Showing posts with label their. Show all posts
Showing posts with label their. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 11, 2015
The Palm Restaurant Introduces Their New Modern Power Lunch
My friend and I looked over the extensive lunch menu and agreed that everything sounded delicious...how would we ever decide?!?!? The menu includes classic items like Jumbo Lump Crabcakes and new menu items like Filet Mignon Medallions and a Nova Scotia Lobster BLT. They even offer some great wine-by-the-glass and martini specials! We opted for two courses each and a shared dessert. Since neither of us had eaten at The Palm before, we selected a combination of classic and new menu items to try. I opted for the Beefsteak Capri Salad for my appetizer and the Jumbo Lump Crabcakes for my entree. The salad featured two stacks of perfectly ripe beefsteak tomato, fresh basil, imported creamy mozzarella di bufala, and a drizzle of olive oil. Just before eating, I drizzled a bit of balsamic over the top of my salad. The Crabcakes were served with a fantastic chipotle tarter sauce that reminded me of a spicy Cajun remoulade sauce and a sweet-and-spicy mango salsa. All three components worked together perfectly, and the portion size was perfect for lunch.
Disclosure: The Palm Restaurant provided a complimentary lunch for me and a guest to facilitate this post. However, all opinions expressed are my own.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
Restaurant Spotlight Johnny Carinos Introduces Their Expanded Gluten Free Menu
Johnny Carinos Italian restaurants recently expanded its gluten-free menu to a whopping 23 items, including items from their kid’s menu. With demand for gluten-free food options on the rise, theyre introducing gluten-free versions of fan favorites like the Skilletini and Spicy Shrimp and Chicken. The new gluten-free menu has been confirmed by Analytical Food Laboratories as meeting FDA guidelines to be considered gluten-free. This extensive process took place under the guidance of Vice President of Culinary Development Chris Peitersen. “I developed the new recipes by utilizing gluten-free ingredients, consulting nutritional experts and working in conjunction with Analytical Food Laboratories to conduct the actual scientific testing of the menu items,” says Peitersen, who started with the company as a line cook at the very first Johnny Carino’s in 1995.
Creating gluten-free zones in their kitchens and using separate utensils for handling gluten-free dishes are just some of the steps the Texas-based chain has taken to prepare their new gluten-free menu items. The new menu items are now available at all participating restaurants nationwide, and Johnny Carinos recently invited us out to try out some items from the menu.
Michael and dont have issues with gluten, but we were very curious to see how the gluten-free items stacked up against their traditional menu items. We were pleasantly surprised! We ordered three items from the gluten-free menu, a shared bowl of soup and two salads. We opted to try a bowl of their Italian Chili. It was zesty, flavored with Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, diced onions, and select herbs. It came to the table garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. We really enjoyed this soup...it was just spicy enough and very hearty. As great as this was on a warm Summer evening, I cant wait to try it as the weather turns cooler in a few months.
Michael and dont have issues with gluten, but we were very curious to see how the gluten-free items stacked up against their traditional menu items. We were pleasantly surprised! We ordered three items from the gluten-free menu, a shared bowl of soup and two salads. We opted to try a bowl of their Italian Chili. It was zesty, flavored with Italian sausage, diced tomatoes, kidney beans, diced onions, and select herbs. It came to the table garnished with parmesan cheese and fresh parsley. We really enjoyed this soup...it was just spicy enough and very hearty. As great as this was on a warm Summer evening, I cant wait to try it as the weather turns cooler in a few months.
Michael opted to try the beautiful and tasty Italian Wedge Salad. This creative salad features a generous iceberg lettuce wedge topped with applewood smoked bacon, candied pecans, gorgonzola, Roma tomatoes and green apple. It came drizzled with roasted garlic ranch dressing. This salad was bursting with flavors and textures. We absolutely loved it!
I selected a main dish salad from the gluten-free menu for my entree, the Honey-Pecan Crusted Salmon Salad. This salad features a wood-fired salmon fillet topped with a sweet honey-pecan topping. The salmon was served on a bed of romaine, with sun-dried tomatoes, tomato wedges, purple onion and a refreshing lemon vinaigrette.
I really enjoyed the sweet-savory flavor of this salad! It was the perfect dinner for a warm Texas evening. The salmon provided a generous portion of lean protein, and the big-flavor toppings brought a great mix of flavors and textures.
As much as we enjoyed the gluten-free menu items we tried, we also sampled a few items from Johnny Carinos extensive traditional menu as well. We just couldnt resist a mini order of their Sicilian Fire Sticks. These culinary firecrackers feature tomato-basil tortillas rolled around Italian sausage, chicken, bacon, roma tomatoes, jalapenos and Italian cheeses. These addictive little bites were served with a spicy marinara.
As much as we enjoyed the gluten-free menu items we tried, we also sampled a few items from Johnny Carinos extensive traditional menu as well. We just couldnt resist a mini order of their Sicilian Fire Sticks. These culinary firecrackers feature tomato-basil tortillas rolled around Italian sausage, chicken, bacon, roma tomatoes, jalapenos and Italian cheeses. These addictive little bites were served with a spicy marinara.
We really loved this appetizer! We also decided to try one traditional pasta dish, the Lemon-Butter Shrimp Pasta.This is NOT a gluten-free item, but those with gluten sensitivities could certainly substitute gluten-free pasta. The shrimp were plump and sweet, and the lemon-butter sauce had a perfect acidic kick. The dish was topped with diced tomato and green onion. As you can see, the portion was quite generous!
Disclosure: Carinos sent me a gift card so we could try their gluten-free menu items. The opinions expressed are my own. All pictures are copyrighted by Michael K. Garcia.
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