A meat paradise opened within the last 9 months in Scottsdale and I knew I was destined to enjoy.

The original taste of Southern Brazil makes its home in the US in the form of Churrascarias (Brazilian Steakhouses). There are various independently owned restaurants of this type around the country. Typically, I am “anti-chain” but I made an exception for Fogo De Chao. I am very, very glad.

Where the magic happens.

A little history for you (according the menu that Fogo let me hijack on my way out) “In Rio Grande do Sul, herds of cattle graze the state’s vast pastures providing Brazil with meats for the famous “Churrasco” barbecues-a centuries old “Gaucho” tradition. In the olden days, Gauchos pierced large pieces of meat and slowly grilled them over flamed pits.” Mmmm… I can see myself hanging out with the Gauchos and eating meat off the sword. What a life.

Eric and I invited two couples to join us and we embarked upon our meat goodness tour 2009.

We (Eric and I) had experienced the joy of Fogo a few months prior and were very enthusiastic about sharing this with Matt, Kristi, Erin and Jeremy.

The ladies.

The men.

We were seated in a small section of the dining room off of the main room. The server was very pleasant and festooned in his Gaucho gear. There’s just something about a man wearing short pants… He explained the concept of Fogo. Get up; eat off of the fabulous salad bar. When you’ve had enough roughage, flip the small coaster next to your water glass from “red” to “green” and behold the meat. 

Fifteen different courses. Yes. I said fifteen. Here’s a quick list to get your taste buds moving:

Prime Sirloin, Garlic Prime Sirloin, Filet Mignon, Bacon Wrapped Filet, Top Sirloin, Bottom Sirloin, Prime Rib-Eye, Leg of lamb, Lamb Chops, Parm Crusted Pork, Pork Ribs, Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Chicken Legs, 2 types of Pork Sausage.

Hungry yet?

We all trooped up to the salad bar and loaded up our plates with antipasto, cheese and salad. I am a fan of anything that’s marinated, aged or cured. Therefore an entire salad bar filled with cured and smoked meats, cheeses, hearts of palm, artichokes etc. makes me instantly happier.

Cheese and cured meats. Mmmm...

My plate of antipasto. Note--don't eat too much of this or you will not be able to enjoy all the meat!

We noshed on our cold plates, discussed exactly how much meat we planned on consuming and then decided to all ceremonially turn our cards from red to green in unison. We were ready.

In a perfectly coordinated symphony of meat men, three guys in short pants holding swords showed at once. Sirloin and Filet and Chicken Oh MY! Of Course I will have some!

Jeremy admires the Top Sirloin.

They cut. We chewed. Delicious. The filet mignon at this joint is (dare I say it??) unparalleled. I love Mastros for a great filet. However, not much beats meat on a sword cooked over an open flame.

Behold! The joy!

We all finished round 1 fairly close together. We were feeling brave. We only waited a few minutes before flipping our cards to green again.

This time, 4 men arrived with lamb, chicken wings, sausage and the house special cut. Yum!

We all agreed the chicken was a bit funky tasting (too much vinegar) but the sausage was delicious and moist. The house special cut and the flank steak were delightful. I especially like it when I get an “end” so one side has the salt crust that has been caramelized from the flame. The smoky taste combines with the juiciness of the meat and explodes in your mouth.

ROAR! I would like one of these dudes at my house daily.

In a meat whirlwind, our plates were whisked away and replaced with fresh ones. At this point, even the guys started slowing down. We started making meat jokes.

            “Better be careful on the way home; you will end up with a meat DUI.”

            “How much more of this meat-o-rama are we going to endure?”

You get the drift. Still, we trooped on. Some pork ribs and lamb chops showed up. Erin requested more flank steak. Kristi was combining Parmesan cheese and meat on her plate. The men started gripping their stomachs and groaning with primal intensity.

At this point, our eyes started to glaze over and we were sated. I never thought I could reach meat-coma status. But it is indeed possible.

We were offered dessert and coffee but politely declined. I wasn’t certain I could stand one more drop of food or drink.

They bring you some fried bananas, polenta and potatoes. Who cares? Bring more meat!

We said our goodbyes, decided we could do this meat indulgence about once/quarter and decided our next dinner together would be salad only.

Overall, this was a fabulous dinner. The quality and freshness of the meats is second to none. The service was impeccable. They are attentive, polite and truly interested in pleasing their customers. The all-you-can-eat meat fest costs $46.50/person plus tax and tip. I would argue it is worth every penny.

I may not be back soon, but I will be back for certain.  Thanks friends for a memorable dinner. Till we meat again.