A Marsala To Die For
Tyrone, St. Petersburg, Florida
Cuisine Style: Italian
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 3/5
Dined: June 2019
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Carrabbas Italian Grill Zomato rating:
Carrabbas Italian Grill Executive Chefs:
Damian Mandola and Johnny Carrabba
Carrabbas Italian Grill was founded the day after Christmas in 1986, by Chef’s John Charles "Johnny" Carrabba, III and his uncle Damian Mandola. Together, they opened the first restaurant on Kirby Drive in Houston, Texas, followed by a second location shortly after. In January 1993, under a joint venture with Tampa, Florida’s Bloomin' Brands (Outback Steakhouse, Bonefish Grill, and Fleming’s Steakhouse) 10 new Carrabbas locations were opened in Houston and Florida. Two years later, OSI acquired the rights to develop the Carrabbas Italian Grill chain nationwide. As of 2018 there a total of 227 Carrabbas restaurants in 32 states, with Johnny Carrabba and his family still the proprietors of both original locations. In 2008, OSI teamed up with HMSHost to open the first location in the Tampa International Airport, but that restaurant later closed during the airport renovations in 2016.
As of 2018, more Carrabbas restaurants are in the state of Florida than any other in the United States. Many of the recipes for the dishes on Carrabba's menu are those of Damian's mother Grace and his sister Rose. These recipes were featured on the PBS cooking show Cucina Sicilia, hosted by Carrabba and Mandola.
Carrabbas Italian Grill Menu:
- Antipasti
- Roman-Style Pizze
- Zuppe E Insalate
- Italian Sandwiches
- Pollo
- Carne
- Frutti Di Mare
- Al Forno
- Signature Combinations
- Pasta
- The Carrabbas Signature
- Dolci
Carrabba's features dinner specials every Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday, with the “Amore Monday” special of a three-course dinner starting at $12.99. Then there is “Carrabbas Pizza & Wine Wednesday Menu” where you choose any wood-fired pizza for $9.99 with $10 off any bottle of wine and $5 glasses of sangria. Every Thursday is the “Carrabbas Date Night Thursday” special of a four-course dinner for two for $45, and finally, they have the Carrabbas Sangria Sunday. For Happy Hour they have half-price appetizers, $3 draft beers, $4 well spirits, and $5 premium spirits or specialty cocktails.
My first time experiencing Carrabbas Italian Grill was in 2002 at the Southlake location in Stockbridge, Georgia. I fell in love with both the pork chop and chicken marsala dishes and tried to copycat the recipe many times without success. The Caprese salad, fried calamari and the bread ordered with the basil lemon-butter sauce on the side to dip in are also amazing. The bread accompaniment is a plate of fresh herbs swimming in olive oil, but get that lemon-butter sauce next time you go, you will not regret it. The chicken Bryan dish was also a good one that featured a grilled chicken breast, topped with goat cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, and that basil lemon-butter sauce I told you about to order with the bread. The dish is named after the city of Bryan, Texas where the Carrabba family settled. For specials beyond the trout or mahimahi dishes, they would do this trio of chicken that came with the Bryan, the marsala, and a pollo Rosa Maria that is stuffed with mushrooms, prosciutto, and fontina cheese then smothered with a lemon-butter sauce. The chicken was smaller portioned and was just fantastic. Over the years I dined at other Georgia Carrabba locations as well as some in South and North Carolina, Florida, and Ohio.
There are two Carrabbas locations in St. Petersburg, Florida and my wife and I dined at the Tyrone Boulevard spot. She started with a glass of Belleruche Rosé by M Chapoutier, a pale pink wine with bluish tints. According to the winemakers’ notes, the nose has aromas of red fruits and citrus complemented by notes of exotic fruits. On the palate, the wine is fresh, delicate and fruity on entry and underpinned by a lovely freshness that prolongs the drinking enjoyment. The grape varieties include Grenache, Cinsault and Syrah. The rosé comes mainly from the right bank of the Rhône, from vines planted in loess and sandy soils. I had a 2017 Pinot Noir by Elouan Winery in Oregon and according to the winemakers’ notes is a beautiful dark scarlet in color, with aromas of dried cherries and blackberry, high fruit notes with hints of vanilla and clove spice. The flavors are structured and balanced with bright red raspberry and cherry. Boysenberry jam fills the palate, complemented by subtle notes of white pepper. Full-bodied this Pinot Noir is complex with a smooth lingering finish.
We shared the pork chop marsala that I mentioned earlier. A 10-ounce bone-in pork chop that you can request be cooked from medium up to well done. The chop is char-grilled with beautiful scoring marks, then topped with marsala wine reduction with butter and mushrooms. The chop took over 70% of the plate with a side of wonderful flavored garlic mashed potatoes topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese, that did not get lite-on either butter or cream making them taste even better. Each bite melted in my mouth, wanting a second bite before the first one even reached my stomach. Mixed with the marsala wine sauce that oozed off the chop, the potato complexity increased tenfold. There were lite spices mainly of basil, oregano, and thyme.
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| Carrabba's Italian Grill / Pork Chop Marsala |
The entree started with a choice of a house or Caesar salad. Choosing the caesar you could taste the anchovy paste or Worcestershire flavors emulsified with the olive oil and parmesan cheese. The texture was rich and fulfilling. Tossed with the romaine and some croutons along with more fresh shredded parmesan makes this Caesar one of the best choices in any Italian restaurant that I have dined in no matter the state or country.
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| Carrabba's Italian Grill / Caesar Salad |
Dessert:
There are nine signature dessert dishes on the Carrabbas menu, and on previous visits I indulged with the likes of the Sogno di cioccolata or "chocolate dream” which is a rich fudge brownie with chocolate mousse, fresh whipped cream, and house-made chocolate sauce and the tiramisú ladyfingers dessert dipped in liqueur laced espresso, layered with sweetened mascarpone, Myers rum, and chocolate shavings. On this visit, we tried a special dessert called the cinnamon apple crostata which had roasted apples mixed with cinnamon and hazelnut custard all stuffed into a folded pie crust then topped with vanilla ice cream. The crostata was piping hot served in a cast-iron skillet, with the ice cream slowly melted over the top. A very pleasing way to end another wonderful meal at Carrabba's.
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| Carrabba's Italian Grill / Apple crostata |
Check out some of these other wonderful selections:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
United States:
Oregon:
European Union:
France:
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See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other St. Petersburg restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
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New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A rustic restaurant that is known for its burgers
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Old-school English-American Eatery
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
A few Florida restaurant favorites:
|
Nautically themed eatery with crafted cocktails and raw bar
Sarasota, Florida, USA
|
Restaurant and bar hop for a prize
St. Pete Beach, Florida, USA
|
Waterside Bar, w/laid-back tropical atmosphere
Tarpon Springs
|
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambience, food quality, and wow factor.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Carrabbas Italian Grill a 3 out of 5 stars, meaning that they exceeded my expectations and were far above the average dining experience of most restaurants.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Carrabbas Italian Grill
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Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
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Ambience
|
11
|
11
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0
|
Food quality
|
11
|
8
|
3
|
Plate presentation
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Customer service
|
13
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11
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2
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Alcohol and other beverages
|
9
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5
|
4
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Total regular points awarded
|
55
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44
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11
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Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.8
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“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
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0
|
0
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Total bonus percentage
|
0
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Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.8
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Stars Awarded (see chart below)
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0 - 5
|
3
|
**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
|
3 of 5 Stars:
80% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
Exceeded My Expectations in a Dining Experience
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Carrabbas Italian Grill Wine rating:
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5 of 10
Old World selections:
France, Germany, Italy, Israel, and Spain
New World selections:
Argentina, Australia, California, Chile, and Oregon
|
Corkage fees:
|
Carrabbas Italian Grill does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge $25.00 per bottle
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Restaurant-style:
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Casual dining
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Cuisine Style at Carrabbas Italian Grill:
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Italian
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Gluten-free choices, Low Carb Choices, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
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Reservations:
|
Not Required, but Recommended
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
|
Dress code:
|
Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wear’s flip-flops!
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
|
Carrabbas Italian Grill Experiences:
|
A Place for foodies, Contemporary, Modern, Trendy, Business parties, Hotspot, Tourist grabber, and a Neighborhood Gem.
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Payments:
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Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
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Parking:
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Carrabbas Italian Grill has a private lot
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Wifi
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The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
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Noise level:
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Low
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Smoking:
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Carrabbas Italian Grill is a non-smoking restaurant with a non-smoking patio
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Patio or terrace:
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No
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Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
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££
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥¥
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European Union (EUR)
|
€€
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Alcohol prices:
$20.00 USD
Carrabbas Italian Grill:
3530 Tyrone Blvd N
St. Petersburg, FL 33710
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
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Maître d or host:
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+1 727-384-1818
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Email:
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Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
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Daily: Mon-Sat
11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Sunday
11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Happy Hour: Mon-Sun
4:00 pm - 7:00 pm
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Social Media
And
Accolades for Carrabbas Italian Grill:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
Highly creative new American molecular gastronomy tasting menus
Chicago, Illinois, USA
|
Posh and artful French cuisine + culinary experimentalism at Intercontinental Hotel
Festival City, Dubai, UAE
|
Innovative East Meets West Menu
Cape Town, South Africa
|
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
