Friday evening I hit Fogo de Chao with a friend. It was, in a word, amazing. To begin with, they let you hit a fairly large salad bar, as if you were in a Ponderosa, Golden Corral, or Western Sizzlin'. But the comparison to a standard low-budget steakhouse ends right there: once you've idiotically gorged on greens, they bring out a series of sides, and then you get to use the discs.

Oh yes: the discs.

One turns them from red to green and suddenly crazy gaucho-pants-wearing men with long knives show up to dispense slices of meat to all in attendance. Make them frown by rejecting them, or watch them smile when you agree to try the fillet of lamb! It's all good. For more background on the actual process, feel free to visit their website but put simply, there are 12 different types of meat floating around (some wrapped in delicious bacon) and all are excellent.

Saving room for dessert was a challenge, but we managed to do so, in the process polishing off a couple bottles of Brazilian wine.

The only sad moment came when the bill arrived. Despite the carnival like atmosphere, the style of dress (this is DC, after all) should've clued me in that this was more of a Sam & Harry's than a Ponderosa. Value wise, however, you definitely get your meat money's worth. The next time your favorite carnivore is in town, get him to Fogo, fast!