This week Barry had cataract surgery on his second eye and I once again provided his transportation. To thank me, he took me to lunch at Fogo de Chao in Scottsdale.
Fogo is a much sleeker and more upscale version of Tucanos, the churrascaria we ate at in Albuquerque last year. The burgundy walls, metal and art glass chandeliers, and servers in stylized gaucho costumes lend the restaurant a definite air of elegance, and the salad bar included grilled red peppers, beautiful plump asparagus in vinaigrette, smoked salmon, manchego cheese, and a version of tabouli as well as the expected greens and olives. Here, too, the servers constantly circulated with freshly grilled meats on skewers, but the selection was heavily weighted toward various cuts of steak. Side dishes that come with every meal include cheese bread, fried polenta, garlic mashed potatoes, and caramelized bananas. The polenta was a little too salty for my taste but everything else I tried was excellent; the medium-rare baby lamb chops were particularly divine. Even with small portions of everything we were unable to try all 15 of the meat selections, let alone the desserts.
The prices are more upscale as well. Tucanos charges a base price of $13.95 for lunch and $20.95 for dinner; at Fogo de Chao, lunch is $28.50 and dinner $46.50 before drinks and dessert, putting it into the "special occasion" category for us. Still, I will definitely go back, even if just for the salad bar ($19.50 by itself) and the ambiance.
"Click here to see the How to Fogo experience" ~ http://www.fogodechao.com
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