Maria de Jesus is a small lunch restaurant in Praia Grande run by a woman of the same name, who has been cooking Maranhão food in this spot for over twenty years. The menu is written on a chalkboard and changes daily. The peixe frito (fried fish) with rice and farinha is as good as it gets in a city full of excellent fried fish.
The restaurant has six tables and fills up by 12:30. Come early or late if you want a seat. Cash only. No alcohol. Maria herself is in the kitchen; her daughter serves. It's exactly the kind of place that makes simple food profound.