Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Fogo de Chao: A Great Place to Celebrate

Andy and I were fortunate to be invited to experience a traditional Brazilian gaucho dinner at Fogo de Chao in Santana Row*. Life has been stressful, and it was perfect to get away for a few hours and celebrate everything good in our lives despite all the challenges.

We both really enjoyed the extensive, colorful, fresh and very tasty Market Table that included several seasonal dishes and of course the fabulous meat dishes. It was truly a memorable afternoon, and we tried to capture the experience with the photos we took.

I love the inviting and calming decor when you walk into the restaurant. It was a true respite from the hustle and bustle outside of the restaurant.


The wine wall is quite impressive.


The main dining room is modern and warm.

Soon after we were seated, the most delicious cheese bread was brought out. I'm sensitive to gluten, but I couldn't help myself and indulged in one. It was hard to stop at just one, and Andy certainly had a few...


Andy and I are new to the cocktail scene, so we each ordered one on the recommendation of our helpful server. I got one of the seasonal cocktails: Guava Do Sul – Belvedere Vodka, shaken with guava puree and fresh lemon, then topped with La Marca Prosecco. Both cocktails were delicious, and we both commented that we could get used to drinking cocktails more often...


We started with the Market Table, which featured a lovely and fresh selection of fruits, vegetables and salads.




This is one of the seasonal salads - Spring Pea & Asparagus Salad. The arugula, asparagus, peas and goat cheese go perfectly together. It's a very enjoyable salad, featuring spring flavors.


The cheese selection was also very nice, and I had a little piece of each.



Look at that ham! It was very tasty.


The meats are served with garlic mashed potatoes, polenta and caramelized bananas.  I love mashed potatoes and these did not disappoint. I also really enjoyed the polenta, but Andy was seriously in love with the caramelized bananas. I think he could have eaten twenty of them...


Here we are served filet mignon.


It was very good.


And this is the picanha. Also very tasty.



My favorite meat were the beef ribs. I'm still dreaming of them. So flavorful and tender.


We really enjoyed the interactive dining experience, and the excellent service by all the staff. Our younger son, after seeing the photos, made us already promise to take him there soon. Fogo de Chao is a great place to celebrate a special occasion or experience a special meal "just because."

Cheers to coming back soon!


Questions: Have you ever been to Fogo de Chao? If so, what was your experience like? If you haven't been, would you like to go?

Be well,
Andrea

*Our meals and drinks were comped, but, as always, all opinions are my own.