Carrabba’s New Smaller Portions Menu and $100 Gift Giveaway

Contest is closed, congrats to E!

This is a sponsored review from BlogHer and Carrabba’s.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill is one of our favorite restaurants. We have been going to our local Carrabba’s here in Winter Springs for various special occasions and get-togethers since we moved to the area. It is by far my favorite Italian grill restaurant. They have fresh selections of seafood, poultry, beef and pasta dishes, plus many wines to complement every dish. We love the atmosphere of the restaurant. The restaurant is decorated in warm tones, and family photos from the past of the founders, Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba’s family. They have an open kitchen, a brick oven for their pizza and a beautiful wood-fired grill. The lighting is romantic, dim and warm. They have private booths, bar seating, and regular dinner tables.

My husband and I recently had the opportunity to have a date night at Carrabba’s. This was our second only date night since our son came along. We left our son in the loving care of Grandma, and off we went. We have always loved Carrabba’s and their large portions. Although, even big eaters like ourselves end up taking leftovers home. Thankfully, Carrabba’s has developed a new smaller portions option for their menu. It is the same wonderful dishes that we all have come to love, now in smaller portions. The dishes have a lower price too, starting at just $12. Oh, and did I mention that you also get soup or salad, what a deal! They also have smaller portions for some of their best appetizers, like my favorite, calamari. Of course we got the calamari on our date night, I was looking forward to it most of all. You can get the calamari with a lemon pepper sauce or their marinara. Our favorite is the lemon pepper, it pairs with the calamari so well. Their famous mussels, fried mozzarella and fried zucchini also come in the new smaller portions. These smaller appetizers are perfect for couples.

Many of their signature dinner dishes now come in the smaller portions too. Chicken, Sirloin, Pork Chops or Veal Marsala and Chicken Parmesan are included in the new smaller portions. Also, wood fire grill selections such as the Chicken Bryan, Polla Roso Maria, Grilled Norweigian Salmon and Chicken Gratilla are on the smaller portions menu too. To my surprise, I also found a 7oz filet, for all you steak lovers. You can get the Filet Fiorentina, Marsala, Bryan, Spiedino or Scampi. All are delicious choices.

I always have a hard time deciding on dinner. Decisions, decisions, I have never had anything that I didn’t love off of the Carrabba’s menu. They use the freshest ingredients in their cooking. Their authentic Italian recipes are always perfect. And tonight, I actually got to order how much I wanted to eat, without having to take leftovers home. Finally for dinner, I decided to order the smaller portion of the Chicken Bryan. Chicken Bryan is their signature dish with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and basil lemon butter sauce. It is beyond delicious.

My husband ordered the Grilled Norwegian Salmon. Their grilled salmon comes with the chef’s sauce of the day and a side of vegetable of the day (what he chose), garlic mashed potatoes or cavatappi amatriciana. We both enjoyed our dishes very much. We happened to arrive in happy hour too, and enjoyed our favorite cocktails, sangrias. My husband tried a blackberry sangria which was very good and a bit sweeter than the red sangria I always have. We finished the night with cappuccinos and delectable desserts. I had the classic favorite, tiramisu. My husband had Sogno di Cioccolata or Chocolate Dream, a rich fudge brownie topped with chocolate mouse, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

Our evening could not have been more perfect, great sangria, delicious food, and uninterrupted conversation. We loved the new smaller portions menu. It was all the great foods we love, in perfect smaller portions. These new sizes fit our appetite and the lower prices were more budget friendly.

Now time for the giveaway. You can win a chance for a $100 Carrabba’s gift simply by telling me what great things come in small packages. Be sure to check out the BlogHer.com special offers page. There you will find 7 other blogger’s reviews of Carrabba’s, and you can enter their giveaways too!

Here are the official rules for the contest. Contest ends on 6/3/10. You can find more information about Carrabba’s on Carrabba’s site. Check Carrabba’s Restaurant Locator to find a Carrabba’s restaurant location near you.

Just leave a comment below answering the question, what great things come in small packages, to enter the contest.

Thanks again to Carrabba’s and Blogher for giving my husband and I a much needed date night, we needed it! Good Luck to everyone and thanks for stopping by!

So, what great things come in small packages?