Texas De Brazil Churrascuria - Schaumburg
5 Woodfield Mall, Suite D312, Schaumburg, IL 60173
Website: www.texasdebrazil.com
Phone: (847) 413-1600
Okay, I realize that I might be the only person alive who hadn't experienced dining at a Brazilian steakhouse. However, I decided that I was going to try it out for my 30th birthday and invite my family and friends along. Not wanting to trek downtown, I decided on Texas de Brazil in Schaumburg, IL (in Woodfield Mall). All I can say is that I am a believer.
The restaurant itself is decorated really well. I felt very "at home" in an upscale and fancy sort of way. I could feel that it was a nice establishment, but definitely not stuffy. We had early evening reservations and arrived on time, but still had to wait about 10-15 minutes to get seated. I think they were just setting up our table because we had a larger party. Let me just say now that it was definitely worth the wait.
First, the salad bar is not an ordinary salad bar...50+ items of yummy goodness. Yes, there was a small selection of actual salad items, but the rest of it were stocked with grilled asparagus, artichoke bottoms, fried provolone, manchego cheese, goat cheese, hearts of palm, seared ahi tuna, shrimp salad, crusty rustic breads, etc. I could have stuffed myself on the cold selections alone. For the hot stuff, there was sauteed mushrooms, potatoes au gratin, black beans, and lobster bisque. Everything was delicious and I kept wanting to go back for more.
Second, the side dishes that they serve on your table are these cheesy bread popovers, garlic mashed potatoes, and cinnamon-sprinkled fried bananas. These three items are so addicting!!! It was hard to not just eat these things all night long! But alas, we were here for something much greater to come.
We also ordered beverages (for an extra cost) and the frozen lemonades are amazing. Great flavor, but not too sweet and not too tart. Others ordered the iced tea and house red wine and I heard they were fine.
Thirdly, onto the meat...on the table in front of each person is a color-coded disc with green meaning "feed me" and red means "omg, I need to take a breathing break." But when your disc is green, you get served an endless array of lamb chops, leg of lamb, filet mignon, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, top-top sirloin, Parmesan chicken, pork, etc, etc. I can't even remember all the selections available. My favorites were the bacon-wrapped filet mignon and the top-top sirloin. Make sure you get cuts from the middle because the outside or edges tended to be very salty. I learned this early on and asked for slices from middle/exposed areas of the meat and everyone was happy to accommodate. Also, don't be afraid to ask for specific doneness of meats. I got some filet mignon that was more medium to medium-well, but I prefer medium-rare. So to my delightful surprise, they told me they would be right back with a medium-rare option! Yea!
I literally ate until I could no longer move. It was an actual struggle to get out of my chair after I was done. I am definitely keeping Texas de Brazil in Schaumburg, IL on my list of places to return. And to the restaurant, I just want to say great job all around - amazing food, great service, fun atmosphere - you guys really know how to do things right!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Monday, February 25, 2008
Chicago Restaurant Week 2008 - Ruth's Chris Experience
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
431 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Website: http://www.ruthschris.com/
Phone: (312) 321-2725
Yea! Chicago finally got its own Restaurant Week! Seeing that Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the country, it's about gosh darn time! Basically, for $21.95 at lunch or $31.95 at dinner, you get a 3-course prix fixe menu at some of the best dining spots in Chicago. The only catch is that most of them don't have their menus posted, so it's a gamble to what's being offered. Ruths Chris was able to disclose their special menu to me over the phone, so I was able to make a decision to book them that way. The key is to avoid places that offer things that they would normally serve for cheap anyway.
Here is the Ruths Chris 3-course prix fixe menu:
First Course (Appetizer):
The restaurant itself was VERY busy. Even though we made reservations, we had to wait about 15-20 minutes. We were taken to a room upstairs, a bit away from the commotion, but still a bit loud. It was hard to hear our waiter and our waiter had a hard time hearing us. But I guess that's expected from a restaurant that was completely full.
For the starter course, everyone in the party got Louisiana Seafood Gumbo. It was nicely seasoned, great flavor, perfect temperature and consistency. The sausage had a little bit of a kick, but not too much. Overall, it was a great way to start the meal.
For entree course, I chose the 12 oz. Ribeye and the rest of the party was split between the ribeye and the filet. In all instances, the steaks were seasoned exactly right, served on a hot dish with melted butter, and cooked just how you ordered it. My only "ding" is that my steak was a very bad cut. Out of the 12 oz of steak, at least 4 oz of it was a chunk of fat. No, I'm not talking about marbling...I love ribeyes and get it often, but I have rarely seen this much fat on a ribeye that I was able to separate out just by cutting off the top 1/3 of the steak.
Everyone at the table ordered a different side dish and everyone liked theirs. I ordered the Sautéed Mushrooms, but there was not much flavor...just cooked in butter. However, you get whole mushrooms, not slices. So that was a bit odd. I was expecting sliced mushrooms that you can mound on top of your steak.
Most everyone, including me, got the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake for dessert, but one person got the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce. Everyone enjoyed their dessert. The cheesecake was very light and fluffy, with a mousse texture. I would classify this more as a mousse with a hint of cheesecake flavoring.
Overall, everyone did enjoy their meal and I think I'll put it on my list of restaurants to revisit. And at the Restaurant Week prices, I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
-------------------
If you are curious about some of the other restaurant menu offerings, visit: http://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/?p=3698
431 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago, IL 60610
Website: http://www.ruthschris.com/
Phone: (312) 321-2725
Yea! Chicago finally got its own Restaurant Week! Seeing that Chicago has some of the best restaurants in the country, it's about gosh darn time! Basically, for $21.95 at lunch or $31.95 at dinner, you get a 3-course prix fixe menu at some of the best dining spots in Chicago. The only catch is that most of them don't have their menus posted, so it's a gamble to what's being offered. Ruths Chris was able to disclose their special menu to me over the phone, so I was able to make a decision to book them that way. The key is to avoid places that offer things that they would normally serve for cheap anyway.
Here is the Ruths Chris 3-course prix fixe menu:
First Course (Appetizer):
- Louisiana Seafood Gumbo
- Steak House Salad
Second Course (Entrée):
- 8 oz. Petite Filet
- 12 oz. Ribeye
- North Atlantic Salmon Fillet
- Stuffed Chicken Breast
Side Dish with Second Course:
- Mashed Potatoes
- Sautéed Mushrooms
- Creamed Spinach
Third Course (Dessert):
- Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce
- Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake
The restaurant itself was VERY busy. Even though we made reservations, we had to wait about 15-20 minutes. We were taken to a room upstairs, a bit away from the commotion, but still a bit loud. It was hard to hear our waiter and our waiter had a hard time hearing us. But I guess that's expected from a restaurant that was completely full.
For the starter course, everyone in the party got Louisiana Seafood Gumbo. It was nicely seasoned, great flavor, perfect temperature and consistency. The sausage had a little bit of a kick, but not too much. Overall, it was a great way to start the meal.
For entree course, I chose the 12 oz. Ribeye and the rest of the party was split between the ribeye and the filet. In all instances, the steaks were seasoned exactly right, served on a hot dish with melted butter, and cooked just how you ordered it. My only "ding" is that my steak was a very bad cut. Out of the 12 oz of steak, at least 4 oz of it was a chunk of fat. No, I'm not talking about marbling...I love ribeyes and get it often, but I have rarely seen this much fat on a ribeye that I was able to separate out just by cutting off the top 1/3 of the steak.
Everyone at the table ordered a different side dish and everyone liked theirs. I ordered the Sautéed Mushrooms, but there was not much flavor...just cooked in butter. However, you get whole mushrooms, not slices. So that was a bit odd. I was expecting sliced mushrooms that you can mound on top of your steak.
Most everyone, including me, got the Chocolate Mousse Cheesecake for dessert, but one person got the Bread Pudding with Whiskey Sauce. Everyone enjoyed their dessert. The cheesecake was very light and fluffy, with a mousse texture. I would classify this more as a mousse with a hint of cheesecake flavoring.
Overall, everyone did enjoy their meal and I think I'll put it on my list of restaurants to revisit. And at the Restaurant Week prices, I wouldn't hesitate to go back.
-------------------
If you are curious about some of the other restaurant menu offerings, visit: http://www.timeout.com/chicago/blog/out-and-about/?p=3698
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