When we go out to eat its a celebration event that spurs it, and we remembered loving the soup and tea from other Carraba's so we go to this location.
First, the cons.
If I were to rate the entrée I had alone, I'd give it a zero. The mushrooms on the pasta were obviously from a can with its feet juice brine bursting from every chew on those pathetic things, truly an inedible element. It's the sort of culinary mistake I expect from someone who doesn't know how to cook. It ruined the whole dish, which swam in a cream sauce that had no life in it, the waitress probably depending heavily on parmesan to make up for what it lacked. The protein was just there, no marrying of the disparate elements and no mediator in any of it to bring it together. There was even a chitinous inedible shrimp tail hidden among the pasta to crunch down on. It had no redeeming qualities except that the pasta was at least al dente. Almost demanded my money back as it was insulting after the waitress kept coming back repeatedly, interrupting just to upsale for a take home entrée deal. Almost gave her a 10% tip because of this, but I assumed her boss(es) tell her to be this ridiculous. I liked her enough until that insulting dinner was put in front of me. My hubby didn't like his entrée so much, either. And we both were very annoyed with the server coming by so much to upsale while we attempted to enjoy our meal, and had to request bread when she would've left us with just our soups. The whole meal was nearly a hundred dollars and we had to leave before we made a scene over it. Not that the table close by wasn't creating one by putting their phone on speaker and loudly carrying on with it like no one else was around.
Now the pros.
The appetizer combo was a hit. Really does set up expectations for the rest. The bread and herbs saucer for mixing with oil, the sausage lentil soup (although sausage was clumsily scrambled) was delicious. The blackberry tea didn't have the same kick as I remembered but was still good.
Had wondered why we didn't go to Carraba's more often but this visit reminded me and will stick with me long enough that I won't do it again for a very long time. I can make everything we had at home and until they can learn how to put some care into the ingredients I will before I go back for an overpriced meal of canned and reconstituted disappointments!
