Fogo de Chao

Date visited: Tuesday, May 15

I ended up at Fogo de Chao (645 Hennepin Ave., 612.338.1344), the new Brazilian steakhouse downtown, because I got a hook up for a free lunch from a friend. It's not a restaurant I would pick, but I was pleasantly surprised by the salad bar offerings (artichokes, roasted red peppers, cheeses, a variety of mixed salads, delicious asparagus and more), the tasty side dishes (crispy polenta cubes, mashed potatoes) and the amazing cheesy pastry puffs that the waiters kept bringing to the table. I also enjoyed a papaya dessert, and the flan and molten chocolate cake that my companions ordered were mouth-watering as well.

That said, I can't recommend the restaurant to vegetarians. Remember, it's a Brazilian steakhouse. There's literally meat at every turn. Waiters wearing gauchos patrol the dining room with 15 different skewers of meat, shaving off slices to hungry diners on demand. I don't mind watching people eat meat as long as I don't have to, but many of my fellow vegetarians would be disgusted (and rightfully so).

The moral of the story: If you are forced into a meal at Fogo de Chao (or get a free hook-up), there's nothing to worry about, you won't starve. But making it a destination isn't the best idea - as if you needed me to tell you that.