1981, at the Morumbi Stadium. “I was 14 years old and I still remember the emotion I felt when I went up to the stands of the stadium.”
After graduating from architecture school – before dedicating herself to gastronomy – Rita moved to Europe and lived for a year between London and Paris. During this time, she had the opportunity to attend performances by groups such as U2, as well as the rock chameleon David Bowie (1947 – 2016), of whom Rita is a great fan and had the opportunity to serve during his visit to São Paulo – more details Next.
Food Behind the Scenes
According to Rita, when a buffet is rented to cater an international show, the producer sends a list of the artists’ and team’s dietary needs and restrictions a few months before the show. “The nice thing is that often the lists say ‘a protein option, a salad option.’ That gives me the freedom to create a menu that meets everyone’s preferences,” says the Petit Comité banquet chef, who then passes her suggestions on to the team for approval.
Depending on the case, Rita says that meals can include lunch after the soundcheck, dinner before the show and a small table with something for the team to “snack” throughout the day, accompanied by coffee, tea, fruit and energy drinks. “You can’t even leave out honey and lemon, to keep your voice,” emphasizes the owner of Petit Comité. There are occasions when the team of some bands organizes a cocktail party in the VIP room, where they receive family, friends and guests. “In this type of service I always try to include very Brazilian recipes, such as mini cuscuz paulista, tapioca beiju with semi-mature cheese and coxinha. Everyone loves it,” she describes.
What matters, however, are the meals served in the dressing rooms of the artists after the show, who generally have more specific needs than the rest of the staff. The banquet chef says that the menu varies a lot, but there is something that is unanimous among the rock stars, at least among the veterans. “They don’t drink anything alcoholic before the shows,” reveals the Petit Comité chef.
Back at the vinyl store in Vila Madalena, Rita, who is a record collector, runs her fingers through the rows of rock albums, which represent more than a third of the 3,500 titles available in the store. And she finds several by bands and artists she has cooked for. Although she has had close contact with famous musicians and bands, Rita admits that she leaves her share of fans at home. “I advise the team to be as discreet as possible and avoid grouping artists together.”
However, every now and then, the musicians themselves show kindness to the team. “Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain once gave our employees the band’s own beer. And on another occasion, Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam discovered that one of our team members was a big fan of the band and gave him a guitar pick he’d used at the show,” says the banquet chef.
Below, Rita shares some of rock stars’ more curious food preferences.
Keith Richards and Shepherd’s Pie
On the eve of the Rolling Stones concert in the capital of São Paulo in 2016, Rita received a call from the producer telling her that she should reproduce the Shepherd’s Pie recipe sent by the production team of the band’s guitarist, Keith Richards. Rita prepared the English pie with a base of minced meat, peas and brown sauce (a ready-made English sauce made with tomatoes and tamarind extract), plus a topping of mashed potatoes brushed with butter. In fact, the recipe is on the menu at her deli, Petit Comité (R$94, per kilo).
Richard’s also ordered the Chicken Pot Pie, a pie with a creamy chicken filling and covered in puff pastry. “The day before, the band’s producer tried both recipes and chose the shepherd’s pie,” she says. However, the reason for choosing the recipes was related to a superstition Richards had before going on stage: If the top of the pie was crispy and broke with the first spoonful, the show would be a success – and it was! “He’s very friendly and loves the pie. He also loved our lemongrass juice,” Rita recalls.
Another Stones member who was delighted by the catered food was Mick Jagger, who left the show with a hot plate of spaghetti to eat back in his hotel.
Bruce Springsteen’s Healthy Diet
The 80s star, famous for the hit “Born in the USA”, Bruce Springsteen usually doesn’t have such high demands on the table. Rita recalls that for him the important thing is that the recipes are light and healthy. “The only thing he asks for is that the menu contains a lot of fruit, cereals and honey,” she says.
After the show, held in 2013 in the capital São Paulo, the menu included soy protein chili with cheddar strings, fruit carpaccio with orange honey, and barley soup with thyme-scented vegetables. “He liked the soup so much that he took it back to the hotel,” recalls the banquet chef.
Steven Tyler and the Blueberry Muffin
At one of the shows that Aerosmith played in the capital of São Paulo in 2013, the band’s leader requested that the menu include two items: Alaskan salmon and agave honey. So far, no big surprises. However, a few days before the show, a special request came from Steven Tyler: a gluten-free and lactose-free blueberry muffin, to be prepared backstage at the show.
“Usually the dishes are brought ready and finished only at the time of service. In this case I had to send someone from my kitchen with all the utensils and ingredients to prepare the muffins on the spot,” recalls the banquet chef, who also worked hard to find blueberries in São Paulo – at the time they were not such a common fruit here.
There was one more point of tension. Rita learned that, on another show, Tyler had hated the muffin they made for him and had thrown it against the wall. In Rita’s version, the muffin was made with almond flour and coconut oil—Tyler approved! “At least he didn’t throw it anywhere,” she laughs.
David Bowie and Macrobiotic Food
Although she has grown accustomed to being around so many stars, Rita admits to being shaken by the rock chameleon David Bowie (1947 – 2016), of whom she is a big fan. “I almost fainted when he, who was very kind, came to praise the food and the hospitality of the team,” recalls, who collects the star’s records and has attended several of his shows around the world.
Bowie was a proponent of the macrobiotic diet, which prioritizes organic foods with as little processing as possible. And Rita had to look for some ingredients that were not so easy to find here, such as tempê (a soy-based ferment), which was the basis of several preparations served in the tent, which the production set up for the backstage star of the show, which performed in São Paulo in 1997.
Ozzy Osbourne, Chicken and Salad
Although the Prince of Darkness was scarred by the bite he gave to a bat during a show in 1982 in Iowa (USA), his eating habits have nothing to do with this episode, on the contrary. Rita assures that Ozzy Osbourne follows the healthiest line. His menu usually includes dishes such as grilled salmon, steamed vegetables and organic fruit.
Another of Osbourne’s requests is the Sonoma salad, a classic from the healthy North American Whole Foods Market, made with chicken, celery, pecans, grapes and mayonnaise. “I liked the combination so much that I included this recipe in the rotisserie menu,” says the banquet chef. At the rotisserie counter, the salad costs R$143 per kilo.
However, at Osbourne’s last performance in Sao Paulo, in 2018, he requested, at the last minute, a whole roast chicken seasoned only with salt. “And that’s all he ate,” Rita recalls.
Ringo Starr and Garlic and Onion Allergy
When Rita received instructions from the eternal Beatle’s team, she discovered that Ringo Starr is allergic to garlic and onions. To compensate for the absence of the ingredients, which form the basis of the flavor of countless dishes, the way was to think of another strategy. “Salt is the most important seasoning of all. In this case I use ginger and curry, which have a lot of personality,” she says.
The banquet chef had the opportunity to cook for the eternal Beatles drummer on some of his visits to the capital São Paulo. And he usually orders a tuna salad and is also a big fan of soups. “He loved the ginger-scented pumpkin soup with apple crisps and the cassava cream with curry,” he recalls.
Source: Terra
Earl Johnson is a music writer at Gossipify, known for his in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the industry. A graduate of USC with a degree in Music, he brings years of experience and passion to his writing. He covers the latest releases and trends, always on the lookout for the next big thing in music.
