"Pace yourself." That was what we were told many times over before we visited Boston's newly opened Brazilian steakhouse, Fogo de Chao. If you eat too fast or too much of one item, you won’t know what you’re missing until the beef brigade starts passing you by. Brazilian “gauchos” come with a seemingly endless supply of skewers, loaded with everything from filet mignon to juicy sirloin sliced table side.
Our server told us about the 45-item salad bar overflowing with fresh mushrooms, tomatoes, zucchini, cucumbers, white rice, black beans and a variety of breads and cheeses, suggesting we take our time before being presented with the 15 different selections of meats.For an authentic Brazilian dining experience, start off with a cocktail known as the caipirinha — a sweet concoction of sugar cane, lime and rum — or order a few appetizers. Our server brought a bowl of garlic mashed potatoes, fried polenta and a batch of caramelized bananas we couldn’t get enough of.
When it's time for the main event, guests are given a circular card with one green side, indicating you are ready for more food, and one red side, signaling you’ve had your fill. Skewers of sizzling meat (and even grilled mozzarella) are paraded through the dining room along with various cuts of beef, pork, lamb and chicken. Here you can sample everything including picanha (a Brazilian sirloin flavored with garlic), filet mignon, prime ribeye, lamb and chicken legs, pork loin, bacon wrapped filets and more.
When you are just about ready to throw in the towel, the after-dinner drink cart arrives. Instead of a beverage, we opted for a sampling of molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream and delightfully light strawberry cream—the perfect ending to a fun evening.
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Kellie K. Speed
Is a freelance travel writer with more than 20 years experience. She provides, travel and restaurant reviews, luxury pieces, product features for magazines such ...
