Napa Valley’s Best Brazilian Steakhouse Galpão Gaucho Expands to Irvine | Eater LA

"At the new Irvine outpost I experienced Southern Brazil’s gaucho traditions translated into a dimly lit, elegant churrascaria with round stone walls, wood beams and white tablecloths; the Northern California–based chain Galpão Gaucho—founded in Napa in 2016 by Jovani Gava, who draws inspiration from his hometown São Miguel do Oeste—serves an 18-cut rodizio including a flashy 24-karat golden steak and three preparations of picanha, all carved tableside with a facón by uniformed servers. Churrasco aficionados can request grilled chicken hearts, a trademark specialty, and the full dining experience (meat, salad bar and sides) runs $75 for dinner and $55 for weekday lunch, while salad bar and hot items only are $36. Warm, fluffy pão de queijo arrives at the table, and must-order salad bar items include vinagrete (tomato salad), maionese (potato salad), beans, farofa and rice; ask for molho de pimenta malagueta for heat, and don’t skip the garlic bread or the queijo assado (grilled cheese with honey). There are Brazilian cocktails, a roving tequila cart and a wine list that favors Napa Valley reds and Argentine malbecs to pair with the meats; as with all rodizio service, just flip the card to green to get the parade of skewers started." - Bill Esparza