by Dennis Richardson
Fogo de Chão, the internationally-renowned restaurant from Brazil that allows guests to make culinary discoveries at every turn, opened its newest restaurant in Brea on Monday, December 4th. Located directly across from the Brea Mall at 311 S. State College Blvd, this new location marks the third Fogo de Chão restaurant in Orange County and the 10th location in Southern California. As part of their introduction to the Brea community, Fogo will donate a portion of its first week of sales to Pathways of Hope, a local charity dedicated to alleviating homelessness, poverty, and food insecurity in the area.
Designed in partnership with global design agency Innovation & Design in Architecture, the new restaurant features an expansive dining room centered around an open churrasco grill. Here, guests can dine while watching gaucho chefs demonstrate the Culinary Art of Churrasco as they butcher, prepare, and grill different cuts of protein over an open flame. The Brea restaurant also showcases an outdoor dining patio, soaring wine cases, a marble seasonal Market Table, dry-aged meat lockers for in-house aging, a lively indoor Bar Fogo area ideal for all-day happy hour, and private dining spaces available for guests to reserve for any occasion.
“At Fogo, our commitment to crafting memorable dining experiences for guests encompasses more than just our restaurants; it includes supporting our neighbors in the communities we serve. We’re honored to collaborate with Pathways of Hope, an organization making a big impact in the Brea community and beyond,” said Barry McGowan, Chief Executive Officer of Fogo de Chão. “Brea is an exceptional community for us to introduce our experiential dining concept to both new and returning guests, and we’re excited to continue our continued growth in the greater Los Angeles area.”
Leading the Brea team is General Manager Mari Chacon, who began her journey with Fogo four years ago as a Bartender in Pittsburgh, PA. During her tenure, Mari has ascended through various leadership roles, including Customer Service Representative and Assistant Manager. Mari and her team look forward to becoming part of the Brea community and providing over 100 local jobs for talented individuals committed to delivering an exceptional experience to all guests.
Fire-roasted meats, the core of Fogo’s experience, include guest favorites such as Bone-In Ribeye, Lamb Chops, and the house specialty, Picanha —the prime part of the top sirloin. Fogo Brea offers a range of menu selections and prices to fit guests’ needs for lunch and dinner, including:
• Full Churrasco Experience – The signature prix-fixe menu selection that includes all premium and classic cuts, plus the fresh and seasonal Market Table & Feijoada Bar and authentic Brazilian side dishes.
• Indulgent Cuts – Guests can enhance their experience with a 20 oz. Wagyu New York Strip that is carved tableside on a Himalayan salt block to complement the cut’s intense marbling and buttery texture. A decadent, dry-aged 32 oz. Long Bone Tomahawk Ribeye or 24 oz. Wagyu Ribeye is also available to order for the table.
In addition to these options, the menu also includes the following:
• Select Cuts starting at $38 – For a lighter meal, dinner guests can opt for continuous service of one fire-roasted cut in addition to the Market Table and Brazilian side dishes.
• Weekday Lunch – Includes the seasonal Market Table & Feijoada Bar, plus family-style service of Brazilian side dishes for $18 per person. Guests may choose to add a single cut of fire-roasted meat or have the Full Churrasco Experience.
• Weekend Brazilian Brunch – Includes the Full Churrasco Experience combined with Brazilian-inspired brunch items like Braised Beef Rib Hash and made-to-order waffle and omelet stations.
• All-Day Happy Hour – Guests can enjoy $10 Brazilian-inspired cocktails, $8 glasses of South American wines, and $5 Beer all-day every day, in the dining room, patio and bar.Additionally, all bottles of South American wines under $130 are half priced all day every day.
• Bar Fogo – The Brea bar offers an elevated experience with a warm, timeless design and dedicated bar staff designed to allow guests to linger while enjoying smaller, shareable plates like a Picanha Burger or Lobster & Shrimp Tacos.
• Inclusive Menu Options — Guests can discover options for all dietary tribes from vegan to pescatarian and more. These nutrient-dense dishes include entrée alternatives to the Churrasco experience like Chilean Sea Bass, Seared Tofu & Black Bean Pasta and Cauliflower Steak, or indulgent appetizer options like jumbo shrimp cocktail and Seafood Tower.
• Fogo To-Go & Catering — Bring the Fogo experience home with individual churrasco entrees, à la carte offerings, full-service catered events with on-site grilling and ready-to-eat or ready-to-grill options.
• Group and Private Dining — Whether celebrating a special birthday or hosting a corporate meeting, the Brea location has a dedicated sales manager and offers customizable menus, beautiful private and semi-private dining spaces, and complimentary A/V equipment.
by Dennis Richardson
Exciting news for the tea and boba lovers!
It’s Tea Time at The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®, the Southern California favorite serving premium coffee and tea for the past 60 years. Today, December 1st, the iconic specialty coffee and tea brand has launched the World of Tea pilot program, an exciting new tea collection that aims to fuel American consumers’ increased interest and consumption of tea beverages.
Over the past few years, the popularity of tea has grown steadily in the U.S. fueled by the increasing variety of tea options and the expanding popularity of matcha and bubble tea.
“The rise in specialty teas and new flavors is an emerging trend in the U.S. and around the world. Our new World of Tea collection is a natural evolution for The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®,” said Sanjiv Razdan, President, Americas & India, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. “We have long been regarded as tea experts and are now taking our guests on a deeper, more transformative journey. We invite everyone to discover our World of Tea, where the highest quality teas are blended with invigorating fruits, spices, boba, brown sugar and salted caramel.”
Building on its robust range of core teas, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®’s World of Tea collection puts exciting twists on classics to bring new flavors and experiences to its guests. This is also the first time The Coffee Bea & Tea Leaf® is introducing boba.
The World of Tea Collection, which will be exclusively available at nine locations during the pilot program, includes:
- Ceylon Milk Tea with Brown Sugar Boba – A delightful fusion of flavors and textures, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s signature fragrant Ceylon Black Tea is infused with caramelized brown sugar, creating a symphony of sweetness and complexity. Chewy brown sugar pearls add a delightful burst of texture, making each sip a refreshing experience.
- • Japanese Matcha Cream Strawberry Latte – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s premium Japanese Matcha is skillfully layered with strawberry puree, creamy whole milk, then topped with a decadent Matcha cream cap for a treat that is as beautiful as it is delicious.
- Oolong Tea with Strawberry and Cream Cap – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s rich Oolong tea blend is perfectly complemented by the vibrant fruity flavors of a summer berry puree and freeze-dried strawberries. Topped with a luscious cream cap, this perfect pick-me-up will instantly refresh your tastebuds and your day.
- Chai with Salted Caramel Cream Cap – The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s signature Chai latte, crafted with a full-bodied black tea and an aromatic blend of cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom, is comfort in a cup. A Salted Caramel cream cap and brown sugar waterfall completes the treat with a perfect balance of salty, spice and sweetness.
The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® takes their teas as seriously as they do their coffee, meticulously sourcing the youngest and freshest leaves from the top five percent of the world’s tea and botanicals to craft bold and flavorful teas, starting with hand-plucked, single origin whole tea leaves.
The World of Tea Collection will be available at nine select locations in Southern California and Arizona.
Visit www.coffeebean.com/its-tea-time to find your local World of Tea!
