Carrabba's Italian Grill Gift Cards Help Share the Taste of Italy This Holiday Season

TAMPA, Fla., Nov. 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Carrabba's Italian Grill is treating guests like family with its special holiday offers and menu items. When guests purchase $100 in holiday gift cards, they'll receive a free $20 Amore bonus card – making it the perfect gift to give – and receive. Carrabba's is also bringing the tastes of Italy to the holiday table with fresh, new dishes  including the Champagne Shrimp & Scallops Pasta and Champagne Chicken.

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"We all know that Italians never need a reason to celebrate.  Good food and company are what we are all about at Carrabba's," said Steve Shlemon, President of Carrabba's Italian Grill. "During the holidays, we especially enjoy the family dinners - from cooking in a kitchen that was always alive with conversation, laughter, tastes and aromas, to the eating and enjoyment of a meal made with love ---  that's what inspires us every day."

Available now through December 31, 2011, Carrabba's holiday gift cards are available both in restaurant and online in a variety of denominations and designs. Guests ordering online at www.carrabbas.com/gift-cards, have the option to personalize each card with a special holiday greeting.

Carrabba's is also featuring a Holiday Sweepstakes for those who purchase $100 or more worth of gift cards online.  Customers ordering online can enter the Sweepstakes by registering their $20 Bonus Card at www.carrabbas.com/gift-cards.  One lucky winner will be picked to win a $5,000 gift card; results will be announced mid-January 2012.. No purchase necessary; click here for Official Rules.

Carrabba's is also tantalizing guests with an array of savory and sweet Italian dishes that invoke the indulgences of Everyday Italian Celebrations. In addition to a variety of fresh, flavorful Italian dishes prepared from scratch with the finest ingredients from around the world, for a limited time, guests can enjoy some Champagne-inspired favorites including:

• Champagne Shrimp & Scallops Pasta – Pan-seared shrimp and scallops with jumbo lump crabmeat, mushrooms and roasted red bell peppers, tossed with tagliarini pasta in Carrabba's homemade Champagne cream sauce
• Champagne Chicken – Sauteed chicken breast topped with jumbo crabmeat, mushrooms, roasted red bell peppers in Carrabba's homemade Champagne cream sauce
• Espresso Rubbed Ribeye – 13oz. Ribeye rubbed with espresso and seasonings, cooked on our wood-burning grill
• Triple Chocolate Bread Pudding – Homemade brioche bread pudding baked in our chocolate custard served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream, crunchy hazelnut brittle and drizzled with housemade chocolate sauce

For more information about Carrabba's Italian Grill, visit www.carrabbas.com, facebook.com/carrabbas or Tweet and follow us @carrabbas.

Carrabba's Italian Grill® was founded by Johnny Carrabba and Damian Mandola in Houston, Texas in 1986, and features hand-prepared family recipes made from the finest ingredients and prepared to order in an exhibition kitchen.  Best known for its wood-burning grill, Carrabba's is inspired by the many tastes of Italy.  Signature dishes like Chicken Bryan, Pollo Rosa Maria and, of course, Marsala are enhanced by the taste of the grill.  Other house specialties include Signature Pastas, with sauces made from scratch every day and traditional dishes such as Calamari, Margherita Pizza and Chicken Parmesan. Today, there are 231 Carrabba's Italian Grill locations around the country, run by passionate local proprietors focused on delighting guests with fresh, made-to-order Italian cuisine and the ultimate dining experience.

SOURCE Carrabba's Italian Grill