Estancia Churrascaria

I’ve been to a few of the Brazilian steakhouses of the world, but this seems to stand out to me a little bit.
We had a very quickly thrown together mini Unilocal event here one evening and I was lucky enough to get the invite and to spend it with a top notch group of Unilocalers.
Everything that touched my lips was pure goodness. I sampled everything they had to offer sans the salad bar, as we were in the bar and were having a private show and tell with the manager, the bartenders and the cooks. We didn’t spend much time in the main dining room, but in passing I could tell that there was not a detail overlooked and it was simply gorgeous.
The cheese bread was miraculous. The texture. It was heaven. The meat. Oh, the meat. I don’t even know where to begin. They just kept bringing out dish after dish of lamb chop, bacon wrapped chicken, sausages, sirloin and many other meats that I am sure are escaping me. But, I can assure you this, everything there was cooked perfectly, served with great accompanying sauces and was truly a pleasure to eat.
The 35 dollar price tag can be a little off putting, but when you realize what you are getting, you soon realize it is well worth it. If any of my family or friends ever graduate or want me to plan their birthday meal, this is where we are going. There is absolutely something for everyone here and no one will leave hungry.

More personal service than Fogo. Love this place. Also, the most wonderful wait staff recommended caiperina, it’s now my new favorite drink!
The food was excellent, but don’t take my word for it. I suggest you try it!

Ok, so I waited and watched the Elite Page for the RSVP button for this event for 2 days STRAIGHT and when it appeared — I was estatic because I thought I had missed my chance to register. The events with a smaller number of Unilocalers are the ones NOT to be missed — plus this was one event I could actually attend.
Again, the smaller group dynamic was ON! The benefit from getting to connect with eachother on a more personal level altogether cannot be understated. To start my night, I had the pleasure of meeting several folks I had not met previously — Tiff, Khiem, Jennifer and Felecia — which is like a bonus from each new event. This gathering saw many of my favorite Unilocalers (oh, YOU know who you are!!) in attendance as well.
Each of you brings something wonderful and special to each event, and this is what I love about Unilocal.In one crowd, in one place, in one evening, in only a few conversations — I learned the following;
— Have you ever noticed how in every movie about the midwest, there is at least one reference to Iowa?
— If you grow up playing ice hockey in Kansas you may either get a career limiting injury — or may take the path to the NHL,
— A 5-​year-​old can transition from drawing to role playing faster than you can say Chutes and Ladders?
— Grappa is popular in Italy and is made by distilling the ‘leftover’ materials from winemaking after pressing the grapes — and for ‘rookies’ — it is best enjoyed in small doses,
— A caipirinha (essentially a mojito w/​out the mint) is one of my favorite muddled drinks,
— You should never judge a book by its cover, as you will find your first impression wrong more times than not,
— A demonstration from the boys at the Estancia Churrascaria on how to make a caipirinha can give you the courage to use that 4-​year-​old bottle of Cachaca 51 stowed away in the cabinet at home,
— Give Kelly S. 20 Unilocalers. Drop in some gauchos. Add a variety of meat, polenta, and rolls. Add drinks… and stir. Guess what you get? One amazing evening! Thanks Kelly!
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Thank you to the management of the Estancia for hosting a wonderful evening of food, drinks, and terriffic service. We can’t wait to try you for dinner.

All the deliciously, perfectly cooked, succulent meat I could possibly eat… check!
Delicious refreshing Chupacabra’s or whatever those drinks were called… check!
Amazing conversation with Unilocalers familiar, unfamiliar, and otherwise… check!
I could gush and gush about how great this intimate affair was, but once I start…
Let’s just say that our beloved Kelly S managed to create a near perfect evening. The food was stellar, the staff amazing, and the company beyond compare. Top that off with a tour of the kitchen and we have a night to remember.

I think I still got the meat sweats. I proudly overloaded and don’t regret it at all. Darla has the food covered so no need to reiterate except on that cheese bread. Oh man that cheese bread is still on my mind today.
Caipirinha (Ki — pier — reen — ha), never had it before but man with this Texas heat, this was a perfect summer cooldown.
Food awesome. Drink tasty. People awesome. Met a lot of new Elitists that I hadn’t known before. Errol, Mickey, Daniel, Tiff, Lee, Alicia. Good company. Until next time everyone.

Lamb chops. Pork tenderloin. Sirloin steak. Pork sausages. Roast chicken. Crispy polenta. Cheese bread. Ahhhhh. At a time like this, it sure is good to be at the top of the food chain.
Estancia Churrascaria pulled out all the stops when it hosted last night’s CMYE. The food was well cooked and delicious, and the plates kept coming even though the event was officially over. Glasses of iced water were thoughtfully arranged on a side table — a welcome sight for us non-​drinkers on a brutally hot day. All this in a classy, intimate setting combined with superb service. Very nice.
The crowd was equally awesome. A whole group of people with varied backgrounds, tastes and interests, whose only connection seem to be through a particular website, who otherwise would probably never cross paths, got together and rocked the little bar off its feet. The magic of Unilocal is amazing. To my old and new Unilocal friends, thanks for the great company!
Kelly, you are an fantastic CM and an extraordinary event planner. What a great party.

Warm tender lamb chops and crisp polenta cakes
Sirloins and pork roasts and sausage with sauces
Good drinks made by gauchos kept me on my feet
These are a few of my favorite things
Great conversations with the girls and the guys
Alcohol burning and caramelizing
Sweet limoncello to finish the night
These are a few of my favorite things
Kelly S., you are awesome! Thank you for making this event possible. Estancia Churrascaria — -I am still singing your praises. Great service, great environment, great company, and to top it off, great food and booze.

Yep, definitely not a vegan. Glad I got that sorted out.
Once again, small intimate gatherings like this is what it’s all about. This is how we can really get to know folks on a level deeper than ‘Where’s the line for x?’ or ‘Photo time!’ even though those interactions do have their own merit. Missy, Felecia, Alicia: wonderful to get to know you better. Mickey, Tony: good to make your acquaintance, formally this time. Daniel & Colin: thanks for supporting my carpool initiative! Yoli, Lore, Lee, Errol, Darla, Kelly: wonderful talking with you, all the time, every time. A bow of gratitude to the staff and bartenders for hosting our group and sharing with us for a quaint evening.
Kelly: smaller is better. When can we do this again? :)

Last night, I died and went to meat heaven!
Seriously, I had never been to a Churrascaria before and Estancia was the perfect introduction to this beautiful beautiful type of dining experience. They were beyond generous with the meat. Everytime I said I had reached my limit, they’d come out with another plate of that delicious Lombo de Porco (thanks Darla for getting all the names) or the Cordeiro, aka Meat Lollipops as Lee M was calling them, and I couldn’t resist grabbing another two or three pieces (I lie, it was more like 5)! Don’t even ask how many Pao de Queijo I had, I’m too ashamed to tell!
It was all so delicious and I was told by our bartenders that what we were served was only a ‘tasting’ of all the various cuts they have to offer! Not to mention the amazing looking salad bar that I happened to pass by on my way to the restroom.
The Picanha alone was enough to make me dream about my return visit, which I plan on making soon (arteries, please don’t hate on me!). I talked with the bartenders and Mickey A about strategery– I gotta plan this next trip just right. The delicious Caipirinhas and the über attentive staff were the mint jelly to the meaty time we had last night.
And what’s better, I got to enjoy it in the company of some of delightful Unilocalers! I heart you Kelly S!

There was a bar, beverages, beautiful people, fantastic food and the meat parade: Picanha (garlic rubbed sirloin), Alcatra (another cut of sirloin), Cordeiro (lamb on the bone), Linguica (Brazilian pork sausage), Lombo de Porco (pork tenderloin crusted with parmesan), and Frango (slow roasted chicken legs wrapped in bacon)… There was an amazing Chimichurri sauce. There was polenta AND Cheese Bread… did I say Cheese Bread?
Intimate setting, awesome hosts, fantastic food and great company! It was a meat-​lovers orgy and I feel so dirty, but in a good way. I will need to eat veges to offset this carnivorous gluttony.
The staff was so attentive, we wanted for nothing. Awesome event Kelly S!
Oh, and they had Cheese Bread! I heart that Cheese Bread!

You know it’s been a good CMYE when you leave Estancia Churrascaria to head back to your office on Mopac and 35^th and you start thinking this may have been the very first time you’ve had a real conversation with Monica O and then quickly got lost in the gaze of the lovely Lorena O as she began conversing with you when the next thing you know you look up and realize you’ve just passed the airport barreling down 71 East because you forgot to get off on the 360 exit way back there but if you keep on going you’ll eventually run into the House of Pies on Kirby until reality checks in and you sigh and make a giant U to head back into town. No really, that’s a good CMYE.
I’m simply less of a dork among people in small intimate settings, and Kelly’s Estancia event is the kind of Unilocalie-​type thing that’s perfect for me. We took over their entire bar area, I pretty much knew everyone there, and I met the three people I didn’t know. What makes these type of events different for me than the usual monthy gathering is not having to shout, jostle, or care how the Cowboys will do this particular year.
I’ll take everyone’s word about how good the booze was and how cool the drink demonstrations were — I was having more fun listening to the whispered asides like, «That bartender guy in the middle is really hot!» I’ll take everyone’s word on that too. Estancia kept bringing us plate after plate of their house specialties — you know this a Brazilian meat place, right? — and I’m first to admit it was remarkably tasty stuff, even though I’m a diehard Fogo loyalist. Did Estancia convince me to come back to try their whole shebang? As a matter of fact, they did. I’m looking forward to it.
I guess I could probably amuse you with clever quips about every Unilocaler who attended this event, but sometimes even I get tired of listening to myself spin this stuff out. But I did leave Kelly’s CMYE with two distinct plans of action: Alicia K and I will host a UYE at either Asia Café or A+A, we’re just not sure how many of you round-​eyes will appreciate the concept of pig’s ear. And come Hell or high water, absolutely nothing is going to stop the inevitability of me, Melissa, and the Carbonara at La Traviata. Consider it done. Kelly rocks. Unilocal rules.