 |
How do you select scallops that are
fresh and of good quality? How do you know when they are
done, but not over cooked? |
| -Chris N., Baltimore, MD |
| |
Damian :
Purchase your scallops from a reputable supplier who will
handle them safely and keep them at the proper temperature.
When purchased they should be ivory in color. If they
are dry-packed they may have a funny smell when you first
open them, but once exposed to the air, the odor will
dissipate. This is normal and not something to be concerned
about. When cooking scallops the best way to tell if they
are done is to touch them. Scallops should feel springy
when cooked. If they are soft and mushy they have not
cooked long enough. Good luck!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
How many of your recipes are actual
Italian recipes? |
| -Ben P., Colorado Springs,
CO |
| |
Damian :
I would say 80% of our recipes were either my mother's
or my grandmother's. The other dishes I created myself.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Our family ranks Carrabba's #1 when
it comes to dining out! Sometimes circumstances dictate
ordering carry out. Most restaurants do not offer takeout
let alone reserved Parking spaces and the convenience
of bringing your order to your vehicle. How did you invent
the splendid idea of Carside Carry-Out? |
| -John S., Jacksonville,
NC |
| |
Johnny :
We're so pleased you've enjoyed our Carside Carry-Out!
We recognized the fact that people's lives are only getting
busier and more hectic and that there isn't always time
to dine out. Consumers are looking for quick but good
home meal replacements. So it was our goal to develop
a carry out program that would be convenient for our busy
customers! With our Carside Carry-Out service, you don't
have to get out of your car! We have guests who come in
their pajamas!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Were you nervous in opening the first
Carrabba's that it would not be successful, since so many
restaurants do actually go under? |
| -Aaron L., Harleysville,
PA |
| |
Johnny :
I was a little nervous, like anyone opening a new business.
But I knew we had great recipes, a great location and
I knew I had a great partner!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
My family is Italian and we all agree
your calamari is by far the best! Does the size of the
squid have anything to do with the texture or taste? |
| -Nancy S., Mason, OH |
| |
Damian :
Thank you! The size of the squid has everything to do
with the texture. We only purchase squid that are 3-5
inches in length. Anything larger will be tough and chewy!
Thanks for asking!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
I absolutely love the Calamari Ricardo.
How do you keep the Calamari from having a rubbery texture? |
| -Susan S., St. Petersburg,
FL |
| |
Damian :
Just like a steak, Calamari has a window of cook time
where it will be tender. If you under cook squid it will
be chewy, and if you over cook squid it will be chewy.
So the cooking time is very, very important and is determined
by the size of the squid.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
It is my understanding that true pizza
is not really Italian. Did the idea come from fococcia? |
| -Joyce C., Cape Coral,
FL |
| |
Damian :
The idea of pizza goes back long before it was ever actually
called pizza, back to the ancient Romans. Pizza originated
in Naples, Italy and was originally made with unleavened
bread. Pizza is an Italian word which simply means "a
piece" of something. So it is truly an Italian dish!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
What is the secret to making such
a great Caesar Salad? |
| -Wayne P., Palm Harbor,
FL |
| |
Damian :
The secret to making a great Caesar Salad is to use only
the best ingredients because you can't cover anything
up. Use fresh garlic, high quality anchovies, fresh high
quality parmesan, fresh squeezed lemon juice, a high quality
vinegar, etc. It will make a difference! Buon appetito!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
I'm a huge fan of Eggplant Parmesan
and I think Carrabba's is the best. I like to because
there is not all the breading you usually have. Do real
Italians do it your way or the "American" way with all
the breading? I love how it melts in your mouth! |
| -Rachel M. Candler, NC
|
| |
Damian :
Thank you for the wonderful compliment! I'm so pleased
you've enjoyed our Eggplant Parmesan! We prepare our Eggplant
Sicilian style. We lightly fry the eggplant in olive oil
without a batter, where most eggplant you find is fried
in batter. This is the way my mother and grandmother have
always made it!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
My husband is a painter who if asked
to choose one painting over all others would choose "Grand
Odalisque" by Ingres. You as a chef would choose what
entreé prepared by whom? |
| -Betty D. Venice, FL |
| |
Damian :
I would choose Roast Squab with Truffle Butter by André
Soltner of Lutece Restaurant in New York.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Where did the name Carrabba's come
from? |
| -Heather S., Olathe, KS |
| |
Johnny :
My family is from Corleone in Sicily, however, we believe
our name is actually Arabic as the Arabs ruled Sicily
for over 100 years!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
In ordering a pasta or spaghetti entreé,
what does al denté mean? |
| -Patrick V., Albuquerque,
NM |
| |
Damian :
Al denté literally means "firm to the tooth" and
is used in reference to the firmness of pasta. Properly
prepared pasta should be al denté meaning it should
be firm or have a slight resistance.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Why is garlic such an important ingredient
in Italian cuisine? |
| -Pauline R., Naples, FL |
| |
Damian :
Garlic is important to all Mediterranean cuisine. Garlic
is a vegetable (part of the onion family) that was readily
available to the people of this area and it became an
important part of their cooking. But it has it's place
and should not be used in abundance - in other words,
more is not necessarily better! Garlic is used in the
base of many dishes that the Italians call "odori" or
the French, "mirepoix". This is a fundamental mixture
of aromatic vegetables including garlic, onions, celery
and carrots that give soups and sauces great flavor!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
When I visit my grandma in Jacksonville
Beach, I love to go to Carrabba's. I really like to play
with the dough while we are waiting for dinner. Who came
up with the idea and do you have any children? |
| -Ryan G. Atlanta, Ga |
| |
Johnny :
While Damian and I both have children, we can't take credit
for the idea of giving kids pizza dough to play with.
That was something one of our wonderful employees came
up with several years ago. And we've been doing it ever
since. There are lots of adults who like to play with
the pizza dough too!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Before Carrabba's it seems as if no
one had ever heard of the Italian grill style of cooking.
It has opened a whole new world to going out for Italian.
How did you come up with this style of cooking and the
amazing recipes (like my favorite Chicken Bryan)? |
| -Jill H. Jacksonville,
FL |
| |
Damian :
Italians have been grilling for centuries! Really, Italian
food is much more varied than the spaghetti and red sauce
that has come to represent Italian food in America. Grilled
and roasted meats and fish are very popular in Italy.
As for our recipes, some were my mother's and my grandmother's,
and many, such as the Chicken Bryan, I created myself.
We're so pleased you've enjoyed it!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
I love sitting at the Pasta Bar when
my husband and I eat at Carrabba's. What gave you the
idea to let customers be able to dine and enjoy watching
your excellent staff prepare such wonderful dinners? |
| -Katie V. Jacksonville,
FL |
| |
Johnny :
Whenever we're together with the family, we all hang out
in the kitchen. It's where the action is and where everybody
wants to be! So we decided to put our kitchen in the dining
room so our guests could share in the energy, excitement
and wonderful aromas of freshly prepared foods. The "Pasta
Bar" is definitely the best seat in the house!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
If a recipe calls for fresh herbs,
what is the equivalent of dried herbs? |
| -Janet C. Orlando, FL |
| |
Johnny :
I always recommend using fresh herbs over dried whenever
possible. Dried herbs often have a stronger (and different)
flavor than fresh herbs. As a rule of thumb, you will
only need 1/3 as much dried herb as you would use fresh.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
How do you value the customer and
make them feel important at Carrabba's? |
| -Steve H. Mint Hill, NC |
| |
Johnny :
Making our guests feel valued and important is what hospitality
is all about. We start by hiring people who love taking
care of guests as much as we do. We always tell our people,
if you don't love hospitality and taking care of guests,
you're in the wrong business! We teach our people to treat
guests as if they were in the home of good friends. We
try to accommodate special requests so our guests can
enjoy their evening just the way they want it. We also
teach our people to learn our guest's names and to remember
their preferences so they feel comfortable and taken care
of. And we try to teach our people to anticipate our guests'
needs. When our customers leave at the end of a meal,
we hope each one feels valued and important because they
are.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
How do you manage to get and train
such a good staff? They are terrific. |
| - Frank W., Ormond Beach,
FL |
| |
Damian :
Thank you for the wonderful compliment! We look for high
energy, dedicated individuals who truly enjoy taking care
of guests. We always tell our people, if you don't enjoy
taking care of people, you're in the wrong business! We
also have an extensive training program and really expect
a lot from our people. I think when you have high expectations
people work hard for you!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
When frying which is better to use
olive oil, vegetable oil or butter? |
| -Norma C., Raleigh, NC
|
| |
Damian :
It really depends on what you're making and the flavor
you want to create. If you're frying something and don't
want a strong flavor then use a light oil like vegetable,
peanut or canola oil. If you want the foods you're frying
to carry more of the flavor you would use olive oil or
butter of a mixture of both. But it really depends upon
the what you're preparing. Buon appetito!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
I've got a buddy who is Italian. He
would always tell my wife and me what to order because
we're not Italian. Do you have to be Italian to know great
Italian food? |
| -Alan V., Buford,GA |
| |
Damian :
You don't have to be Italian to know good Italian food.
The only thing that matters is what tastes good to you!
Experiment - try tasting different things (that's the
fun part) and ask a lot of questions. Learn what you like
and what you don't. Buon appetito!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
What is the key to making a successful
Italian dinner? |
| -Liz D., Clemson, SC |
| |
Damian :
Fresh ingredients are the key to making a successful Italian
meal! In particular, fresh herbs. Herbs lose their oils
as they dry and it's the oils that produce the flavors.
So it's critical to the flavor of your dishes that your
herbs are fresh. They cost a little more, but they're
worth it!
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Which dessert do you enjoy most on
your menu? |
| -Cheryl G., Whitehall,
PA |
| |
Damian :
Our dessert Rosa is my favorite! I love the combination
of banana, pineapple, strawberry, pastry cream and that
wonderful butter cake! Give it a try! Buon appetito.
|
|
| .............................................................................. |
|
Where can I find that wonderful cheese
(Caprino) that you use for the Chicken Bryan? |
| -Geri R., Merritt Island,
FL |
| |
Damian :
Caprino is the Italian name for goat cheese. You can usually
find it at any of the better supermarkets or gourmet markets.
Buon appetito.
|
|
