THE DISH: Flame & Fire Brazilian Steakhouse to open Monday in Bakersfield
Sep. 23—Monday will be a bom dia for Bakersfield with the opening of Flame & Fire Brazilian Steakhouse.
This is the third restaurant in the chain — other locations are in Folsom and Roseville — that specializes in churrascaria cuisine.
Its roots lay in the history of southern Brazil, where cowboys known as gauchos would prepare feasts by slow-roasting various cuts of meat from their herds over an open flame pit known as a churrasco. To serve, the gauchos would carve the meats at the table in a show of skill.
Flame & Fire's rodizio grill consists of roving servers bringing a variety of barbecued meats on large skewers off which they carve the meat or transfer it directly onto the diners' plates.
The Bakersfield menu has yet to be posted, but if the Roseville location is any indication, options will include picanha (prime cut of top sirloin), bife de alho (garlic steak), frango com bacon (bacon-wrapped chicken), maminha com queijo (tri-tip with cheese), cordeiro (leg of lamb), linguica (Brazilian sausage), ombro de porco (pork shoulder), costelas de porco (pork ribs), filet mignon and even chicken hearts (on request).
Meals also include market table offerings such as seasonal gourmet salads, cold and hot Brazilian specialities and imported charcuterie as well as feijoada (black bean stew with sausage), farofa (baked yuca flour with bacon), pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and salpicao (Brazilian chicken salad).
Its bar menu has a variety of specialty cocktails including the signature Flame & Fire ($12) made with Cazadores Tequila Reposado and St. Germain elderflower liqueur muddled with lime, cucumber and jalapeño; the caipirinha ($11), Brazil's national cocktail with cachaça rum, served in your choice of original with lime, passion fruit or strawberry basil; and the sangria Brasileira ($9), with red wine, brandy, fresh tropical fruits and a splash of Brazilian rum.
Bakersfield's pricing has not been released, but the Roseville location charges $28.95 for lunch and $54.95 for dinner. For those opting for just the market table offerings, cost is $22.95 for lunch, $32.95 for dinner.
Flame & Fire opens Monday at 12814 Stockdale Highway.
Lunch will be served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays. Dinner will be available from 4:30 to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Fridays, 1 to 10 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 9 p.m. Sundays.
Happy hour will be from 4:30 to 7 p.m. weekdays and 3 to 6 p.m. Sundays with discounted drinks and appetizers.
If you want to be among the first to try the new restaurant, make reservations for opening week now at flameandfire.com/bakersfield/reserve.
New Wienerschnitzel in Lake Isabella
Wienerschnitzel is continuing to grow in Kern County with the opening of a location in Lake Isabella.
The restaurant at 6321 Lake Isabella Blvd. is the first for the town and the only one in a 30-mile radius. (The next nearest are in Bakersfield.)
For more than 60 years, the Southern California-based restaurant chain has been serving up hot dogs, savory chili and delicious desserts. It sells more than 120 million hot dogs annually.
Deli Delicious headed downtown
It looks like Dunkin' downtown will be getting a new neighbor. A sign is up at the complex on 23rd Street for a Deli Delicious.
The quick-service sandwich shop has three other Bakersfield locations: 6515 Panama Lane, 9801 Hageman Road, #200, and at The Marketplace, 9000 Ming Ave., #5.
Stefani Dias can be reached at 661-395-7488. Follow her on Twitter: @realstefanidias.
