BY ANDREW DAVIS
Deals that offer all you can eat ( or drink ) for a particular price can become the bane of one's existence.
From buffets to bottomless mimosas, people will pay a certain amount of moneyand sometimes don't get their money's worth, as they'll have one plate of food or a single mimosa.
Brazilian steakhouses fall into that category as well. For example, dinner at Texas de Brazil ( 210 E. Illinois St.; TexasDeBrazil.com/locations/illinois/chicago ) is $46.99and if you've just come from running a marathon, you may consume enough to justify the price. ( Remember, you can't take anything home with you. )
Fortunately for Texas de Brazil, it has an incredible variety of delicious offerings, including salad-bar offerings ( with the cost being $24.99 if you're only dining at that bar ). As for the salad bar, my dining companion fell in love with the lobster bisque, but there are items ranging from hearts of palm to shrimp salad to jasmine rice.
As for the meats, every single bit I tried was delectableand I pretty much felt I had eaten Old MacDonald's farm by the time I left. Flank steak, chicken sausage, picanha and ( especially ) the lamb chops were just a few of the meaty options we tried and enjoyed. And if you happen to have room in your stomach after all that, you can try one of the restaurant's substantial desserts.
So, go all out and enjoy your meats! ( By the way, lunch is offered on Fridays, 11 a.m.-2 p.m., for $24.99, so that may be a better deal for some. )
A new Kanela
The spots known as Kanela Breakfast Clubs have been rapidly taking over the city. There are now restaurants in Lake View, Streeterville, Old Town and Wicker Park.
Now, there's one in Andersonville ( 5413 N. Clark St.; KanelaBreakfastClub.com )and this one may be my favorite. Having opened on May 5 ( or Cinco de Mayo, as the manager told me ), this branch is open Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-3 p.m., like most of the othersand offered the tastiest versions of dishes I normally order at the other Kanela restaurants.
The monkey bread ( with cinnamon, honey butter and walnut ) didn't stand a chance, while my dining partner and I enjoyed, respectively, the Lorraine scramble ( peppered bacon, Gruyere cheese, caramelized onion, charred scallion and toast ) and the corned-beef hash ( which I probably would've loved even more if there were no Brussels sprouts ). Actually, Kanela has a love affair with the sprouts, as they're also in the pork-belly Benedict. Also, there's a definite playful atmosphere that we appreciated.
Kanela Andersonville is a wonderful addition to this breakfast-club family.