Finally, Fogo de Chao Opens

After months of anticipation and unmitigated hype, Fogo de Chao, the huge chain of Brazilian steak houses or churrascarias has opened on 3rd St. next to The Melting Pot and across from the convention center.

I dined there at their preview dinner last week and had a very pleasant evening. Aside from seeing the usual suspects one sees at these dinners-the very talented Virginia Wood and Wes Marshall of the Chronicle-I had the singular pleasure to dine with my own culinary interpreter of sorts, Magna Sampaio who aside from being the owner of Sampaio’s on Burnet is Brazilian through and through.

Fogo has a humongous salad bar that dominates that center of the restaurant. The items range from hearts of palm to fresh asparagus, tabouli salad, sautéed peppers, a variety of greens and much more. The idea is to start with the salad bar which we did. No problems there.

Then you put up the green sign on your table for espeto comido or continuous dining and the real fun begins. Waiters dressed in gaucho garb come to your table and offer you various grilled meats on huge skewers. Having been to other churrascarias around the country including our own Estancia Churrascaria which opened in April in Sunset Valley, I had developed some favorite meats. I like the Picanah or top sirloin which is the favorite cut in southern Brazil where this “cowboy” cuisine developed. I also love the Alcatra and Cordiero (young leg of lamb).

Alas, I found the Picanah to be lacking in that sensual, juicy flavor I’m used to. Ditto for the Alcatra.
In Brazil, the primary spice used to prepare the meats is sea salt.

Magna felt they could have used more of it. I agreed. I did like the Beef Ribs and the Filet Mignon. And on about the third pass, they brought by some Picanha that was more in line with my expectations. Magna and I both agreed that the service was exceptional. And I’m sure they’ll pick up the seasoning issues on the meats as they round into form. After all, they are the 800-pound gorilla of the churrascaria industry.

There is another plus to Fogo’s concept in this time-challenged environment we life in. You can enjoy the salad bar and the meats, have a bottle of wine, and be out in and hour and a half. Or linger longer if you choose.

The fee for this continuous dining is about $40 per person which includes the salad bar, side dishes, and the meats. Drinks and desserts are extra.

But after first blush, at $28 per person for almost identical fare (and a slightly smaller salad bar) Estancia Churrascaria must be considered an extremely viable dining alternative. And I’m hoping that Fogo will also raise the bar for aware of all Brazilian cuisine in Austin: thus directing more diners to the exquisite Sampaio’s as well.

Why More Americans are Dining Out on Thanksgiving

There used to be a time in this country when finding a restaurant to dine in on Thanksgiving was virtually impossible. Thanksgiving meant a huge family dinner with a variety of family members, nuclear and otherwise, and yes, even crazy Uncle Albert who got a one-day pass to come home from the Institution (that no one ever acknowledged). It meant the men drinking beer and hunkering down to watch football and the women cooking, sipping wine and gossiping in the kitchen. And in most houses, the kids always had their own special little table. This enforced seating presupposed that all the little brothers and sisters and cousins would get along for an hour or two. You bet!

Times, to say the least, have changed. More Americans then ever are dining out on Thanksgiving these days. Does this signal the end of a cultural epoch? Has one of our most cherished Clark Griswoldian traditions fallen victim to the siren’s cry of an afternoon of relative serenity outside of hearth and home culminating in somebody NOT having to do the dishes?

No, I think not. The simple reason is because we Americans have more disposable income than ever before. We’re dining out because we’re able to! And because a great premium has been placed on time. Many see a Thanksgiving dinner at a restaurant as a way to maximize the interaction potential for the day. Instead of cooking and cleaning, the entire family-Uncle Albert included– can eat and drink to their heart’s content. And another ugly little truth has also fueled this holiday dining surge: quite a few Americans really suck at cooking! There was a giant disconnect between mom’s of the WWII generation and their daughters with regard to skills in the kitchen; and a even larger gap between Baby Boom moms and their precious darlings. As a result, fast casual restaurants have leaped in to fill the knowledge gap. Thanksgiving is no difference: overcooked or undercooked turkey and runny mashed potatoes can send even the most devoted family into a mood altering tailspin.

So don’t feel guilty over the next week if you suddenly decide that 9 hours of kitchen labor on the 22nd is not for you. Log on to www.diningoutwithrobbalon.com and check out our copious list of restaurants that will be open on Thanksgiving. And if they’re on our list, you know you don’t have to worry about the cook.