Checking out Rosemont’s latest addition: Fogo de Chao & gift card giveaway

Carving it up at Fogo De Chao Rosemont

Rosemont is certainly coming up in new, cool stuff: A brand new outlet mall with the storied Tory Burch, the recent movie theatre and entertainment complex, and now, meat!

It’s been a good while (11 years, to be exact) since the Southern Brazilian meat craze hit Chicagoland, and those years intervening were probably needed to prepare for their latest entry, right in the heart of Rosemont’s entertainment district. This Fogo De Chao is actually only the second location in Chicagoland and opened on September 26.

The kitchen staff, plating our amazing desserts.

This location is as sophisticated and comfortable as you’ve come to expect from the city’s Fogo. Rosemont’s prices also are a bit better than Chicago’s too, at $26.50 for lunch and $46.50 for dinner.

The huge, delectable salad bar gives no reminiscences of steakhouses past with freshness and a variety of great options, like smoked salmon, hearts of palm and jumbo asparagus. Between that and the delectable desserts and wine room with a long list of award-winning varietals, you’ll almost miss the reason we came here: Meat!

A typical lunch or dinner gives a choice of up to 16 types of meat, with the Longo (pork loin) a favorite at our table. You eat a prix fixe menu utilizing that disc that’s green on one side and red on the other. And just like a green light, the green side keeps the delectable meats coming! I loved the fact that we could request particular meats again and even how well we’d like them cooked.

Wine Room

Add in the side dishes of warm cheese bread (amazingly light and tasty!), crispy hot polenta, garlic mashed potatoes and caramelized bananas (insanely great) and we all but gave up on the idea of dessert. But their chocolate cake, creamy cheesecake (not your typical NY style brick!) and papaya cream (pudding) are can’t-miss.

Also don’t miss their drinks — the non-alcoholic Brazilian lemonade was refreshing and the caipirinha potent and tropical. There also are a number of big party rooms for almost any size soiree, and the staff was quite accommodating and friendly.

Salad Bar

Of course, I’d be terribly mean if I didn’t offer you a sample. Courtesy of #FogoRosemont and #ChicagonistaLive, the best comment on this post will receive a $50 gift card for Fogo De Chao, mentioned during the Tuesday, October 8 ChicagonistaLive show at 2pm CST! Voting will be done by #FogoRosemont. Also featured on the show are WTTW’s Check, Please! new host Cat D’ Orio and Guy-a-titian David Grotto.

And even better, don’t miss the complimentary dessert when you mention “ChicagonistaLIVE” at the Rosemont location throughout October 2013!