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| - $50+ for a dinner is a heck of a lot of cash (at least for a one-income couple like my wife and I), so Chima was one of those goals I reached for, dreaming of the day I could sink my teeth into all the beef, chicken, pork and lamb I wanted. Then one day, the magic of Queen's Feast bestowed it's blessed wonder upon me, and I was able to get a reservation for my wife and I to Chima for $30 a person. It was a stretch, but a heck of a lot better than the normal price.
The place is pretty massive, with two floors full of tables, salad bars, and friendly staff. There were four hostesses on duty when we arrived, so the greeting and seating procedure was done pretty quickly. The ground floor looked pretty cramped and tight-packed, and I wasn't looking forward to jostling for breathing space there. Luckily for us the hostess told us that we would be dining upstairs that night. The tables were more spread out up there so it wasn't like you were rubbing elbows with your neighbor from the next table down but the noise level was still slightly above average. Upon being seated our server came over, took our drinks, and directed us to throw ourselves upon the salad bar and the endless parade of servers bearing a variety of grilled meats.
Let's start with the salad bar. I worked at one Ponderosa restaurant when attending high school and another Ponderosa when I went away to college. That being said, I was sick of the word "salad bar." Luckily Chima's version of a salad is more like a "Salad Paradise", yet with friends like fruit, cheese and meats to compliment the veggies. There was several different types of greens to choose from and a variety of topping and veggies to top your custom salad with. Then there were cold seafood salads that had tasty tidbits like shrimp and calamari. Then there was the prosciutto, carpaccio (my first time getting to try it, and I loved it!), a variety of cheeses (I highly recommend checking out the mozzarella... it's so fresh and watery)...and the creamy vegetable soup was divine! And I am usually turned off by the thought of vegetable soup! But let's be serious...you only eat these greens and lighter fare so that you feel better when you are ready for the torrential downpour of meat!
Now since we were there for Queen's Feast we did not get full access to the top shelf meats, but I did not miss them at all. The servers were constantly circulating the dining room like sharks around a drop of chum. The best beef, by far, was the top sirloin. I made sure to snag a medium rare cut (it's the only way to eat beef, be it steak or burger) and it was tastetacular! I soon forgot all about those ribeyes that were floating by out of reach as the top sirloin did plenty for me. As if that wasn't enough beefy goodness, I also partook of the bacon-wrapped filet mignon. It doesn't take a genius to know that beef wrapped in porky delight is a winning combination. I also had a slice of the sirloin steak, but the piece I got was not the best, as it was a extra fatty.
Now you may be like my wife, and you swear off beef. Have no fear! If you do not max out your stomach capacity on the Salad Paradise (which I definitely think is possible) there is plenty of non-steer meats to enjoy. The chicken was done perfectly and was incredibly juice...no dry poultry here! The pork/ parmesan roll thingy was a delightful little tidbit of meat and cheese, and the pork ribs were decent...the sauce was tasty and the meat had just the right amount of fat and juiciness to make a good meal. Then there was the leg of lamb, and that was the killer meat of the night for me. I love lamb, and they do it great here at Chima. My slice was the perfect medium rare, with the juicy red center surrounded by that wonderful border of char. The meat itself was chock-full of lamby, gamey goodness.
Once the meat comes out they also bring over some sides to go along with your meal. The mashed potatoes were a bit suspicious, as they were more liquid than solid potato. I think it had to do with the proportion of cream to potato, which I think was something like 70 cream to 30 potato, with what tasted like a dollop of cream cheese to give it some extra bang. You also get a plate of polenta breadsticks, in that it's polenta that is crisped up in the shape of a breadstick so that you can eat it with your hands. But the star side, by far, was the fried banana. It's just what it sounds like...a battered and fried slice of banana. It was incredibly awesome and I was a bit sad that we only received one per person.
We really enjoyed the overall experience at Chima. Having so much high-quality food thrown at you in one meal is overwhelming and it really is a guilty pleasure. If you have the cash to burn, or if you decide to boycott other restaurants for a month in order to save up the necessary funds, I highly recommend getting your meat on at Chima.
Edit:
Running out of space but have to add that sausage and swordfish were dyn-o-mite!
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