Taste Brazilian cuisine at new Naperville steakhouse
The heritage cooking techniques of Brazilian gauchos and farmsteaders are planting new roots in Naperville next week as Fogo de Chão opens its third restaurant in the Chicago area.
The steakhouse is opening Jan. 14, at 1824 Abriter Court near the new Embassy Suites hotel on the city's north side.
Andrew Feldman, senior vice president of marketing, says Fogo is an "incredible dining experience" that lets visitors sample the gaucho way of preparing meats at their own pace.
Diners use red and green medallions at each table to signal when they want a chef to arrive, carrying fire-roasted meat on a skewer, fresh from the grill, and when they want a break.
"It's fun dining at Fogo. It's very interactive," Feldman said. "There's a lot of variety, a lot of customization and choice."
The meal starts with a trip to the Market Table, a spread of seasonal salads, aged cheeses, imported cured meats, fresh vegetables and plenty of unusual items to try, such as Brazilian hearts of palm.
In the southern Brazilian tradition upon which Fogo de Chão restaurants have been modeled since opening in 1979, Feldman says the gaucho, or cowboy, would be outside grilling meat while farm women would turn the harvest into salads and fresh sides to display on a large table indoors.
"It's meant to pay homage to the grand kitchen tables in the farmhouses in Brazil," Feldman said. "It kind of feels like you just happened upon this market in Brazil."
The meats are the main element of the meal, with pork chops, sausage, chicken, rib-eye, sirloin and filet mignon all grilled simply, most seasoned only with a rock salt.
"It's about drawing out the natural flavor in the cut," Feldman said, which makes Fogo food more approachable. "We're from Brazil, but it's simple cuisine."
The restaurant also serves soft, cheesy rolls called Pão de Queijo throughout the meal and offers sides including caramelized bananas, polenta, rice and beans, and garlic mashed potatoes.
The Naperville restaurant opens three years after the region's second Fogo de Chão came to Rosemont in 2013. A Chicago location opened 15 years ago.
Fogo in Naperville seats more than 175 people and has an outdoor patio and a bar, all decorated with black-and-white photos of farms in Brazil.
The entrance features a large sculpture and an atrium features four abstract interpretations of the Araucaria tree from the South American nation. Reservations are encouraged.