| A normal night out with a few friends all of a | | | | parade to start or stop is a colored coaster. |
| sudden turned into a celebration. I don't know | | | | Green on one side and red on the other spur the |
| what we were celebrating, other than the fact it | | | | gauchos into action. Beef, pork, lamb and chicken |
| was Thursday and this particular group of friends | | | | in various shapes arrive warm and well seasoned. |
| hadn't seen much of each other over the | | | | I tried to taste them all and paid dearly for it later |
| summer. So rather than join the rest of | | | | that night. (Thank You Tums) |
| Minnesota at the fairgrounds, since this was the | | | | I really really liked the little side dishes brought |
| end of August, we all met up at a ginormous | | | | with little or no fanfare to the table. (As if the |
| restaurant on Hennepin Avenue in downtown | | | | salad bar and meats weren't enough) First to be |
| Minneapolis for a different kind of "food on a | | | | brought out while we were still having cocktails |
| stick" experience. This joint seats over 200 people | | | | was a basket of warm pao de queijo, melt in |
| and was very crowded so I guess we weren't | | | | your mouth baked cheese puffs made with |
| the only ones looking for alternatives to Sloppy | | | | chewy cassava flour and parmesan cheese. |
| Joe on a stick. Fogo de Chao, (Portuguese for | | | | These little beauties are addicting foils to a chilled |
| campfire) serves all of their meals on a stick. Well | | | | Caiprihna, the high octane lime and cachaca |
| they're actually more like a cross between a long | | | | national cocktail of Brazil. During the meal more |
| sword and barbecue skewer. This Brazilian chain | | | | side dishes in tiny silver platters are set on the |
| opened in late April and has been winner with | | | | table. One was filled with an ok mashed potato, |
| locals and tourists alike, but most likely tourists I | | | | but the other two were real treats. Fried polenta, |
| suspect. Our local fascination with food on a stick | | | | crispy on the outside with a creamy slightly |
| really doesn't go much beyond Labor Day. | | | | cheesey inside and fried bananas, sweet and |
| The food service at Fogo is made up of two | | | | warm. |
| very distinctive features. The first is a Class A | | | | We actually made it to dessert. We tried a few |
| salad/cold appetizer bar. The self service island | | | | Creams, ice cream and fruit blends. Or fruit |
| dominates the center of the dining room loaded | | | | shakes north of the pampas. And a passable Key |
| with a great selection of cold salads, sliced | | | | Lime pie that was actually a welcome tangy |
| charcuterie, cheeses, thick asparagus stalks, large | | | | respite from all the rich meat. |
| hearts of palm and smoked salmon to name just | | | | This is a real party experience. Fogo is not the |
| a few of the more notable treats. This salad bar | | | | place to go for a light bite. You need to go hungry |
| eaten alone would make a worthy reason to visit. | | | | and be prepared to overeat. To put it in |
| And it is available by the way without having to | | | | Minnesota terms, dinner at Fogo De Chao is a lot |
| partake in the meat on a stick portion of the | | | | like a trip to Target. You know how it is, you go |
| show. | | | | in for one thing and come out with a hundred |
| The meat... wow, a seemingly endless parade of | | | | dollars worth of stuff you didn't know you |
| costumed "gouchos" approach your table, | | | | needed. With its over abundant salad bar and |
| sometimes two or three at a time for large | | | | tasty parade of meat, an overstuffed feeling |
| groups, ready to carve a slice or un wedge a | | | | after dinner at Fogo is a hard trap to avoid. |
| chunk of simply roasted meat. The signal for the | | | | |