Fogo De Chao

Fogo De Chao
1337 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
(215) 636-9700

The Philadelphia rendition of Fogo de Chao is located at 13th and Chestnut St in Center City Philadelphia in an exquisite building (the historic Caldwell’s Jewelry Building). The interior, originally designed by famed Philadelphia architect Horace Trumbauer features French-cut chandeliers and 20 foot ceilings.  The atmosphere though, is a juxtaposition of pretentious display and the homey feel of a churrascaria--a restaurant serving grilled meat, many offering as much as one can eat: the waiters move around the restaurant with the skewers, slicing meat onto the client's plate.

This is a unique concept in a restaurant as there really is no menu per-say.  There is a large market table which is the Brazilian equivalent of a salad buffet, and the waiters simply walk around with large skewers of meat. You indicate that you are hungry for more meat using a fun red and green light system of circular placards placed on the table.

The market table features such offerings as: Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Bacon Salad, Winter Citrus Salad, Hearts of Palm, Tabouleh, Apple Salad and Imported Cheese selection. There was something for everyone--meat lovers and vegetarians alike.  This is all inclusive with the price of the meal.

Before dinner, one must start with a cocktail, and the true brazilian specialty available is FOGO PREMIUM CAIPIRINHA: Muddled with Fogo Premium Aged Cachaça, fresh limes and cane sugar.  Caipirinha is Brazil's national cocktail, made with cachaça, sugar and lime. Cachaça, also known as Pinga or Caninha, is Brazil's most common distilled alcoholic beverage.

We started with the shrimp cocktail which was a nice beginning.  The presentation was good and the cocktail sauce adequate to the task.

Some of the homestyle sides available: CARAMELIZED BANANAS, GARLIC MASHED POTATOES, POLENTA (left).  Brought to Southern Brazil by Italian immigrants, polenta made from corn meal remains a staple in Brazilian kitchens to this day.

Some of the many meats available.  This was a medium prime rib.

Meat was delicious.

Of Note:

 Gorgeous bar area

 After dinner mints and matchboxes (for you collectors out there).

 Gorgeous interior with French chandeliers and 20 ft ceilings.

 A well stocked wine cellar.

 Posh restrooms.

 This serving style is called espeto corrido or rodízio, and is quite popular in Brazil.

 Creme brulee was well executed.

Chocolate mouse was very rich and the whip cream was definitely house made.

Del Friscos

Del Friscos
http://delfriscos.com/
1426 Chestnut St Ste 28, Philadelphia, PA 19102 (215) 246-0533

Del Friscos Philadelphia is one of 12 locations spread throughout the country. Famous for their steaks, I would say the Del Friscos in Philadelphia is also famous for its atmosphere. It is located in a huge building right in downtown Philadelphia a minute's walk from City Hall.  The building was a former bank and displays lovely Corinthian columns and carved ceilings with an imposing wine elevator in the center of the restaurant.
Certainly not for people dining on a budget, this is a special occasion or date type of restaurant.  Dinner for two can be expected to run around $180, conservatively.

The shrimp cocktail to start was good, not the best I have tasted but good. I will say, Del Friscos needs to match up the presentation of their dishes to the prices.  For such an immaculate and grand atmosphere and setting, you would expect the food to be dressed a bit nicer.

Lamb (2 Double Cut 8 oz. Chops).  I order it medium and it came out a bit more rare than medium.  Still palatable though.  The cut of meat itself was very good and the teriyaki type sauce with it was nice.  Again, not much in terms of presentation, but taste was very good.

The sides are served family style so everyone at the table can share. These were Sauteed Mushrooms.  Again tasty, but nothing to rave about.

Potatoes Au Gratin. Potatoes Au Gratin is ultimate French comfort food. It involves layering thinly sliced potatoes with heavy cream (a lot of it!) and grated cheese in a gratin dish.  These were tasty as well, again presentation suffered tremendously, but the taste was good.

A well executed creme brulee for dessert.

Chocolate mousse for dessert.
Of Note: