LOCATION

The Rio Vermelho, a traditional neighborhood of Salvador, has its history linked to the beginning of the European occupation in Brazil. Located in the Tupinambás tribe territory, the name of the location derives from COMORO = red and IPE = river, due to the muddy water of the river flowing into the ocean. Not far from the river's mouth, at Pedra da Concha, started the saga of Diogo Álvares Correia, also known as Caramuru. With his favorite tupinambá indian, named Catarina Paraguassu, he made history in the new Portuguese territory. Both were taken in a commercial mission by Jacques Cartier in 1527 to France, were they spent time a long time, with the beautiful Paraguasu being introduced to the French Court. Caramuru occupied an important position in the beginning of the colonization, fully believing in the French control in South Atlantic. Nobody knows where the reality ends and the myth begins but the legend of this first miscegene couple instigates our minds and the Zank could not propose another atmosphere than the one inspired in the Paraguassu legend and its French "penchents".

In the beginning of the last century, the Rio Vermelho became a resort of the good society in Salvador and established itself as the artists and famous neighborhood, like the Amados couple, Jorge and Zélia, João Ubaldo Ribeiro, Caymmi, Caribé, Wilson Lins, Mário Cravo, Cid Teixeira and many other great names. Not far from the Zank, we can also see the "baiano relaxing place" of Caetano Veloso. 

A "memory wall" in the restaurant room honors these famous or anonymous that gave life and prestige to this neighborhood and to Bahia.

Judith Pottecher