Get Carried Away in 2011 With T.G.I. Friday's® New Menu Additions

CARROLLTON, Texas, Jan. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- With a focus on fresh, quality ingredients, T.G.I. Friday's is introducing bold, new flavors in 2011 that transport the dining experience from ordinary to extraordinary.  Beginning today, guests can get carried away with any one of Friday's® 14 new menu additions including Hibachi and Mediterranean Style Skewers, Black Angus Burgers and Skinny Margaritas.

"At Friday's, we constantly work with our chefs and mixologists to create great tasting menu items that appeal to our guests and capture emerging food and drink trends," said Ricky Richardson, executive vice president and chief concept officer, T.G.I. Friday's.  "Much like our new Caribbean menu additions last year, we know that our guests will find something fun and unexpected from the revamped Friday's line-up."

The new menu includes bold, zesty flavors guaranteed to spice up any meal.  Guests can choose from enticing appetizers, burgers and entrees like the Spinach Florentine Flatbread, Kansas City BBQ Burger and Chicken Piccata Pasta, to rev up appetites.  We've also added chocolate delights for those with a sweet tooth and skinny cocktails for health-conscious guests.

For more news and updates from T.G.I. Friday's, consumers can follow the brand on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/TGIFridays), Twitter @TGIFridays and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/user/tgifridays).

Learn more about the new menu

New Appetizers:

• Tapa-tizer Skewers – Get carried away with skewers that match your (Black Angus Sirloin or Grilled Chicken) style: Japanese Hibachi (garlic & black pepper soy sauce with wasabi-miso glaze) served with grilled pita and ginger-lime slaw or Mediterranean (marinated, and grilled with lemon-garlic sauce) and served with tzatziki cucumber yogurt sauce.
• Spinach Florentine Flatbread – You'll be transported back to the Great Renaissance with this starter.  Oven-baked crispy flatbread topped with creamy spinach and artichoke heard spread with bruschetta mix of diced tomatoes, garlic and freshly chopped basil.

New Burgers:

Black Angus Burgers – Friday's has upgraded to 100% USDA choice Black Angus beef, fire-grilled to perfection and arranged on a brioche bun with lettuce, pickles, onion and vine ripe tomatoes.  For those interested in variety, Friday's now offers the option of substituting a flavorful fire-grilled ground turkey patty for any Black Angus Burger at no additional charge.

• Jack Daniel's® Burger – Our signature Jack Daniel's® sauce, crispy bacon and melted provolone cheese.  Whiskey goes with everything!
• Cheeseburger – Our classic cheeseburger topped with melted American cheese.  Can't go wrong with that!
• Southwest Burger – Topped with melted pepper jack cheese, sauteed peppers and onion, crispy Cajun-spiced fried onion strings, with chipotle spread and fresh sliced avocado.  A burger with a kick!
• New York Cheddar & Bacon Burger – Here's a bite of the Big Apple.  Melted New York sharp cheddar, Applewood-smoked bacon, Cajun-spiced fried onion strings and a sweet chow-chow relish.
• Kansas City BBQ Burger – A variation of the New York Cheddar & Bacon Burger topped off with our Jack Championship BBQ sauce.  You'll probably want some extra napkins with that.
• Turkey Burger – You'll love this flavorful ground turkey patty that's fire-grilled, seasoned just right, and served with all your favorite garnishes.

New Entrees:

• Friday's® Fusion Skewers – Same as our tapa-tizer skewers (above), but in an entree portion served with jasmine rice pilaf, vegetable medley and grilled pita.  When you can't get enough of a good thing.
• Chicken Piccata Pasta – A taste of Italy with the best American ingredients.  Citrus-seasoned chicken breast sauteed with California heirloom garlic, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and capers, then tossed with multi-grain angel hair pasta and a lemon white wine sauce with a touch of fresh basil.

New Dessert – Our guests have spoken and we listened.  Back by popular demand:

• Oreo® Madness – Cookies 'n cream ice cream sandwiched between rich layers of Oreo cookie crust with caramel and fudge.  So good you won't want to share.

New Drinks:

• German Chocolate Cake Sipper – A mix of Jagermeister, Kahlua, Baileys, Butterscotch Schnapps and Malibu Rum.  Let's just say it's dessert in a glass.
• Skinny Margarita – A refreshing blend of Hornitos Reposado Tequila and house made skinny agave sour.  At less than half the calories of our Ultimate Margarita on the Rocks, you won't feel bad for having a glass or two.
• Skinny Blackberry Margarita – Sacrifice nothing but calories with this crisp, refreshing, fruity drink. Made with Sauza Gold Tequila, skinny agave sour mix and blackberries.

About T.G.I. Friday's

T.G.I. Friday's restaurants offer authentic American food and exciting drinks in an atmosphere that provides an energizing Friday feeling – any day of the week.  Friday's guest recognition program, Give Me More Stripes®, rewards our loyal guests with great deals and fun events year-round, creating an engaging customer experience.  As the original casual dining restaurant, T.G.I. Friday's differentiates itself with a unique point of view which promises to exhilarate its guests with the feeling of Friday.  T.G.I. Friday's, which operates more than 900 restaurants in more than 60 countries, is also famous for its knowledgeable and charismatic bartenders, approximately 8,000 of whom compete annually for the title of the "Greatest T.G.I. Friday's Bartender in the World."  For more information, visit www.fridays.com.

SOURCE T.G.I. Friday's