January 2004

Meat-lovers dream a reality on Windward
Fire of Brazil opens for business
by Geoff Smith

In case you’ve never had the pleasure of all-you-can-eat filet mignon, top sirloin, leg of lamb, or chicken wrapped in bacon – it is a treat.
Fire of Brazil is a new restaurant that offers a salad bar and all the meat a customer wants to eat. Owner R.J. Gilbertson opened the restaurant’s second location after having strong success with his Perimeter restaurant. The new restaurant is in the former Oceana restaurant, which closed a few months ago, on the west-end of Windward Parkway between Ga. 400 and Ga. 9.
Gilbertson made some minor changes to the atmosphere adding more color inside and adorning the outside with several flags of South American countries. But the menu is totally different. In fact, there is no menu for the main course.
The salad bar features several Brazilian dishes including hearts of palm, and several exotic cheeses.
Once seated, the customer is given a card that is red on one side and green on the other. If it is turned up green, gauchos constantly come by the table with a long skewer packed with one of the 15 kinds of meats being served that night and cut a piece. The meal is over when the customer turns the card over.
"There is a lot of meat served in here, and we hired good chefs to make sure it is all cooked to perfection,” said Gilbertson’s son Brent Gilbertson.
Gilbertson and sons Brent and Terry run the Fire of Brazil. They opened the Perimeter location in 2002, after operating the Checkered Parrot in Norcross for 20 years.
The Checkered Parrot is nothing like The Fire of Brazil. The Parrot is a sports bar with live music, a list of shooters and karaoke. R.J. Gilbertson said while the two bistros are quite different, he has worked hard to make The Fire of Brazil a fine dining experience.
"Our biggest day is Father’s Day,” he said. "The place is packed.”
Dinner is $40 and lunch is $23. For information call 678-366-2411.