When it comes to Brazilian rodizio barbecue, the concept is simple: Meat. All you can eat. Sirloin. Filet mignon wrapped in bacon. Ribs. Leg of lamb. Chicken drumsticks wrapped in bacon. Roast pork. Sausages. More bacon. Of course, there is plenty on the side (farfoa, rice & beans, french fries), but let’s face it—unless you’re a vegetarian, you’re there for the barbecue. Craig LaBan just returned from Center City rodizio spot Fogo de Chão and found that the buffet required plenty of coordination:
Digesting the unlimited supply of 15 different cuts of meat being sliced upon my plate that night (which I’m sure far exceeded Fogo’s modest average of 1-1/2 pounds per guest) was starting to strain the brain. Filling up on those addictive cheese popovers and Fogo’s immensely colorful (but somewhat tasteless) salad buffet didn’t help. But I found myself flipping the colored disks and timing the meat deliveries as if they were an Olympic event.
The colored disks? Rodizio restaurants give guests a coaster that’s green on one side and red on the other. They instruct the traveling servers on whether to stop by your table. But if you have one server with filet mignon and another with picanha, that requires coordination.
Fogo de Chão [Inquirer]
Fogo de Chão [MenuPages]
Fogo de Chão [Official Site]
