Fogo De Chao

So this past weekend I was able to participate in my first restaurant week event. I went to Fogo de Chao with some of my friends. Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian steakhouse that specializes in beef. They serve some other types of meat too, with the exception of fish and seafood, but they do red meat the best. The restaurant week menu included an all you can eat salad, all the meat you can eat, and dessert for $35.10. This is a steal considering usually they are $50 without the dessert.

If you've never been there, they start you off with a salad bar. The salad bar had by far the best vegetables I've ever eaten in my life. Their vegetables were crisp and fresh. Their cheese was full of flavor. Everything seemed to be so fresh. They even had a block of Parmesan cheese for you to take from. Simply amazing. I probably could have just eaten from their salad bar. Their Asparagus was perfect. First the stems seemed too large to be regular. They 2-3 times bigger than the ones in the grocery store, but they were perfectly cooked. They had a nice crunch to them, and they weren't the least bit stringy. If I didn't remind myself about the meat I was there to eat, I would've gotten full off of the salad by itself.

When you sit down after getting your salad they bring you these cheese puffs called Pao De Queijo. They were warm and fresh and the cheese was perfectly melted in the middle. The cheese complemented the bread ever so wonderfully. They also brought out fried bananas, fried polenta, and mashed potatoes. Everything was so good. The polenta was nice a crisp on the outside, but warm and polentastic on the inside. I enjoyed every bit of it.

Now to the important part, the meat. So they give you this little coaster with a green side and a red side. The concept is easy. Green side up and they bring you meat, red side up and they leave you alone. So you think to yourself who would want to stop it from coming? They are only giving you small portions right? I went in with this mentality and I was proven wrong. The meat comes from all directions and it comes fast. You don't wait more than 5 minutes before someone is stopped next to you asking if you want this or that. The cuts are of a good size too. Not the size of a full 8oz steak, but good enough for a few mouthfuls. Good enough for you to get a good taste of the flavor to remember you want to try that again.

Some of the meats I sampled:

• The House Special
• Top and Bottom Sirloin
• Rib-eye
• Beef Ribs
• Garlic Beef
• Lamb Chops
• Parmesan Pork
• Bacon wrapped Chicken
• Grilled Chicken Legs

Not to mention I didn't try everything they had.  It was all simply amazing.  The first time you try the meat you have to stop and ask yourself if its really that good.  Then you sit there and let the flavors take over your palate.  Several times members of my dinner party felt tingling sensations from flavors they had never experienced.  The meat cut like butter.  The meat was so juicy and so tender.  The charred outside went excellent with the flavor.  Everything seemed to complement each other with the flavors and seasonings.  Did I mention that if you aren't paying attention they continue to bring you meat?  The House Special was by far my favorite, as it exploded with flavor.

The dessert portion consisted of Chocolate Mousse Cake, Key-Lime Cheesecake, and Turtle Cheesecake.  With the exception of the Key-Lime Cheesecake all were stack 3 inches in height and loaded with good flavor.  Sadly we were overwhelmed by the time we got here.  The dessert was definitely good, so make sure you plan in advance.  I didn't, but I managed to squeeze it in nonetheless.

As one person said "It was life changing..."  It was simply the best steak meal I've ever had.  I ate until I couldn't eat anymore.  Then ate twice more.  Restaurant week goes on for another two weeks, and I plan on going back to Fogo De Chao, as someone on a budget it's simply worth every penny.

Good Morning 2010

Good Morning 2010.

I know you've been here for a while now, but I'm just saying good morning. Like everyone I planned on being a different person when I met you. I planned on being that person I want to be. I've noticed this is harder than it sounds. Since you've arrived I've done less and less to make you more welcome. That changes today though. Today I will start a new. First impressions last forever, and I haven't made a very good one so far. I hope to change that today. What changes today?

Everything.

Finding a reason to cry

How does one find their passion in life. I have many friends who have found out what it is they want to do, and they are actively pursing that now. I have not. I know I have limited my options to technology and sports. These are two very generic topics and I know they encompass many things. Within these two topics I have found many interests, but nothing I can show that I excel at. I was given the name Apprentice because I am easily intrigued and continue to try and learn new things. I am always observing someone trying to learn how they became masters at what they do. Yet I continue to ask myself, is it really something you are born with? Can every skill be learned? How does one come about being skillful? Can you really engaged yourself with books, and practical experience and become great ?

I read a lot. I try to read about everything under the sun. I believe that a wide range of knowledge can help you reinvent whatever skill-set you have. By having knowledge of a range of subjects you can apply different principles to your tasks, and even possibly create something new. I remember reading a Wired magazine article not too long ago that talked about specialized sports training. The scientists where trying to recreate situations in sporting events and have their athletes programmed to respond a certain way. Their goal was to get their players to learn some of the same "natural" talents that professionals had. One thing they said was that professionals, especially the great ones, had much experience in the backyard with friends. Just playing around and having fun. This made me think of the Nike commerical with Ronaldinho playing as a kid. The point the commercial makes is that when you are a kid you are fearless, you play for the fun of the game. You aren't afraid to try new things. You really aren't trying new things you are finding ways of completing the mission of the game. Typically scoring. I know that you can't always have fun, and there are some downtimes in life.

I remember crying after losing a championship game in little league. I cried because in my simple life at the time, that game meant a lot to me. I cried cause of the passion, I shared for the game. Today I ask myself, how can I experience that again. When you do something for the joy of it, it means so much more to you. It means more than the money or the fame. You are playing for life, because doing that, whatever it maybe, it brings you life.

Everyone longs to live. I am constantly searching for that which will give me life. Many things can offer me short sprints of life, but few things have given me something to live for. Everyone has a passion in life, and as life progresses that passion can change. I am still searching for my passion, that which one day will lead me to tears, both of joy and pain.