And this is Brazilian

Like Southerners, Brazilians set aside Sunday noon as family dinner time, when everyone gathers around the table for good food and talk. So we weren't surprised when we walked into Brazzille on a recent Sunday to find several families going through the buffet line, tucking into their grilled meats and rice while keeping an eye on Carnivale, broadcast from Rio on a TV over the bar.

It's easy to see the attraction of this new restaurant, which opened a couple of months ago in a spot formerly occupied by a bikers' bar. Partners Harris Footer (''I'm the American'') and Marcelo Lima (''I'm the Brazilian'') spent almost a year in renovations, and the result is an inviting place with high ceilings and sky light, funky designer lights, a bright green-and-blue color scheme, and an enormous photograph of lily pads from an Amazon national that covers an entire wall.

But the showpiece of the room is an authentic Brazilian rotisserie that produces succulent beef, chicken, pork, and turkey along with tantalizing aromas to tempt the taste buds. The churrasco, or Brazilian barbecue, is served buffet style and is the national tradition in dining out. For $12.95, you can heap your plate with various hot and cold salads and starchy dishes. There's a white rice salad with diced carrots, corn, ham, and raisins; pinto beans studded with ''bacon,'' or pork rinds; and fried cauliflower in a creamy white sauce. Or try a palate-cleansing green salad, and don't forget to help yourself to the bland, slightly salty Brazilian cheese. The lasagna features ham and lots of garlic. Plantains, sweet and soft, should go on every plate.

From the sizzling skewers, a waiter carves thin slices of beef, chicken wrapped in bacon, and lamb with rosemary. There's also linguica - pork or chicken sausages. The spit is heated from the bottom as well as the top, making the meat tender and juicy. Grilled pineapple offers a sweet respite. The buffet items are rotated weekly for variety.

Lima came to this country 21 years ago and worked two jobs in order to achieve his American dream: opening his own sit-down restaurant and, a year ago, becoming a US citizen. He and his wife, Lidia, previously ran a takeout place next door. When the adjoining property became available, he and Footer decided to take a gamble.

''It was a rough place with no windows,'' says Footer. ''And it was painted black on the inside.''

Now, the place is light and airy with huge storefront windows. Thursdays through Sundays there's a guitarist and vocalist, and the crowds sing along. ''It's right out of 'Casablanca,' without the politics,'' says Footer.

Brazzille has a full liquor license and boasts a native rum (cachaca) cocktail called a caipirinha, with sugar, lime, and ice. There's also a wine and beer list that includes Brazilian offerings.

Start with the cod fish cakes ($6.95), puffy golden-brown orbs with a crisp finish, served with spicy mayo. The chicken morsels ($6.95) are tender and boneless, and come with grilled peppers and onions.

Because the buffet includes so many dishes, the menu itself is limited. The steak ($11.95) is thinly sliced, still juicy and flavorful, and comes with a side of rice and beans. The chicken parmesan ($14.95) is a spectacle. The breast is butterflied, so large that it overlaps the edges of the platter. There's the ubiquitous ham layered between the chicken and the light marina sauce, with a melted cheese blend on top.

If you want to splurge, go for the rodizio ($17.95), which includes the buffet plus an all-you-can-eat meat feast, carved at your table until you say ''stop!'' Or if you just want to take the buffet offerings home, grab a styrofoam container and go for it: $5.49 a pound.

Do save room for desserts ($3.50), which are made on the premises. The flan is velvety with a subtle caramel flavor. We loved the sweet, creamy passion fruit mousse. And the doce de leite is a milk pudding dotted with diced peaches.

Since we're ''Americans,'' we were warned away from the papaya dream, which, said Footer, is ''50 percent sugar.'' He was accurate. Though we love papaya, this dish is so sweet it'll make your teeth ache. So we moved on to the chiffon cookie cake before staggering happily out the door.