Steakhouse News

Dallas' newest Brazilian steakhouse brings all the meats to Addison

Cuts like a knife.

Courtesy photo

Dallas is well-versed in steakhouses, including the Brazilian kind, which should make things a little easier for Palmas Brasil, a new churrascaria-style restaurant opening in Addison this fall.

A churrascaria specializes in charcoal-roasted meats, with "rodízio-style" service in which waiters wander the dining room with meats on skewers, ready to drop a morsel when they get flagged by diners. Dallas has its share, with Fogo de Chao, Texas de Brazil, 12 Cuts, and Villa's Grill, among surely more.

Palmas will open at 14905 Midway Rd., #102, next to Rio Bravo, in a space that has previously been home to concepts such as The Bungalow and before that, Skewers Kabob House, and before that, an Asian/sushi restaurant called Firefly.

Palmas is undaunted by what has come before, says marketing and events director Victoria Delgadillo. "We chose Addison deliberately because it's so well known for restaurants," she says.

The Palmas team has experience in the cuisine; two of the chefs worked at Texas de Brazil.

Their stated goal is to spread Brazilian culture through its dishes, with a touch of Texan flavor on their menu. They'll be featuring 16 meats, a couple of seafood items, and a selection of sides.

Meats include:

Brazilian Picanha, Garlic Picanha, Spicy Picanha
Filet Mignon, Filet Mignon Wrapped in Bacon
Leg of Lamb, Lamb Chops
Flank Steak
Brazilian Alcatra
Brazilian Sausage
Adobo Pork Loin, Parmesan-Pork Chop, Barbecued Pork Ribs
Chicken Breast Wrapped in Bacon, Parmesan Chicken, Barbecue Chicken

On the seafood front, they'll have shrimp and lobster tail.

Soups and sides include:

House Made Lobster Bisque
Jalapeno Cream Soup
Sauteed Mushrooms
Au Gratin Potatoes
Brazilian Black Beans
White Rice
Brazilian Cheese Bread
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Fried Bananas

They also have a big selection of desserts including Brazilian Cheesecake, Brazilian Flan, Brazilian Papaya Cream, Creme Brulee, Chocolate Mousse Cake, carrot cake, and four pies: Banana Foster Pie, Key Lime, Pecan, and Coconut Chess.

A full bar includes a strong wine list and Brazilian cocktails, especially the signature caipirinha, which they have in different fruit flavors such as passion fruit, strawberry, pineapple, coconut, mango, and the original lime.

Delgadillo says that, while they'll incorporate all of the classic elements of a churrascaria, they'll also have a couple of points of differentiation.

"We'll have lunch hours, and some of the other concepts only do dinner," she says. "We're also a little more affordable than most."

Their dinner price is $39.99, and at lunch, it's $19.99. Sunday brunch is $29.99.

They're aiming to open by September, and no thanks to COVID-19, they'll temporarily suspend one of the key features of a churrascaria: the salad bar.

"You usually have a bountiful salad bar with dozen of items," Delgadillo says. "Some people come just for the salad bar and don't eat meat. But with the virus, salad bars are not allowed by the city of Addison. We'll add that after all this is done."

openings

Fried Chicken News

Chicago restaurant debuts its fried chicken and boba tea in Frisco

Chi Tea

Chi Tea burgers and chicken sandwiches.

A new restaurant serving boba tea and fried chicken just opened in Frisco: Called Chi Tea, it's a chain from Chicago that opened its first location in Texas at 4760 Preston Rd. #228, in a former Bonchon Korean in Frisco Village.

According to a release, It opened November 1.

The concept was founded in Chicago in 2020 by brothers Zak Ayyubi, Aman Siddiqui, and friend Abdurahman Sharif, with an unusual goal to pair fried chicken sandwiches, fries, and bubble tea drinks. They've since opened two more locations in Illinois; Frisco is the fourth and the first outside the state.

The name is a little misleading, as it implies it's a beverage place, but there's equal emphasis on the sandwiches and fries. They also tout their welcoming vibe, encouraging customers to eat, drink, and linger.

Their menu features three sandwiches — Nashville hot fried chicken sandwich, a grilled chicken, and a burger with grilled onions, jalapenos, pickles, cheese, and Chi-sauce — which can also be ordered in a smaller slider size.

There are also fries, loaded fries, popcorn chicken, chicken tenders, and mac & cheese, which can be customized with bacon, beef, fries, and other toppings.

Prices typically range from $5 for a single Chi Tea Classic slider to $13 for four-piece chicken tenders.

Boba drinks are entirely customizable, starting with choice of blended smoothie or over ice, with choice of flavor ranging from pineapple to brown sugar milk tea to horchata; and toppings, like popping pearls or cream cheese foam. A regular starts at $5 and a large starts at $6.

Notably, Chi Tea was among the restaurants selected in the recent Spongebob Krabby Patty promotion during October that took place in 12 cities across North America, included a dozen restaurants in Dallas.

"We are very excited to finally bring a taste of Chicago to the Greater Dallas area," says Ayyubi in a release. "This move has been very promising and we cannot wait for the community to welcome us and for us to serve this beautiful city."

openings