Brazilian churrascaria Fogo de Chão makes its Florida debut Thursday, October 30th, 2008 at 836 1st Street (between Jefferson and Meridian Avenues) in the South of Fifth area of South Beach. Measuring an impressive 12,000 sq. ft., Fogo de Chão has a capacity of 250 guests and offers an authentic Brazilian dining experience in an elegant setting, with authentic gaucho chefs.
True to Fogo de Chão’s Brazilian roots, the restaurant’s gauchos follow the country’s culinary tradition of cooking beef, pork, lamb and chicken on a customized churrasqueira grill. The gauchos then present and slice the meats from their roasting skewers tableside, with guests controlling the pace of their meal by flipping small cards between green (more food, please!) and red (I’m on a break.). The gauchos of Fogo de Chão’s South Beach location are led by Executive Chef/General Manager Marcos Massocatto. Massocatto first learned this style of cooking as a boy from his father in Southern Brazil. He joined Fogo de Chão in Sao Paulo over 12 years ago as a gaucho chef. He has since worked in several US locations including Dallas, Houston and, most recently, as General Manager of the Chicago location.
“Though the churrascaria experience is not new for many Miami diners, we hope our superb service and authentic representation of the culture of southern Brazil will help us build our reputation among Miami’s distinctive and diverse restaurant scene,” said Jair Coser, Fogo de Chão’s chief executive who co-founded the company with his brother Arri in their native Brazil in 1979. “We hope Fogo de Chão contributes to the vitality and energy of South Beach.”
While the meats take center stage at Fogo de Chão, the restaurant also boasts: a gourmet salad bar, featuring a variety of more than 30 items including cheeses, vegetables and cured meats; limitless sides, which are served tableside, like garlic mashed potatoes, caramelized bananas, crispy polenta and Brazilian cheese bread; an award-winning wine list; and authentic Brazilian drinks such as the caipirinha, made from sugarcane liquor, sugar and lime. Diners often end their meal with Fogo de Chão’s signature dessert, the Papaya Cream, which combines fresh Brazilian papayas with vanilla ice cream and black currant liqueur.
Guests embark on the unique Fogo de Chão culinary adventure upon arrival, immersed in a welcoming yet refined setting of cherry and mahogany dark woods, custom blown glass chandeliers and intricate murals on the surrounding walls, depicting the traditional southern Brazilian gaucho lifestyle – a perfect setting for any occasion, from the couple desiring an intimate table for two, to the group of friends celebrating a birthday. For the first time at a Fogo de Chão location, the South Beach restaurant features a private dining area for up to 12 guests within its extravagant wine cellar, showcasing more than 2,000 bottles of the finest wines from around the world, which can be enclosed for additional privacy by an opaque barrier at the turn of a switch. Five other private dining rooms as well as semi-private areas can accommodate groups from 10 to 150+ guests.
Fogo de Chão is open:
Lunch: Monday – Friday 12:00PM – 2:30PM
Dinner: Monday – Thursday 5:30PM – 10:30PM
Friday 5:30PM – 11:00PM
Saturday 5:00PM – 11:00PM
Sunday 4:30PM – 9:30PM
Dining prices are as follows:
Lunch: $26.50 (includes unlimited trips to the salad bar and all meats and side dishes)
Dinner: $46.50 (includes unlimited trips to the salad bar and all meats and side dishes)
Salad-Bar-Only $19.50 (lunch or dinner)
Drinks, dessert, tax and gratuity are priced separately. Valet service is available for lunch and dinner in addition to the area’s parking options.
Fogo de Chão is proud to have received numerous accolades since opening its first restaurant in the United States in Dallas, Texas in 1997. Named one of America’s top restaurants by the Zagat Survey, Fogo de Chão has topped critics’ lists in locations such as Atlanta, Beverly Hills and Chicago. Nation’s Restaurant News honored the restaurant with its Hot! Concepts Award, and Wine Spectator Magazine has presented Fogo de Chão with its Award of Excellence for the past five years.
For reservations, please call 305.672.0011. Additional information about Fogo de Chão can be found at www.fogo.com.
