Grand Casino Hotel and Resort Adds Brazilian Steakhouse
(PRWEB) November 25, 2014 -- Flame Brazilian Steakhouse, located inside Grand Casino Hotel and Resort, brings an exciting new dining experience to central Oklahoma. Citizen Potawatomi Nation, which owns the Grand Casino, has frequently offered guests one-of-a-kind dining experiences, straying from the chain restaurant format offered at many gaming facilities. Flame is no exception to that and offers the only authentic Brazilian dining in the state.
“Flame will bring a whole new concept to the dining options at Grand Casino Resort and to Oklahoma,” said General Manager Joe Garcia. “Our goal is for our visitors to have a very positive experience which they will remember for a long time.”
Bringing this fine dining experience to life was not an easy task. It took more than a year to find a churrasqueira, the rotisserie grill used to prepare the meats as traditionally done in Brazil, and chefs and gauchos to create the authentic recipes.
“The process began with researching the Brazilian Steakhouse concept and finding an experienced individual to run the operation was very important,” said Paul VanRaamsdonk, director of food and beverage. “Our searches for experienced management lead us to Ramon Tolentino, an extremely talented front and back of the house manager who has opened 13 Brazilian steakhouses. Brazilian Steakhouse concepts are not common and we found out early that the community of managers in these organizations is very loyal to their businesses. That was one of the hurdles we had to overcome in order to bring this experience to Oklahoma.”
Flame blends the authentic preparation of food, including some from Chef Ramon Tolentino’s own family, with exceptional tableside service. The meat is served rodizio style, which is a method of serving the cuts of fresh sirloin, lamb, chicken and sausage which originated in the south of Brazil in the early 1800s.
“All of the items we use in our recipes are authentic from Brazil,” said Ramon Tolentino, Flame chef. “The items are all prepared fresh from scratch daily, just like those in Brazil. This is what makes our restaurant authentic. We order all of our ingredients daily and prepare our recipes with only the freshest ingredients from top quality companies. Most importantly our meats are grilled in Brazilian tradition by coating it with rock salt which sears in the juices and adds flavor to our meats.”
Flame also offers a vast salad bar featuring more than 30 gourmet items ranging from imported cheeses to cured meats and fresh vegetables. In the area of Rio Grande do Sul seasonal greens and vegetable and fruit dishes were as an important part of the meal as the slow-cooked meat.
Although the food is delicious, an authentic Brazilian experience is as much about the show of skill. Guests are served cuts of meat tableside and a large window into the kitchen allows guests to watch the gauchos skillfully prepare the meat that roasts over the open fire.
“The skills needed from the gauchos are key to providing a true traditional Brazilian experience,” added Tolentino. “Without these skills our restaurant would not be true and authentic, it would be generic. We strive to provide best and most authentic dining experience.”
The restaurant has a capacity of 160 people and also offers four private dining rooms for parties ranging in size from eight to 40.
Flame Brazilian Steakhouse is open Wednesday and Thursday from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Brazilian brunch is served from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday and dinner service is offered from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For more information and to make reservations visit http://www.grandresortok.com/dining/flame.
Jennifer Bell, Citizen Potawatomi Nation 1, +1 (918) 231-5205, [email protected]
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