Cruisin’ to Carrabba’s

Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.

Nancy and I seem to be slaves to our food cravings lately. First it was Chinese food, and now Nancy had an insatiable desire for lasagna. She remembered that one of the stops on a Del Webb Senior Safari was Carrabbas Italian Grill. The one she went to is now closed, so the next closest one we found was in Woodridge. Off we went in the Mini-Mobile, Nancy salivating at the thought of having her craving satisfied.

We were surprised to discover that this restaurant was close to one of our old favorite haunts. Being the “foodies” that we are, we frequently went to the Hollywood Boulevard Cinemas to have dinner while seeing a movie. They were one of the very first venues to offer food/drinks/movies at an affordable price. So this brought back memories of all the movies and dinners that we had.

When you walk in to Carrabbas, the focal point of the restaurant is the chefs behind a glass partition. You can watch them prepare pizza, pasta, and everything in between while you are dining.

While waiting for our drink order, the waiter brought us a basket of warm crusty Italian bread and seasoned olive oil for dipping. The seasoned olive oil was so good, we had to restrain ourselves to not eat the entire basket and leave room for our meals.

We started with a “small plate” of Bruschette Siciliani ($5.95) which was (4 pieces) oven baked bread served with diced tomatoes, fresh basil, oregano, red onions, and Kalamata olives, all marinated in olive oil and red wine vinegar, then topped with ricotta salata. This was deconstructed so you could put as much or as little as you’d like on your bread. In our opinion, there was too much vinegar and no sign of garlic. Most bruchettas have a ton of garlic, and that is the only reason Nancy eats it. For a small plate it was reasonably priced.

Without hesitation, Nancy ordered the Lasagna ($17.95). This was pasta layered with pomodoro sauce, meat sauce, ricotta, romano, and mozzarella cheese. All entrees came with either soup or salad and Nancy remembered how much she loved their soup, so her choice was Mama Mandola’s Sicilian Chicken Soup. This was “spicy chicken soup that has soothed the Carrabba family for generations.” The lasagna which once was her favorite, now proves the saying, “you can never go back.” The soup, however, was still as good as she remembered.

Jim was undecided today; he went back and forth between several entrees. Finally, the voice in his head told him to try the Pollo Rosa Maria ($20.49). This was two wood-fired grilled chicken breasts stuffed with fontina cheese and prosciutto, then topped with mushrooms and basil lemon butter sauce. He had a choice of sides and he ordered the Penne Pomodora Pasta. The wood-grilled chicken was really awesome. He normally doesn’t like lemon with his chicken, but this recipe worked. He also had the minestrone soup with his entree. This was chicken based with lots of veggies and potatoes, even cabbage.

For dessert, guess what? We had to try the Tiramisu ($9.49), seriously??? This was a small portion for the price. It was heavy on the mascarpone and light on the lady fingers. Disappointment struck again!!!

FYI: This restaurant is handicap accessible.

The price to satisfy Nancy’s craving was $62.76, with NO doggie bags included.

We were terribly disappointed in the portion sizes and equally surprised with the prices. Truly, you can never go back…

Jim’s take: Two things: 1. No Parmesan cheese on the table. 2. I’m still wondering where the prosciutto was in my chicken.

Nancy’s take: My lasagna “appetizer” was a disappointment and came to the table piping “warm.”

Have comments or restaurant suggestions for the Dining Duo? Send them an email at thediningduo@gmail.com.

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