Monday, August 30, 2010

A Hearty Meal in a Goodie Bag - Carrabba's Italian Grill


From my previous post, you will know that I had a fantastic time at my 1st food blogger's event at Carrabba's Italian Grill. It was a afternoon well spent with new foodie friends served with superb food and amazing hospitality from all the staff at Carrabba's. Do check out my previous post on the enjoyable time I spent there.

I am not saying this because Carrabba's fed me well, but I sincerely think that this is a restaurant worth checking out if you want some good, fresh Italian food.

After feeding us a ton of food, we were given each a goodie bag filled with food for us to create the Carrabba's experience at home. Needless to say, I was extremely excited to peek at what's inside when I got home.



Oh my! Oh my! It was totally impressive. Firstly there was a thank you card written personally by Carrabba's proprieter Josh Goldschmidt whom we met and so graciously served us for lunch. I think these little details make me feel very at home with Carrabba's. Inside the goodie bag there was a packed full meal with appetizers - bread and salad, entrée - pasta and even a little dessert. Looks like dinner is set!

With such an impressive spread, I decided to re-create a homely Italian dinner and enjoy the food delights with Hubby-D.



First let's start with Carrabba's Bread. It was delicious, hard crust on the outside but soft bread in the inside. All I had to do was warm it 5 mins in the oven. Carrabba's even provided the bread dip - Carrabba's own Olive oil and a mix of Carrabba's special herb mix. The herb mix was yummylicious and I think I would have to ask for the recipe the next time I visit them.



Next on the menu - Fresh salad with croutons and mediterrean dressing on the side. I decided to pick out the croutons and bake for 5 mins too so that it has a nice crunch and it did!! Can you see how fresh the salad is even after 6 hours!!



And then came the entrée - Penne Franco which is the dish made during the cooking demo in Carrabba's. It is penne pasta mixed with pesto, fresh mushrooms, sundried tomatoes, artichoke hearts and black olives with ricotta cheese, topped with absolutely delicious grilled chicken. Oh my!! Delicious!!

By the way, this is only half serving of the entree. Hubby-D and I are still full from lunch and thus we shared an entree.



And if that was not enough, they even packed a little dessert for us. So sweet! I am not sure what it is but it was a chocolate delight filled with chocolate cake, Chocolate mousse and walnuts. Super yummy!



Carrabba's have a Large Party Carry Out Menu perfect for family dinners, office gatherings or any special occasions. Check them out at their resturants and visit their website for more info. http://www.carrabbas.com/

All in all, Hubby-D and I were totally impressed with Carrabba's food and hospitality. We had a lovely Italian food experience both at their restaurant and at home.

6 comments:

Belinda @zomppa said...

I admit I've never been there, but you make it all sound so good!

Nancy said...

The restaurant looks like a great one. At least from the photos all the dishes look yummy!

A SPICY PERSPECTIVE said...

Sound's great!

Joyti said...

ALL of those items look fabulous...the pasta, the dessert, the beautiful bread.
The text and the bag look similar to the chain called "Macaroni Grill" here...I wonder if they are the same?

mysimplefood said...

Belinda - Yeah if not for the blogger's event, I would not have thot this place was good since the impression of chain stores usually have pre-prepared sauces etc.

Spicie Foodie - Yeah I was surprised hat the food was still so fresh when we took it home.

A Spicy Perspective - Thanks for dropping by.


Indie.Tea - We have Macaroni Grill here too, hmmm I am not sure if they have the same owners.

Anonymous said...

It looks like Macaroni Grill in California. The pasta dish is almost the same as "Pasta Milano" from that restaurant. :-)

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