Carrabba's

Address:

683 E. University Parkway

Orem, UT 84097

Price Range:

$10-$20

Website

This was Craig's and my choice of place to go for Valentine's Day since it sounded good and had been YEARS since I had been. Italian is fantastic so I was excited to go back and give it an honest go this time.

Menu:

Calamari (Small): Calamari is such a great appetizer and when it's done correctly I should not be able to tell that I'm eating squid. Thankfully, they did a great job ensuring that. It was lightly breaded and delightfully crispy despite calamari's tendency to be chewy or soggy. It was peppered and we had it with some marinara which was appropriate. I truly did enjoy this calamari.

Lentil and Sausage soup/ Salad: Craig chose the lentil and sausage soup as the precursor to his meal, it was spicy but comforting like all lentil soups are, but it really is on the spicier side, I suspect from the sausage but I'm sure there were additional flavors that were added to add spiciness. Again, a good soup especially if you want a little bite but the comfort of a lentil soup. I didn't get a picture of the salad because it was so delicious I forgot to take a picture. The salad was made up of average salad things (romain, celery, carrots, etc) but what was fantastic was their house salad dressing. It was a creamy Parmesan dressing that made the salad so fantastic I would go back to Carrabba's just for the dressing. Definitely get the salad when there with their house dressing.

(They give you more than that...again...we were eager)

Seafood Cannelloni: This was Craig's entree. It was Cannelloni shells stuffed with shrimp, scallops, and lobster, dripping with Rosa sauce and topped with lump crab meat and cheese. Can you really lose there? It was SO rich, Craig wasn't able to finish it, so if you really want to try it, I would suggest splitting it with your date. The sauce, although red, went surprisingly well with the seafood and was not too overpowering that the flavor of the seafood was gone but it was not fishy flavored either. I would definitely try this if you were looking to split a meal.

Pollo Rosa Maria with Mashed Potatoes: This was my meal and it was suggested to me by the waiter. I really wish this dish was what I'm sure it was supposed to be. It was described as a chicken breast stuffed  with prosciutto and fontina cheese and topped with mushrooms and a lemon butter sauce. Perhaps I got the bottom of the barrel because we were one of the last customers there but there was no prosciutto in my chicken breast and only a smidgen of fontina at the bottom of my chicken breast. I was sad, but i'm sure it would have tasted fantastic if it had been in there. The sauce was a little strong for the flavors that were going on but maybe it would have been better if the prosciutto and fontina were in the chicken breast. Either way I was sad the recommendation was a bust. The mashed potatoes were also REALLY peppery. So much so I couldn't finish them because they were ruining my palate and making it difficult for me to enjoy the rest of my meal. Again, perhaps I got the bottom of the barrel on those too. I would like to try this dish again perhaps earlier in the day to see how it would really taste. 

Despite it being 9:30pm when we got there our server was a good sport and was attentive. The hostess was friendly and accommodating and the place was clean and well lit. I really enjoyed this place because it looks ritzy but it boasts Macaroni Grill type dishes with Olive Garden prices. It had the complimentary choice of soup or salad and a basket of fresh bread on the table. If it came down to choosing between Olive Garden and Carrabba's I would choose Carrabba's.