Craig LaBan takes it all in at Fogo de Chão and despite maddeningly inconsistent meat dishes, the show is what makes it worth the visit.

And the unfailing charm of those gauchos, who slice their meats with tableside theatricality in an elegant room that few local restaurants can match, is ultimately what saves this newcomer from falling back into the one-bell fire.

Fogo de Chão (which means “Fire of the Ground” or “Campfire”) has a number of flaws – including a gas grill that gives its meats noticeably less flavor than traditional charcoal flames.

But the fun factor here is undeniable, and it is definitely worth a visit. I’d choose lunch if given a choice, as it is nearly half the price of dinner ($24.50 compared with $44.50) for the same selection of all-you-can eat meats and salad bar. Though with pounds of beef in your belly, you’d best plan a midday nap instead of going back to work.

Two Bells – Very Good

Fogo de Chão [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Fogo de Chão [Official Site]

Sunday Craig LaBan will be reviewing the meat lovers paradise of Fogo de Chão.

Cary Neff who has owned the Sansom Street Oyster House for the past seven years is opening a brasserie at 5th and Bainbridge. No name or date has been set for the opening. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

All month, Bootsie’s, 38 S 19th Street, is offering a deal. Order one entrée at full price and get the second at half price. [Bootsie's]

Shula’s 347 is set to open next Thursday at the Philadelphia Marriott West in West Conshohocken. The 347 refers to Don Shula’s wins as an NFL head coach. No word on when Kotite 40 will be opening. [Table Talk, Philadelphia Inquirer]

The Wild Onion in Rosemont is now smoke-free upstairs until 11 PM. [Main Line Restaurant Guide]

MenuPages now has menus for over 2,000 local restaurants including new spots like Osteria, Cebu and Fogo de Chao. [MenuPages]

Kirsten Henri visits Fogo de Chão and finds the Brazilian Steakhouse is playing it safe. But that doesn’t mean that the chain isn’t worthwhile.

Quite the contrary. It’s good, it’s fun and it’s a handsome spot to dine. It’s all high ceilings, rich walnut browns and tall, gilt columns, and rows of wine stacked behind glass. It’s an appealing renovation of the historic former headquarters of jeweler J.E. Caldwell’s.

It’s also a fine alternative to any of the other chain steakhouses in town because, despite its exotic Portuguese name, the food is about as adventurous as dining at the Palm. It’s the old steakhouse formula: big meat, big red wine in a big macho setting. The only challenge you’ll find here is pronouncing Fogo de Chão properly.

Welcome to the Flesh-a-Dome [Philadelphia Weekly]
Fogo de Chão [Official Site]

It’s hard to imagine there’s a sillier question than the one we were asked a couple weeks ago at Fogo de Chão, “can we interest you in filet wrapped in bacon?” Come on now, we’re sitting at Philadelphia’s newest steakhouse, a shrine to meat. Do you think we came here for the salad? We came here for the meat. And meat we will have. And if its wrapped in bacon, you better bring lots of it.

And we’ve been craving the bacon wrapped filet since we left Fogo. The delicious steak, the seasoning protected by its bacon shell, its juiciness locked in. From the first bite it is an explosion of flavor.

Fogo de Chão is open for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Dinner will set you back $44 for the all you can eat extravaganza, lunch is the same deal but for just $24.

Rick Nichols visits Fogo de Chão and follows the night of chef/server/gaucho Ivanir Luis Delavecchia.

Within three minutes, he’s back in the kitchen, smearing a little salt on the exposed meat, hoisting the skewer back on the grill. Its rosy surfaces caramelize and darken again for their encore.

But another skewer is already ready: He’s off, his trousers billowing, his elbows tucked close, his knife and skewer held chest-high in the prescribed two-finger vertical hold.

He cuts a proud figure – an other-American cowboy, a keeper of the flame, untrivialized by the cynical branding of Roy Rogers or Lone Star or Golden Corral.

In a city besieged by cheesy corporate chains (Olive Garden!) and history-erasing interiors, I’m glad he rode into town – and the Fogo gang along with him.

Gauchos stride the range on Chestnut St. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Fogo de Chão [Official Site]

A.D. Amorosi explains the game of eating at Fogo de Chão.

So what makes Fogo special? It serves 15 cuts of meat, including filet mignon, prime rib, lamb chops and pork sausage. More importantly, it lures young country boys like Jean Boschetti and Leandro Benacchio to join Fogo de Chão as children, then rears them within the chain (there are 13 locations worldwide) until they’re hired on as executive chefs. Given the gauchos’ (pronounced gaw-oo-chos) years of training and Fogo’s emphasis on constant table-side service, they take pride in how they cut their meat and pay close attention to the details (thickness, rareness, temperature, etc.). The relationship between chef and diner is eye to eye, hand to hand and knife to fork.

Fogo de Chão [City Paper]

Meals at the recently opened Fogo de Chão are offered under the service concept of espeto corrido, which translates from Portuguese as “continuous service.” A two sided disk, one side red, one side green, indicates to chefs when you’re ready for more skewers of sizzling fire-roasted meats.

The concept is the same for lunch or dinner, but the price is not. The dinner price is $44 per person, while at lunch the same deal is just $24. So if you find yourself working up quite a hunger, hunting for those last second gifts, why not try Fogo de Chão for lunch.

Fogo de Chão [Official Site]

Well there seems to be a big end-of-year push to open restaurants. Just this week we’ve seen Rae, upstairs and Loie and Tiffin open earlier this week. Now add Fogo de Chão and Trattoria Alla Costiera to the list. We didn’t realize the Openings section would be getting updated quite this frequently.

Michael Klein’s Table Talk is especially chock full of goodies this week.

Copper Bistro is replacing Aden in Northern Liberties this week.

Marc Vetri’s Osteria is looking to open in January at 640 N Broad Street.

Scott Schroeder, formerly of Deuce has updated the menu at Pontiac Grille on South Street.

And there’s some inside an update on Fogo de Chão including how to properly pronounce the Brazilian churrascaria’s name.

Inn ready to roll out at old Trolley Stop site in Skippack [Table Talk]