Carrabba's Italian Grill

I drive by Carrabba's more or less every single day.  The facade never really beckoned to me and I really never considered stopping by.  That is until Laura's uncle mentioned that he had visited one of their locations and that they had some really good food.  Sold!

We took a three minute ride around the corner and showed up to Carrabba's this past Sunday night.  Walking in to the place I was pleasantly surprised, the place is very nice, the lighting is dim and the decorations are not overwhelming.

Our waiter was kind of an idiot but that made no difference once we got our food.  Whenever I am trying to new ethnic restaurant, Italian in this case, I normally go with a specific dish to test it out.  For instance any time I am trying a new Chinese place I go with Sweet and Sour chicken.  As for Italian though the obvious first choice is Chicken Parmesan.

Laura went with the Manicotti and her uncle chose a seafood pasta dish which seems to be escaping me right now and which I cannot find on their online menu :(  Long story short though, everything was incredible.  The Chicken Parmesan was crispy, had the perfect amount of sauce and cheese as well as just the right amount of pasta.

After having a decent mozzarella stick appetizer as well as my fare share of the complimentary bread and butter I could barely finish my entree.  Which of course meant I had an incredible lunch the next day.  Both Laura and her uncle also loved their meals, I tried some Manicotti and was very pleased with it.

If it weren't for just how dumb our server seemed it would have been a near perfect meal.

Carrabba's Italian Grill

IHOP Restaurant

Since moving to Austin, Laura and I have made a few trips to local IHOPS in our area.  Each and every time I have been left with a feeling of despair and utter hopelessness for the international house of pancakes.  This past weekend all of those negative feelings were replaced with much warmer, brighter, happier ones.  The reason, location, location, location!  We had been eating at one a bit south of where we live, and it was a disgrace.  The layout felt like a cafeteria the waiters were pathetic and the food came out cold!

Having decided to finally check out the location closer to home I was excited to be there the second we walked in.  This place looked like an actual restaurant.  My initial feelings were definitely justified as our waitress was incredible and the food came out warm to boot!  Woo hoo, everything you could ever ask for from an eatery.  

This is not to mention the fact that I stumbled across my definitive breakfast.  What they call the Split Decision is exactly what I have been looking for my whole life.  Two pancakes, two pieces of French Toast, two strips of bacon, two sausage links, and two eggs.  My meal beat out the 2-2-2 by an additional 4 items!  

Laura's uncle chose the 2-2-2 so I specifically got to see how much more I was offered in my Split Decision and was extremely happy about it.  Laura went with just the OG French Toast meal and the baby happily slept in her car seat as we all enjoyed our late breakfast, early lunch... brunch!  Which BTW is the reason I have been MIA in regards to AnotherWayToEat, new born babies are not very good dining companions.  However now that she is almost 4 months old she is the most amazing little companion to bring just about anywhere. 

She loved Cheesecake Factory, the painted ceilings were beyond interesting to her.  Outback Steakhouse and BJ's Brewhouse were also very fun outings.  She loves seeing new places and meeting new people, she is so aware of her surroundings and more than comfortable sitting on someones lap right at the table.  She just wants to be a part of the group!  

IHOP was actually the first place that she got a little cranky, but even that only lasted a few minutes before we got her to fall asleep for the majority of the meal.  

A meal which was totally fulfilling and a complete redemption for how I felt about IHOP and why I hadn't bothers to review them in the past.  Every aspect of the meal was perfect, especially the blueberry and strawberry syrups which I complimented my french toast with.  The old fashion syrup did not disappoint either when added to my pancakes.  

While there are a ton of places to choose from for breakfast, IHOP is a classic option.  I just wish they had the same service in each location, but at the very least I found one near me that I can trust at this point and I know which one to avoid at all costs. 

IHOP