DALLAS, TX :: If you like to dine out, Dallas has got you covered. The city boasts the highest number of restaurants per capita in the nation. As we searched for places to eat dinner, it seemed nearly half of the options were steakhouses, which certainly drew no complaints from me.
I had read a lot of good reviews for Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse (or churrascaria), where fire-roasted meat is skewered onto swords and served at your table. In addition, a 40-item premium salad bar awaited Kristie. It looked like fun, so we decided to treat ourselves – as you can imagine, all-you-can eat steak is not cheap.
We arrived early and were the first couple seated for dinner. Both of our chairs were pulled out for us, and we were immediately impressed with the amazing service. The maitre d’ stopped by our table and provided a history of the restaurant and the gaúcho style of eating. He pointed out that nearly everyone in the kitchen and on the waitstaff were from Brazil. They dressed in billowy pants, tall boots, and wide belts, with a red bandana around their neck, tucked into their light blue shirts. Every time we left our table, our napkins were refolded, our table cleaned, and our plates replaced.
The salad bar was impressive, but much of it was fancy, fatty or meaty stuff that Kristie doesn’t care for: prosciuttos, salamis, olives and fine cheeses. I took a look at the salad bar, but I did not touch. I was saving my appetite for the meat and wine. When the maitre d’ noticed Kristie had just veggies on her plates, without asking, he suprised her with a serving of vegetable fried rice and grilled peppers from the kitchen.
Also on our table was an endless supply of yummy fried bananas, cheese bread, crispy fried polenta, mashed potatoes and a compote or chutney as a topping for the meat, which I’ll speak of now.
Every diner has a disc, green on one side to signal, “Hey, bring me some meat!” and red on the other side to say, “Whoa, give me a chance to loosen my belt!” The team of gaúchos immediately responded to the green, coming one after another, cycling through 15 different cuts of meat. I wasn’t able to taste each option, but I found a few mouth-watering, delectable favorites, including the top sirloin, rib eye, picanha, bacon-wrapped filet and leg of lamb. They also had sausages, chicken, beef ribs, pork ribs, and on and on, my-oh-my. Each bite was so delicious. Chewing softly and slowly, I savored each and every perfectly prepared and seasoned morsel.
Throughout my business travels, I’ve had the opportunity to eat at many fine restaurants. Our dinner at Fogo de Chão was a cut above the best of these. The service was unbelievable – they truly made us feel like visiting royalty – and the food was the best tasting I’ve ever had. It’s a good thing “Fogo” is not yet in Seattle, otherwise the temptation to eat there every night might be too great to resist!
I had read a lot of good reviews for Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse (or churrascaria), where fire-roasted meat is skewered onto swords and served at your table. In addition, a 40-item premium salad bar awaited Kristie. It looked like fun, so we decided to treat ourselves – as you can imagine, all-you-can eat steak is not cheap.
We arrived early and were the first couple seated for dinner. Both of our chairs were pulled out for us, and we were immediately impressed with the amazing service. The maitre d’ stopped by our table and provided a history of the restaurant and the gaúcho style of eating. He pointed out that nearly everyone in the kitchen and on the waitstaff were from Brazil. They dressed in billowy pants, tall boots, and wide belts, with a red bandana around their neck, tucked into their light blue shirts. Every time we left our table, our napkins were refolded, our table cleaned, and our plates replaced.
The salad bar was impressive, but much of it was fancy, fatty or meaty stuff that Kristie doesn’t care for: prosciuttos, salamis, olives and fine cheeses. I took a look at the salad bar, but I did not touch. I was saving my appetite for the meat and wine. When the maitre d’ noticed Kristie had just veggies on her plates, without asking, he suprised her with a serving of vegetable fried rice and grilled peppers from the kitchen.
Also on our table was an endless supply of yummy fried bananas, cheese bread, crispy fried polenta, mashed potatoes and a compote or chutney as a topping for the meat, which I’ll speak of now.
Every diner has a disc, green on one side to signal, “Hey, bring me some meat!” and red on the other side to say, “Whoa, give me a chance to loosen my belt!” The team of gaúchos immediately responded to the green, coming one after another, cycling through 15 different cuts of meat. I wasn’t able to taste each option, but I found a few mouth-watering, delectable favorites, including the top sirloin, rib eye, picanha, bacon-wrapped filet and leg of lamb. They also had sausages, chicken, beef ribs, pork ribs, and on and on, my-oh-my. Each bite was so delicious. Chewing softly and slowly, I savored each and every perfectly prepared and seasoned morsel.
Throughout my business travels, I’ve had the opportunity to eat at many fine restaurants. Our dinner at Fogo de Chão was a cut above the best of these. The service was unbelievable – they truly made us feel like visiting royalty – and the food was the best tasting I’ve ever had. It’s a good thing “Fogo” is not yet in Seattle, otherwise the temptation to eat there every night might be too great to resist!
