On the Menu. Spot of the Week

On the Menu. Spot of the Week. I finally achieved a food-related goal: I had dinner at Fogo de Chao. The first Brazilian steakhouse in Atlanta, Fogo is celebrating its third anniversary and recently expanded its bar and foyer space. This place is huge--seating 280 people, with space for 40 in a private dining area. I had heard about the incredible salad bar, and it's all true. I had to summon up my self control, which for me means trying everything I want, just in tiny portions, so my salad plate boasted just one piece of asparagus, one heart of palm and a few other choice morsels. Then on to the meat, as a parade of gauchos came bearing skewers the size of a lacrosse stick, offering us sumptuous, juicy, tender slices of meat until I had to turn over my card to red, signaling them that I needed a break. There are 15 types of meats offered and I did my best to get through them all. At first I ignored the cheese puffs, but finally gave in and had one of these delectable little breads. Alas, at that point, why not order dessert? I'm so glad I did because the Creme de Papaya is about one of the best desserts I've ever had. A pudding of papaya and ice cream, drizzled with creme de cassis, it was a perfect ending to this culinary trip to Brazil.