August 2, 2009, at 10:03 am
Yet again, Mrs. Smith and I took to the streets and decided to try the 3-course meal that Chili’s had been advertising every 10 seconds. We paired this with going to see the horror movie “The Collector” (Review to follow later today) just to make sure this was a very memorable evening, one way or the other.
Our Chili’s of choice this time around was the one located right next to the Movie Theater (Biscayne and 199th) and we arrived promptly at 7:30pm. Packed as expected, I dropped the Mrs. off to get our place in line while I found a parking space. When I made it to the restaurant, it looked to be about a half-an-hour wait. We were given a black beeper, which seems to be the norm for chain restaurants around the country, and we found a cozy seat inside to wait our turn. After only about 15 minutes, our hostess was kind enough to seat us at a booth in the middle of the restaurant.
Hallie, our waitress was lightning fast in getting over to us and kindly pointed out the specials that were running. First came the drinks and I splurged this time with a Coke (Asked for Pepsi, but what can you do, no restaurant in the country carries both) and the Mrs. stuck to her water with lemon. 60 seconds later, we had our drinks and were ready to give the appetizer: half order of Texas Cheese Fries. Took us a few minutes to find the right entrée’ choice (15 total to choose from for this promotion) but we finally decided. Mrs. Smith chose the Mesquite Chicken Salad and I chose the Country Fried Steak. Again, I let my decision be based on the most expensive thing on the menu; I don’t know why I do that! We had also decided on the Molten Chocolate Cake dessert early, so we were straight to the gate.
The Cheese Fries arrived promptly, about 10 minutes before the Entrée’s and were very good. Melted cheese with jalapenos, bacon, and proper seasoning went a long way and were quickly devoured. A few minutes of digestion time later, our meal was ready. First, the large salad was placed down and I smiled knowing there was no way that could be taken out in one sitting, then, when I was presented with my meal, I quickly hit my head with my hand thinking “There’s absolutely no way I can finish this!” In addition to the massive amount of Country Fried Stake, I also was given a healthy portion of Mashed Potatoes and a nice piece of Corn-on-the-Cob. Just as quickly as I laughed at the Mrs., I knew I too was doomed. Rather than try to eat the whole thing and be in pain for the movie, I made the decision to eat half, box half, and leave room for the looming dessert. (Certainly the right move)
My steak was crispy, very tasty and well presented. The corn was fantastic, well buttered and salted, and easily stripped of the cob with my chompers. The mashed potatoes were thick and creamy … very tough at a chain restaurant from what I have experienced in the past. The Mrs. quickly went through her salad, knocking out everything but some lettuce. She mentioned it was good too, though needed more BBQ sauce to make it better. When finished, Hallie was quickly over to provide a box and take our plates. (I also did not mention that she provided refills without us asking, another rarity these days). With room to spare, we were ready for our Molten Cake.
Wonderfully presented, we smiled when we saw what was shortly to exist only in our stomachs. The chocolate cake provides a foundation for the one scoop of vanilla ice cream, which is encapsulated in chocolate. Drizzled on the plate was a little caramel, just for effect. A few minutes later we placed our backs against the plush booth seats after a job well done. Certainly a great finish to a great meal and experience.
The total cost of the meal was $30.00 (Including Tax and a generous tip which was well-deserved). I also walked out of there with lunch for today, which only adds to the good time we had. Unlike Applebees, we WANTED to go back and do this again, rather than hope it goes better the next time. A great way to kick of the Saturday Night!
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make sure you tip your waitress on this!!! It is a lot of work! Most people only get entrees. so with almost every table getting a starter, entree, and dessert it is a lot of work for the servers and the kitchen staff. Leaving $2 or $3 is NOT enough. Tip like you paid full price for everything!