I’ll start out by letting you all in on a little secret, I don’t drink any alcohol. Nor is my husband a wine drinker. So how did we end up at Carrabba’s in South Tampa for one of their infamous Wine Dinners? I won a dinner for two at a prior Yelp Elite event back in November. And like any good foodie, I would never waste a great meal that was gifted to me!

After receiving the certificate, I went online and browsed the menu options and dates. We agreed on the “Love is in the air” night since it had a few favorites we both enjoy.
The 5-course wine dinner was slated to begin at 6:30. The wines they served were specificly from Sonoma County, Napa Valley and Paso Robles. We were joined by the owner, Dave, from Vintage Wine Cellars in Tampa. He was uber knowledgeable and enthusiastic with his wine information. I don’t drink but their is something so mesmerizing about learning where our food and drinks come from!

I have an aversion to seafood, so I asked if I could sub out the two shrimp dishes when I spoke to Suzie while making the reservations and she was agreeably accommodating! This Carrabba’s keeps winning me over with their excellent customer care! Hubby loves shrimp so I wanted to share a night out with him he would enjoy as well…

For accuracy sake, I am sharing the menu for the Wine Dinner directly from their website!

The first course : SHRIMP RAFAELO BRUSCHETTE
Hand-breaded, lightly fried shrimp tossed in our white wine lemon butter sauce and topped with jumbo lump crab. Served with toasted bread
Paired with Prosecco Kiss

I didn’t get a picture of this course, and sadly it was my husband’s favorite! But Susie did bring me out the THREE-CHEESE & SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS… Stuffed with sausage, spinach, ricotta, romano, mozzarella and Italian breadcrumbs served over our tomato cream sauce. These were excellent!

The second course : HOUSE SALAD
Romaine hearts tossed in our creamy parmesan dressing with carrots and shredded red cabbage topped with pepperoncini and kalamata olives
Paired with Decoy Chardonnay by Duckhorn

The third course : SCAMPI DAMIAN
Sautéed shrimp with garlic and our signature herb mix in a white wine and lemon butter sauce tossed with linguini
Paired with Antica Chardonnay

Susie brought out their coal fire chicken version for me, which was very rich and hearty!

The fourth course : GRILLED CHICKEN SORRENTINO
Wood-grilled chicken topped with crispy eggplant, prosciutto, mozzarella, tomatoes and our housemade Lombardo Marsala wine sauce. Served with Grilled Zucchini
Paired with J. Lohr “Seven Oaks” Cabernet

The fifth course and grand finale : CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
Rich, hand-whipped chocolate mousse with decadent strawberry sauce. A light and dreamy finish to an indulgent meal
Paired with Elouan Pinot Noir

This was the best mousse I have eaten in a very long time! Rich, but not too rich, dense and flavorful with a strawberry coolie surprise on the bottom!

We sat at one of three large communal tables in their large bar area. The tables reminded me of a wedding set up with lovely fresh flowers centerpieces that were purposely and thoughtfully low. Decorative but not hiding your dates face! The other group sitting close to us were friendly and added to the conversation. At first it felt awkward sitting so close to strangers, not my husband’s cup of tea, but we all warmed up to each other as the wine began flowing.

The staff designated just for the Wine Dinner was superb! Susie, the wine dinner host was as bubbly as the prosecco she served! Kerey, the GM, was also on hand to give us the back story to each course. And the 4 servers we had were friendly, helpful and attentive! I wish I drank wine just to have a reason to go back and enjoy this unique experience again!

Ciao!

Rachel