We’ve all seen the movies about big Italian families gathered around the kitchen, tasting Mama’s Bolognese sauce and waiting for the noodles to boil.  Think Moonstruck.  That’s exactly what Johnny Carrabba and Damien Mandola were shooting for [...]]]> 2040 Hamilton Place Boulevard, Suite 100
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Phone: (423) 894-9970
Fax: (423) 894-9971
E-Mail: ca9304@carrabbas.com
Website: www.carrabbas.com

We’ve all seen the movies about big Italian families gathered around the kitchen, tasting Mama’s Bolognese sauce and waiting for the noodles to boil.  Think Moonstruck.  That’s exactly what Johnny Carrabba and Damien Mandola were shooting for when they opened their first Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

If you’ve ever looked around the inside of the Carrabba’s Italian Grill beside Hamilton Place, you’re sure to have noticed the pictures hanging on the walls.  “Obviously history and culture are a large part of the restaurant,” Miguel Morales, owner of the local franchise says.  “We take great pride in the Carrabba family and the Mandola family being true Italians.  All the pictures you see on the wall are either family of the Mandola family or family of the Carrabba family.”

True history is pictured in many of these photos.  “There’s a picture of Johnny’s dad, who is the only gentleman that still knows the recipe of our homemade Italian fennel sausage,” reveals Morales.  “He has willed that recipe to Johnny when he passes away, and until then, he’ll be the only person that has all the ingredients for that sausage.  So basically, he puts those ingredients together, still today, and turns them in and they basically dump that into the recipe and have no idea what seasonings are in the packet because that’s his personal recipe.”

Many of the photos you see on the wall are from old grocery stores and meat markets—the family businesses of the Carrabbas and the Mandolas. Johnny Carrabba and Damien Mandola are family—Damien is Johnny’s uncle.  “Instead of continuing with that business,” explains Morales, “they started to open restaurants at a young age, and when Johnny Carrabba graduated from college, Damien Mandola had a great new idea for a family-oriented Italian restaurant with the kitchen upfront, an expo kitchen so everyone could enjoy everything going on there.”

The original Carrabba’s opened its doors on Kirby Avenue in Houston, Texas in the mid-80s with Johnny Carrabba at the helm.  Mandola continued to manage his two “white tablecloth” Italian restaurants in Houston.  Within two years, Mandola realized that Carrabba was having all the fun and decided to close his two restaurants and open a second location of Carrabba’s.  The partners were approached repeatedly about selling the restaurant.  Since approximately eight percent of the recipes being used were their family recipes, Mandola and Carrabba didn’t see this as an option until Outback Steakhouse made them an offer they couldn’t refuse.  Outback offered the men a partnership, still allowing them full control over the restaurants and full control of the recipes.

Unlike many of their competitors, Carrabba’s Italian Grill continues to grow and flourish, having had their biggest success in only the last five or six years. Why is that?  In large part, it’s due to their refusal to accept anything less than the best and most fresh ingredients for their food.

“With economic changes,” says Morales, “we’ve put a lot of thought into [the menu]. There are a lot of different places out there cutting the cost of their menu and things of that nature.  I don’t think that’s a possibility for us, because the product we had on our old menus was given at a great price for buying fresh product rather than frozen product.  It costs a little more money to do that.”

Morales explained that they came up with some menu items that took a diner from the soup or salad course, to the entrée, and on to dessert for one low price.  Diners are still getting delicious meals made with fresh ingredients, including the house specialties such as crispy calamari, Chicken Marsala (cooked over an open flame using oak and pecan woods and marsala wine from the Lombardi family vineyards in Italy), unique pasta dishes and handmade pizzas baked fresh in their wood-burning oven, and—don’t forget—their “Sogno di Cioccolata”, a rich fudge brownie brushed with Kahlua, then topped with chocolate mousse, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

There are always the options of curbside pickup, large party carry-out, or private dining—where a Carrabba’s chef comes to you to prepare a feast.  Whichever you decide, you can’t lose with the best fresh ingredients and the engaging hospitality of Carrabba’s Italian Grill.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill, 2040 Hamilton Place Blvd.  (423) 894-9970. www.carrabbas.com

Located in the heart of St. Elmo at the base of Lookout Mountain, this charming restaurant features delicious gourmet lunches, a full bar, and a relaxing atmosphere all day long. Try the affordable and delicious Kobe Burger with bacon for a real treat!

Owners Blackwell and Kelly [...]]]> 3914 St. Elmo Avenue
Chattanooga, TN 37409
Phone: (423) 702-5461

Located in the heart of St. Elmo at the base of Lookout Mountain, this charming restaurant features delicious gourmet lunches, a full bar, and a relaxing atmosphere all day long. Try the affordable and delicious Kobe Burger with bacon for a real treat!

Owners Blackwell and Kelly Smith focus on quality foods that are French-influenced with regional and traditional flavors. According to the Smiths, the goal is great food and service, no matter who comes in to eat: “In a business suit, in a t-shirt and jeans, you’re going to get the same meal”

Hours:
Tuesday-Thursday: 11a.m. – 10p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 11a.m. – Midnight
Sunday: 11a.m. – 3p.m.

I dare say most people who have lived in Chattanooga very long have noticed the Stong Building. Like me, you might not have known what it was called, but you’ve seen it, standing there at the corner of Market and 14th Streets, an oddly [...]]]> 6 E. 14th Street
Chattanooga, TN 37408
Phone: (423) 752-8090
Website: terminalbrewhouse.com

I dare say most people who have lived in Chattanooga very long have noticed the Stong Building. Like me, you might not have known what it was called, but you’ve seen it, standing there at the corner of Market and 14th Streets, an oddly shaped brick edifice.  The Stong Building has a fascinating history—legend has it the building housed speakeasies, illegal gambling house and even a house of ill repute.

Come to think of it, that may be the why the building so appealed to a young group of visionaries.  The Stong Building was vacated in the 1980s and began to fall into disrepair.

After three years and many, many renovations, The Terminal Brewhouse opened in January 2009.  The owners of this neighborhood pub have done amazing things in the curiously asymmetrical space, with large picture windows, exposed brick and ductwork, dark woods and marvelous, warm, butter-yellow walls.  All the tables are made of reclaimed heart pine, as well as the bathroom vanities—all created locally by Aaron Cabeen of Cabeen Originals.

The local element doesn’t end there.  Matt Lewis refers to the restaurant as “approachably green.”  They use many organic and locally grown items in their kitchen, including bison from Eagle’s Rest in Flintstone, Georgia and coffee roasted on Vine Street by Coffee Crafters.  They’ve had waterless urinals installed by green/spaces, a Chattanooga company that acts as an eco-conscience, guiding local businesses in green practices.   green/spaces was also instrumental in building The Terminal Brewhouse’s green roof.  Earthscapes, another Chattanooga company, also worked diligently to create the green roof.

The owners of The Terminal Brewhouse are craft brewers.  By definition, craft brewers maintain integrity in what they brew.  Instead of adding a bunch of flavors to what they’re brewing, The Terminal Brewhouse focuses on perfecting the beers they brew.  There are five brews kept on tap year round, Belgian White, American Copper Ale, Maibock, Oatmeal Stout, and West Coast IPA.  In June, The Terminal Brewhouse added growlers.  You can purchase a growler and have it filled… pick one up and take it to a friend.   Starting tonight, The Terminal Brewhouse is hosting a Late Night Happy Hour: Sunday through Thursday from 10 p.m. until closing at midnight, you’ll find discounts on beer and some of the appetizers will be half price.

So, we know The Terminal Brewhouse is a craft brewery.  Now let’s talk about their crafty food!  Matt Lewis and Ryan Chilcoat worked together to create the menu of a neighborhood pub.  Delicious items priced to bring clients back again and again and again…well, you get the picture.  These guys, though—they wanted clients to get a little taste of their personalities and to relax within their walls.  They created dishes like “Yosemite Salmon Cakes”— salmon cakes with jalapeno and onion, “Ravioli Identity Disorder”—chicken and spinach stuffed in an egg-roll ravioli, then breaded and deep fried a la the South, or the “Look what you did you little jerk”—grilled salmon dusted with their own jerk rub and polished up with pineapple jalapeno relish, all served on a kaiser bun.

When Matt, Ryan, and Geoff came together with the idea of The Terminal Brewhouse, their main goal was to create a neighborhood pub.  By involving local businesses, creating menus priced just right, and throwing out great deals like Late Night Happy Hour, these guys have succeeded.

The Terminal Brewhouse is located at No. 6 14th Street (corner of 14th and Market) and is open Monday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to midnight.

This club is a real fun place. It’s known for having the wildest guests, superstars, and drinking atmosphere. The best time to visit the club is on the first Friday of every month. Once in Chattanooga, be sure to hit up the Whole Note and [...]]]> 508 E M.L. King Boulevard
Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone: (423) 756-1908

This club is a real fun place. It’s known for having the wildest guests, superstars, and drinking atmosphere. The best time to visit the club is on the first Friday of every month. Once in Chattanooga, be sure to hit up the Whole Note and you can experience some wonderful southern hospitality.

I have ate the wings here several times. They are the best in town. Order the honey barbecue. You will not be disappointed.

Welcome to Chattanooga’s Premier Adult – oriented Restaurant featuring: Upscale Dining, Nightly Dancing and DJ, Lounge and Bar, Open-air Seating on the Palms Deck, and Weekly Specials.