Here’s a puzzle for any restaurant critic: How do you review a restaurant where patrons cook their own main courses? The answer: Focus on the restaurant’s atmosphere and the experience — and trust diners to judge their own grill skills. By that standard, Alexander’s Steakhouse offers a fun change of pace for meat lovers.
At Alexander’s, it’s all about the meat — big, juicy slabs of aged Midwestern
beef, cut daily by in-house butchers. Options include top sirloin, teriyaki
top sirloin (marinated in soy sauce, sugar, and spices), Santa Maria-style top
sirloin (hand-rubbed with spices), New York strip, ribeye, petite fillet, and
kebabs. Prices range from $16.99 to $30. The menu also includes chicken breast,
smoked pork chops, lobster tail, swordfish, and other seafood.
The diner selects an entrée from a large case near the entrance, then slaps
it on one of the restaurant’s two large grills. People seem to enjoy standing
around the grill and tending their steaks. As smoke rises from the coals, diners
chat, sip their beverages, and carefully monitor their steaks while heating
up prebaked potatoes and toasting thick slices of white bread. Tubs of butter
and a variety of spices in large shakers are scattered along a brick ledge so
that patrons can season their meals. It’s almost as much fun to watch people
in action — especially the ones who take their grilling seriously — as it is
to eat.
Most diners cook their own meals, but a chef will do the work for an additional
$2.49. (The menu does state this fact, but I didn’t notice it, and our waitress
didn’t make it clear that an additional fee would be imposed.) The other three
people in my party opted to cook their own food, but that didn’t appeal to me,
and I let the chef prepare mine. I selected the teriyaki kebab and ordered it
medium rare. It was perfectly prepared — and I didn’t miss standing over the
smoky grill one bit.
My dinner companions ordered the Kansas City strip, top sirloin, and kebab.
Of the four selections, my teriyaki steak was the best. The marinated steak
was tender and full of rich flavor. Everyone seemed satisfied; my father even
called his the best steak he’d ever had. My husband was aiming for a rare steak
and ended up with something that was still mooing, but he had only himself to
blame.
The chef says the biggest problem for diners is timing things so that the
steak is ready just after they finish their salads. Having the chef prepare
my kebab took care of that problem for me, but my companions were a bit puzzled
by the job of coordinating their salads and entrées with the arrival of my food.
We ended up eating in shifts.
For those who want to stretch the stomach and the wallet, Alexander’s offers
a special, the Beefeater’s Challenge, priced at $38.99. The customers who finishes
a three-pound top sirloin in one hour wins a $15 gift certificate and becomes
a member of the Beefeaters Club. A plaque on the wall lists the names of people
who have performed this feat.
Dinners include an all-you-can-eat salad bar, baked potato, and toast. The
salad bar is well stocked, boasting fresh spinach, eggs, supersize carrot sticks,
potato salad and more — a broader and fresher selection than what you’ll find
at most local salad bars. Side orders such as onion rings (a full pound for
$7.99), sautéed mushrooms, and potato skins are also available.
Desserts include a large chocolate-chip cookie topped with vanilla ice cream
and hot fudge, whipped cream, and toasted almonds. It costs $5.99 and is big
enough to share. Cheesecake, hot-fudge sundaes, and ice cream are also available.
The children’s menu includes a 6-ounce steak kebab, steak burger, and hot
dog. Children (10 and under) can dine for $1.50 on Sundays. During the rest
of the week, children are charged on the basis of age (50 cents per year) for
a meal that includes salad bar, french fries, beverage, and ice cream.
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Alexander’s Steakhouse is located at 620 Bruns Lane,
793-0440. Hours: 4-10 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 5-11 p.m. Thu., 4-11 p.m.
Fri., 4-9 p.m. Sat. and Sun.
Send restaurant news to Penny Zimmerman-Wills at pzwills@illinoistimes.com.
More tofu
There’s now one more place in town to get basil chicken
and fried tofu. Thai Kitchen 2 opened this week in the spot formerly occupied
by China One. The owner is Sangthong Thapanya, who formerly operated Thai Kitchen,
620 N. Ninth St., with his sister. He was also one of the original owners of
Magic Kitchen. The restaurant offers appetizers (including the popular egg rolls
with peanut sauce), soups and noodles, rice, and vegetarian dishes. A limited
lunch menu is available. Take out and dine in are available. The restaurant
accepts cash only.
Thai Kitchen 2 is located at 2355 W. Monroe St., 726-5900.
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10
p.m. Fri.-Sat.
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This article appears in Jul 15-21, 2004.
