(Read to the tune of the classical “I want my new baby back, baby back, baby back, baby back…Chili’s baby back ribs {barbeque sauce}”) And yes, you’ll want some of Chili’s new baby back ribs. Just ask Nathan who inhaled half a rack of them during our recent visit to Chili’s.

NOTE: I totally spaced bringing my camera and had to take all photos with my lame cell phone. For honest-to-goodness mouthwatering photos check out Chili’s online menu.

I love any excuse for a date night so when Chili’s sent me a $50 gift card for the sole purpose of trying—and reviewing—some of the tantalizing dishes on their new menu, I was all over it. I called in the reinforcements (my mom, sister and brother-in-law) and we headed to Chili’s location in South Jordan. The first thing we always order is Chili’s bottomless chips and salsa. I mean, who doesn’t order chips  and salsa within seconds of sitting down? But this time I noticed something I’d never seen before: bottomless tostada chips with the option of a house-made salsa-ranch for $.49 extra. Um, has anyone else ever asked for a side of ranch and then mixed their ranch and salsa for the sole purpose of downing a full basket of bottomless chips in record time? Yeah, me too! So I ordered this new little dip and anxiously awaited its arrival (top right corner in photo below).

I’m here to say it was well worth the wait, which wasn’t long at all, thank heavens. I could drink gallons of that house-made salsa-ranch and then bathe in it before bed, it was THAT good. In fact, next time I’m there I just might ask if I can buy it by the bottle and take some home with me. To die for!

Then it was entree time. True to my mom and sister’s “I stick with what I like; I’m not brave enough to venture out of my comfort zone” restaurant mentality, my mom ordered her favorite quesadilla (thank you, Chili’s, for making it even though it was no longer on the menu) and my sister ordered the Triple Dippers with double Big Mouth bites (no onions) and spinach & artichoke dip. BORING!

My brother-in-law did his duty and tried Chili’s new Shiner Bok BBQ burger. He thoroughly enj0yed it though he wished it had been a bit spicier. My husband ordered the Shiner Bok BBQ full rack of ribs with a side of mashed potatoes and Chili’s new spicy coleslaw. The ribs were a hit as I mentioned in the first part of the post while the coleslaw was a bit too jalapeno for his taste.

Me? I ordered the new Steakhouse sandwich: seasoned sliced sirloin with provolone, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, arugula and horseradish cream on warm flatbread. The verdict? YUMMY! The steak was cooked perfectly and I loved the fresh arugula mixed in with the mushrooms and onions. The flatbread was so much nicer than a bun or French roll, and the horseradish cream gave it just enough kick to make it fun. It was pretty messy, so plan to go through lots of napkins, and I don’t see it being a leftover-friendly meal due to all the juices and the soft flatbread. But don’t worry; you’ll clean your plate (though you may leave a few fries).

Other items that tempted me were the Texas cheese fries, smoked chicken taco and of course their new brownie sundae. Unfortunately we stuffed ourselves with so many chips we didn’t leave room for dessert. Next time I’m ordering dessert first! All I know is I’m heading back to Chili’s very soon for more of their bottomless tostada chips with house-made salsa-ranch and for their always friendly “Welcome to Chili’s” greeting.—Emily

P.S. Follow @ShoutOut2EatOut and visit ShoutOutToEatOut.com and enter to win a $50 Chili’s gift card by uploading a 10- to 30-second video telling Chili’s why you don’t want to cook tonight. (It shouldn’t be hard finding a reason!)

*** Giveaway! Chili’s is giving away one (1) $50 gift card good at any location! ***

Here’s how to enter. You can do as many of these as you’d like. Each one is worth one entry into our giveaway; please leave a separate comment for each one you do:

•  Visit Chilis.com and leave a comment telling us what menu item you’d most like to try.
•  Become a fan of Chili’s on Facebook and leave a comment telling us you joined.
•  Follow Chili’s on Twitter and leave a comment telling is you’re their newest follower.
•  Tweet about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL of your tweet.
•  Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the URL to your blog post.

Include a valid email address for our drawing. We’ll draw the winner from the comments and contact her via email. Deadline: April 13, 2010 (midnight). The winner will have 24 hours to claim her prize or a new winner will be chosen.

• Congratulations to Deborah T., the winner of the Chili’s giveaway! Thank you to everyone who took the time to read the review and add a comment. Keep reading the Daily Dish for your chance to participate in more giveaways!

I’m slowly learning there really is no work/life balance thing for me. Things go a lot more smoothly around here if the balance shifts in favor of family and so I’ll be taking some time off from posting Daily Dish reviews during the holidays. I might even find time to send out Christmas cards and make a few neighbor plates. (Who am I kidding?)

I’ll be back in full review force on January 5th. Until then enjoy some hot cocoa or hot apple cider while catching my favorite reviews from 2009. Happy holidays!
...

Em’s Favorite Reviews, 2009 Edition

Babycape—the superhero of winter coats
Loved testing the Babycape last winter and plan to use it again this winter season. Beautiful, soft, toasty and perfect for infants and toddlers. And guess what? One cape will last your child several seasons!

Pop Fly hits a home run with my kids
My kids still love Justin Roberts’ Pop Fly CD. It’s one of the most fun, danceable, groovable children’s CDs out there.

Time to change tactics!
My toddler has yet to be potty trained (she’s the most stubborn of the bunch) and so we’re still utilizing the diaper/wipes case. My favorite to date is JJ Cole’s Tactic Changing Purse. It goes from car to gym to church and is the perfect size for wipes, diapers, ointment and even a small change of clothes. (Fortunately we don’t need that anymore!)

I just can’t get enough!
We have featured See Kai Run multiple times on the Daily Dish and I never get tired of these perfect little children’s shoes. The pink Mary Jane Jennaes pictured in this post were worn by my daughter nearly every day of the week until she could no longer squish fit into them. We wore those shoes out and yet they still looked great enough to hand down to my friend’s little girl. Quite possibly my favorite pair of shoes Livi owns…or owned. {sniff}

Anne Taintor—better than popping Prozac
Anne Taintor’s vintage humor makes me laugh out loud every time I see it. It’s so my style. And yes, I’ve often wished I’d actually told my girlfriend to “stop me before I volunteer again.”

The HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition: The hottest clutch to hit the runway!
I have used my HP Mini 1000 Vivienne Tam Edition notebook (or Vivienne Tam for short) more times than I can count—and had more women ooh and aah over it every time I pull it out of my handbag. I still need to wipe the drool off the keyboard when I’m done tweeting, Facebooking, emailing and updating my blog via this handy handbag-sized notebook.

Add some ambiance to your favorite aroma
I use my Contempo Candle Warmer Lamp every day. I love this alternative to sooty candles and the danger an open flame around a curious preschool-age boy poses. I just replaced my fruity pomegranate candle with a more appropriate spice one for the holidays. The smell is wonderful and the light gives off just the right glow in the evening.

Hapari makes swimsuit shopping a happy experience
Fabulous tankinis and bikinis in super fun prints combined with high-quality fabric and construction make these suits some of my faves. I’m also a big fan of their Shore, a sort of half-shirt-meets-cap-sleeve style layering tee that I’ve found works wonderfully well under dresses.

Photofiddle Dad this Father’s Day—he’ll love it!
I have my Photofiddled canvas artwork displayed on our dresser and not a day goes by that I don’t absolute love looking at it. Nothing like creating a work of art from a digital file!

Flip goes the world!
By now you’ve heard of Flip video and their handy, dandy line of mini handheld video cameras. I have two, the Mino and the UltraHD and the UltraHD is by far my favorite. Though not as compact as the Mino it takes superb video. We use our Flip all the time; so much so we forget we own a “real” handheld video camera. That thing has an inch of dust on it by now.

Kickin’ it on a mini kick scooter
George rocked and rolled his Kickboard USA mini kick scooter all summer long. Though we discovered leaving it in direct sunlight for extended periods of time fades the beautiful orange color, this is still my son’s favorite scooter and I love that it’s more stable than the Razor ones my girls ride. If you’re in the market for a preschool-friendly scooter, this is it!

CurlyQ Cuties for your little cutie!
Looking for a unique children’s gift? Heck, even an adult would love the custom monsters you can make using CurlyQ Cuties’ online Monster-Maker. George’s CurlyQ Cutie is still one of his favorite “reviews”—he loves that thing!

My new favorite tote
My Ann Judge Everyday tote served me well during our last vacation and it’s still my go-to bag when I need to pack more than the necessities like lip gloss, wallet and cell phone. Well made, beautiful and perfect for travel overseas and around town.

Jewelry storage disguised as art
Beautiful fabric + hand-finished wood dowels + convenient hooks = the perfect way to manage/display/organize/make sense of your earring collection. Need I say more?

Can functional be fun? Heck, yes!
Though one of my most recent reviews it still makes my fave list for 2009. The wit and real-life wisdom of Knock Knock’s products make for some serious chuckles if not outright laughter. Perfect for gift giving whether for yourself or that annoying coworker.

Our review dates are already filling up for the first quarter of 2010. If you would like your product or site featured on the Daily Dish, shoot us an email at dailydish{at}boutiquecafe.com.

See you in 2010!