My dinner guest, Angelique, came up with the perfect tag line for Texas de Brazil: "Eager guys holding poles of meat." It is a cheeky yet accurate way to describe the Brazilian steakhouse, located at 51 E. Ohio. (There is also one in Schaumburg's Woodfield Mall.)
Taking in the decor, the red-and-black interior had an industrial but comfortable feel that contrasted with the atmosphere on Michigan Avenue, which is just a stone's throw. The attire of most of the patrons contrasted even more, as people wore hoodies, T-shirts and even torn jeans; given the crisp, somewhat upscale setting, the clothing was a bit jarring.
However, it was time to move on to the food: The salad bar was most impressive, featuring dozens of items ranging from hearts of palm to quinoa to seafood. Every item I had was tasty; I could've gone back for seconds—but it was time to deal with the main course(s).
Angelique and I steeled ourselves for the coming of the meats. In case you're not familiar with the concept of a Brazilian steakhouse, you have a tag or card at your table that's green ("go") on one side and red ("stop") on the other. As long as the green side's up the servers—in this case, "gauchos"—come to your table with skewers of meat; when the red side's up, they pass by.
Basically, the gauchos brought a farm to the table: picanha (a prime cut of top sirloin), Parmesan pork, Parmesan chicken, rack of lamb, bacon-wrapped chicken, Brazilian sausage and so much more. I have to admit that the Parmesan chicken was my favorite—but many of the others were not far behind.
Our server, Antonio, was very attentive and tried to answer the questions we asked him. When Angelique asked why there were no female gauchos, he responded, "I'm not sure. I do know that you need to be pretty strong to handle these skewers of meat all night long." (By the way, please be sure to ask for Castro, an extremely handsome and charming gaucho who is actually from Brazil.)
We topped the night off with dessert—well, my guest did. I took my chocolate mousse cake home because I was already unable to move, but Angelique decided to try the coconut chess pie—which, unfortunately, turned out to be a bit heavier and sweeter than she expected. However, my cake turned out to be quite delicious. (Patrons can take desserts out of the restaurant, but not entrees.) Other options include Brazilian papaya cream pie, Brazilian cheesecake, creme brulee, flan, carrot cake and pecan pie.
Although we didn't have wine (opting for the tasty caprihinas instead), patrons who want to drink it will have the pleasure of seeing wine aerialists retrieve their bottles for him. The women are on wires, and spring up and down to get items.
Overall, Texas de Brazil provided a great experience. While I'm not sure it was comparable to having dinner in Rio de Janeiro (except for Castro), it was pretty fulfilling—and filling.
Restaurant news:
—Mity Nice, which presents modern comfort food with a twist, presents its à la carte Passover menu available for lunch and dinner Tuesday, April 19 through Monday, April 25. The special à la carte Passover menu at the Water Tower Place eatery include matzo-ball soup, chopped beef liver, gefilte fish, herb-roasted chicken and sweet-and-sour brisket. Among the desserts are coconut macaroons and flourless chocolate cake.
—Dining Out for Life—promoted as "North America's largest HIV/AIDS fundraiser"—returns to Chicago Thursday, April 28, and it is now in its 18th year. This event is presented by EdgeAlliance, a provider of housing and services to Chicago residents living with HIV/AIDS. The goal of this year's event is to raise more than $250,000 for these residents. More than 80 Chicago restaurants in 30 neighborhoods will participate. To find a participating restaurant or more information about the event, visit www.DiningOutForLife.com .
—Big Buns & Pita, 6649 N. Clark, was ordered closed March 28 after city inspectors found more than 150 mice droppings, 50 rat droppings and several live roaches, according to the Chicago Tribune. Also, there was no certified food manager on the premises. The eatery is expected to open after the problems are corrected.
—Michael Jordan will open a steakhouse on the second floor of the InterContinental Chicago, a luxury hotel on Michigan Avenue. Two other Michael Jordan Steakhouses are in Connecticut and New York. The basketball superstar last had a restaurant in Chicago 12 years ago.
—Cityscape Bar, located on the 15th floor of the Holiday Inn Mart Plaza, will host its April "Vino with a View" wine sampling Thursday, April 21, 6-8 p.m. Hosted by Tenzing Wine and Spirits, the event will highlight several varietals, including the 2007 Naia Naiades, 2009 Vina Nora, 2007 CC Cabernet Sauvignon and 2008 Clos de Los Siete. It's complimentary, but reservations are required; RSVP at cityscape@martplaza.com .
Send restaurant news to Andrew@WindyCityMediaGroup.com .
