GIVEAWAY - Chick-Fil-A Grilled Sandwiches!!!

Chick-fil-A® is introducing a new lineup of grilled chicken entrees that will give the chain one of the most nutritious and expansive grilled menus across the quick-service industry. On April 14, the Atlanta-based restaurant chain officially rolled-out three new entrees – the Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Chick-fil-A® Grilled Chicken Club Sandwich and Chick-fil-A® Grilled Nuggets – in an ongoing effort to provide more flavorful and “craveable” grilled options for its nutrition-minded customers.

NOW YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO TRY THEM FOR YOURSELF!!!

WIN IT: 3 readers will each win 3 digital offer cards, good for a grilled sandwich for the month of June and July (May's offer already expired on card)

HOW TO ENTER:&a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Chick Fil A Original Chicken Sandwiches

Chick-fil-A is celebrating 50 years of the Original Chicken Sandwich!!! In honor we're hosting a giveaway where one reader will win 2 vouchers for the original chicken sandwich.

WIN IT: One reader will win 2 vouchers for this sandwich

HOW TO ENTER: a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Little Caesars Pizza!

When It Comes To Quality, Little Caesars Is Serious

Little Caesar prides themselves on using the best ingredients. Their dough is made fresh from scratch daily in every store, and sauce is made from fresh tomatoes, not canned, and fresh cheese!!!  What's not to like about freshly made pizza? Nothing!

WIN IT: Little Caesars $10 Gift Card

HOW TO ENTER: a Rafflecopter giveaway

I was contacted directly and all materials were provided by Little Caesars.

GIVEAWAY: Chick Fil A Tortilla Soup

Chicken Tortilla Soup now available at Chick-Fil-A:

Our hearty Chicken Tortilla Soup features shredded boneless breast of chicken, navy, northern and black beans in a white creamy base with a perfect blend of vegetables and spices to heat up your dining experience. Served with seasoned corn tortilla strips.

WIN IT: 3 readers will each win 2 soup vouchers

HOW TO ENTER: a Rafflecopter giveaway

GIVEAWAY: Chick-Fil-A Milkshake

The handspun Mocha Cookies & Cream milkshake features Chick-fil-A’s home-style Icedream^®, OREO^® cookie crumbles, coffee, Hershey’s^® chocolate syrup and is topped with light whipped cream and a maraschino cherry. The shake is perfect for customers on-the-go and offers chocolate and coffee enthusiasts a delicious summer treat.

Customers are encouraged to share their #MochaReTreat photos and experiences on Chick-fil-A’sfacebook, instagram, and twitter channels. 

I Love Chick-Fil-A milkshakes. They are rich and creamy and I've had almost every flavor. You can't go wrong with any of them!

WIN IT:  5 readers will win a voucher for a free milkshake (they expire 10/12/13)

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment on this post with your name and email and which of my non giveaway posts you enjoyed reading (title).

DEADLINE: September 25, 2013

US ONLY

GIVEAWAY: Chick-Fil-A SALADS!!!

We’re proud to announce the Chick-fil-A #FreshMade Blog App!

Forget about yesterday, today is #FreshMade! Each day we have a choice, a choice to do the same old routine or do something unique and different.  What have you wanted to do for a long time? 2013 is almost halfway over and it’s time to do something new. It’s time to grow, it’s time to make your dreams a reality.

View the Chick-fil-A #FreshMade Blog App here:
https://archive.partnershub.com/show/4/cfa-freshmade/widget/cfa-freshmade/

Chick-fil-A is helping you make today #FreshMade, by creating new menu options that you can feel good about! They are introducing 3 new premium salads and an improved wrap all under 430 calories made with premium ingredients.

Take your taste buds to greener pastures.

 


WIN IT: A pack of 2 Chick-fil-A Salad Coupons!

HOW TO ENTER:
Leave a comment below with your favorite chick-fil-a menu item or which salad you'd like to try!

ENDS:  FRIDAY MAY 17, 2013

Olive Garden To Go & $15 Giftcard Giveaway

Olive Garden introduces Weeknight Family-Style Meal Deals on its To Go menu (Oct. 22 – Dec. 2), available Sunday through Thursday after 4 p.m. The meal (only $29.95) serves a family of four the following: one of five family-style entrées, like Chicken Parmigiana or Lasagna Classico, garden fresh salad or homemade soup and breadsticks. Olive Garden will deliver the meal curb-side, so guests don’t even have to leave their car! 

WIN IT: $15 Olive Garden Gift Card

HOW TO ENTER: (wait for rafflecopter to load)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Little Caesar's Giveaway!!!

Little Caesar's Now offering a $5 Hot-N-Ready Pizza Deal.




Check out the Horse Commercial below for details:

Little Caesars Store Locator

http://bit.ly/wJzpae

WIN IT: $10 Little Caesar's gift card

How to enter:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Genghis Grill Giftcard Giveaway!

They offer a create your own bowl option which is great. You can add what you like, and keep out what you don't. I am a big fan of customized meals, so this is right up my alley, and for the next week or so they're offering BOGO! The Buy One Get One (BOGO) promotion runs until September 15, 2012.

Check our their delicious menu and specials here: http://www.genghisgrill.com/

WIN IT: Two readers will each win a $10 Giftcard to Genghis Grill

HOW TO ENTER: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Dog Friendly Travel @ Cafe De Paris

 Cafe de Paris is a French themed restaurant located in Columbia, MD. Its menu selections are plentiful and change seasonally with entrees ranging from Beef Bourguignon or Pork Tenderloin to Crab Cakes. Next door to the Cafe is the Crepe Cafe, where you can find Crepes of all kinds - meat and cheese crepes, breakfast crepes and dessert crepes which are my personal favorite. 

While there we had a chance to sample several items, starting with the salmon soup which had a robust tomato flavor and hint of salmon which was just perfect, as sometimes fish can overwhelm the palette, but it was balanced well with the soup base. Next we had a chance to try the herb roasted chicken with whipped potatoes, asparagus with garlic tomato pistou and grilled ribeye with house made fries in a demi glace. The chicken was perfectly prepared, slightly crispy skin and moist tender chicken. The ribeye had char-broiled flavors, tender meat.

Following our meal came profiteroles [three puff pastries stuffed with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with warm chocolate sauce] and an apple tart [traditional French baked apple tart garnished with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce]. The dessert options were definitely different from what you see in many restaurants, so I did appreciate this, but while the profiteroles were true to their name being light and airy and doused in chocolate, the apple tart fell short. While I really enjoyed the apple tart, I couldn't get past the strong rum-like taste of the caramel sauce which distracted me from the appeal of the apple tart itself.

Our service was excellent and we would definitely go back when we're in town next.

For more information visit their website here: http://www.cafedepariscolumbia.com/index.php

Chick-fil-A GIVEAWAY

Chick-fil-A is offering a new Kid’s Meal, which is anticipated to be one of the most nutritious in the country, featuring Grilled Nuggets as an entrée. Compared to an “average” hamburger kid’s meal offered at fast food restaurants, the new Chick-fil-A Kid’s Meal (grilled nuggets [4-count], fruit cup and low fat milk) contains almost 60 percent less calories and an estimated 85 percent less fat. The chain also is enhancing its side choices by adding Buddy Fruits® Pure Blended Fruit To Go applesauce. This is a huge step for Chick-fil-A to further expand healthy menu options for families

To help get word out about these great new kid's meal options, I am hosting a giveaway!!

WIN IT: One reader will win TWO free kid's meal vouchers!

HOW TO ENTER:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Romance/Getaway Series - Le Clarisse

About Le Clarisse:

Located in the 7th Arr., blocks from the Invalides metro station and walking distance from the Grand Palace, Pont De Invalides and Champ Elysees you will find this restaurant offering both indoor and outdoor seating. Inside you will fine black velvet benches, dark tables of wood, beautiful height under ceiling and mezzanine and friendly staff who speak French and English.

Le Clarisse believes that tasting begins with the sight of the graphic and coloured plates and finishes as an explosion in mouth.

The Japanese Chef, Sadaki Kajiwara, has been with Clarisse since the beginning of March and maintains a French menu built around fresh and seasonal produce.



Celery Banana Smoothie and a candied cherry tomato

My Thoughts: 

When traveling in Europe as a whole, if you expect to be in an out of a restaurant within 45 minutes to an hour you would be gravely mistaken, as eating is a leisure activity in Europe, especially France, so expect to be there no less than 90 minutes for a meal, and I found this to be a great thing. Instead of rushing from place to place we were forced to relax and really enjoy our dining experience, and we did!

Upon our arrival we were greeted in French and English by the staff, who were more than willing to answer any questions we had. Our server was so friendly and helpful and her English was faultless, which was great for us as our French is poor. 

Our meal started off with a palette cleanser of banana celery smoothie and a candied cherry tomato. I loved ingenuity of these items. I would never think to pair banana and celery but it was a very tasty combination, and the concept of a candied tomato was so creative and we loved it!



Chilled corn soup topped with caramel corn and roasted corn

 Our next course was chilled corn soup, which doesn't sound appetizing but it was surprisingly tasty and refreshing, especially on a warm day or evening. It was sweet and creamy, but with a kick. I loved how they topped the soup with caramel popcorn as this is not something I've seen before on soup.

Sadaki Kajiwara really knows how to think outside of the box and bring you brand new combinations and concepts!

Rabbit



Swordfish

For our meals we tried the swordfish, which seems to be a popular menu item in Europe, and rabbit, which is not something I've ever seen on a menu in the US. The swordfish was moist and full of flavor,

while the rabbit was an all-together new experience for us. It was tender, but not a meat we would order again, simply because of taste preference, but to no fault of the chef. 

  

Chocolate tartlet, black sesame ice cream

Our final course was dessert, and I've always heard that the French are master bakers and chocolatiers so I was very excited to try this course. The first item was chocolate tartlets with black sesame ice cream. It was like eating a mouthful of chocolate ganache, which I love, and the sesame ice cream was creamy and a delicious compliment to the chocolate.

The second item was a panacotta and strawberries that resembled a caprese salad. To be honest I didn't know what I was ordering, but when it arrived I thought it was too pretty to eat. Made to look like slices of mozzarella and tomato this dish played tricks with your mind, making you think you'd be biting into something cheesy and tart but experiencing sweet and creamy instead, and the basil ice cream topped it off perfectly. I have never hard basil ice cream, now would I ever thought to try it before but it was so refreshing and was the perfect addition to this dessert.

Panacotta and strawberries like a tomato-mozzarella, sorbet with the basil





For more information, visit http://www.leclarisse.fr/

Many thanks for the staff of Le Clarisse for a wonderful dining experience!

disclaimer: meals provided for review

Romance/Getaway Series - Dining in "The City" of London

ONE NEW CHANGE is Land Securities’ latest development located on Cheapside in the heart of the City of London. It is London’s newest shopping destination, complete with cafés and restaurants from renowned chefs and flagship menswear and womenswear fashion brands, all set overlooking London’s most famous landmark, St. Paul’s Cathedral (photo on left is the view from One New Change's elevators).

One of the places that we had a chance to visit on our whirlwind tour of London was Searcys Champagne Bar. Here is a bit of information on this restaurant/bar: "We offer the ultimate Champagne offer within unique, contemporary settings in a variety of environments all served by an expert team of energetic, vibrant staff that are truly inspired by Champagne. Leaders and innovators in the Champagne world, the bars are modern in design with bespoke individual touches and are committed to providing a range of the very best Champagnes and sparkling wines. Offering the most extensive Champagne list with the largest selection by the glass and partnered with a food offer that is perfect with the Champagne. Discovering your favourite Champagne has never been more rewarding."

While my husband and I both don't drink, we were still able to enjoy this restaurant. It has a very classy and modern feel. Stepping in you feel like you are sure to be spoiled with great food and drinks, and we were very pleased with our meals. They offer very unusual foods and food combinations that I have not seen before such as braised jacob's ladder, as well as a smoked fish plate which we were very excited to try.  The large mixed seafood plate had smoked salmon, smoked Tilapia and chunks of crab meat. The flavors were so rich and delicious, and we really enjoyed it.

Their menu has been developed to partner their champagne list and to ensure that even the hastiest shopper can be served in quick time, so great food and drinks with a short wait, although ours was not so short. This was probably my only complaint. While we were the only people in the restaurant, there was a significant delay in getting our meals brought out. Aside from this, the food was delicious, and atmosphere was inviting.

For dinner we decided to stick around the same area and tried Refettorio, which is located at Crowne Plaza Hotel,  19 New Bridge Street, London (next to London Blackfriars Station).  It is meters from the river Thames and at the centre of Europe’s most vibrant financial and business district, whilst the bright lights of the West End are minutes away. The main dining room features a long refectory-style table with benches along both sides. There are booths in this section as well as another, more private, dining room beyond. The look is clean, smart and up to date with a very nice buzz indeed.

I had a chance to try some items we don't have where we live - Swordfish for starters. I ordered the Char grilled swordfish, Mediterranean herbs, cherry tomatoes and rocket salad.  

The salad was topped with a baked sweet potato chip which added a bit of crunch to the salad which I enjoyed, and I had the ripest cherry tomatoes I've ever tasted. They were so succulent and sweet, I couldn't get enough of them...and thankfully my meal came with more! Having never had swordfish before I was not sure what to expect, but it was tasty. I would compare the flavor to a grilled tuna steak, only much juicier. My only complaint was that it was a bit heavily salted, but still very moist and flavorful.

My husband had a chance to try the Oven roasted rack of lamb, aubergine caviar and sautéed potatoes. He devoured his lamb, but I'm not sure what he thought of the cavier. Being an American, this is not part of our usual diet, so it takes getting used to, but he loved his rack of lamb!

To top the meal off we opted for two very unique desserts:
Classic tiramisu served in a tuile basket & Vanilla panna cotta almond pastry and chocolate sauce. They were both beautifully presented and gone within seconds! I loved that their desserts were unique, and that the chef takes time to plate each course thoughtfully so that you have a delicious course that looks appetizing and inviting.

For more informaton on One New Change, visit http://www.onenewchange.com/
For more information on the restaurants: http://www.searcys.co.uk/one-new-change-champagne-bar/

http://www.refettorio.com/

disclaimer: meals provided for these reviews

Silverspoon Restaurant - Wayne, PA

About this restaurant:

"At the Silverspoon, each day begins long before our doors open at 9AM. Fresh produce, much of it organic, and always seasonal is being unloaded. Fish, exceedingly fresh, and often just hours out of the sea, arrives whole from sustainable and best-practice fisheries. Humanely, farm raised meats and poultry, free of hormones, antibiotics, and by-products are carefully trimmed, and made ready for your delectation. And our classically trained chefs are busy orchestrating dishes which weave this daily bounty into a Contemporary American tasting treat for your palate.

The casual bouchon-style atmosphere features large windows that flood the room with sun during the day, and transforms evening into a relaxed candle-lit dining experience. But the food provides the essential colors here. In fact, dining at The Silverspoon is a treat for all your senses, from our sumptuous starters through our irresistible desserts.

Service is warm, professional and prompt. Bring your own bottle and we'll serve it in classic crystal stemware with no corkage fee. Your server works closely with the kitchen and will cheerfully answer any questions you may have about the menu." - from their website

Shrimp Appetizer

My Thoughts:

The main focus of the menu at Silverspoon is on sustainable, local ingredients, which I am a huge fan of. I think it's great when restaurants use local ingredients and benefit local farmers. Another thing that is great about this restaurant is that the menu changes often based on what is available and what is in season. We went on a Thursday night when it was in the 80's outside, and expected their famous mushroom soup to be on the menu, but the chef had substituted a cold soup instead because of the warm weather. A flexible chef is a good one indeed! Yet another thing that I found endearing about this restaurant is that it's owned by Ruth and Rich Silverburg, and their son, Ron, is the executive chef, so it's a family business. There are so few family businesses these days, that I love supporting quality family-run establishments such as Silverspoon.

While at Silverspoon I had a chance to try their shrimp appetizer, range chicken, bison burger, and flourless chocolate dessert which was to die for. Granted, I did not order all of this, but had a chance to try each part of my meal and my husband's meal. We were very pleased with our meal, and would definitely return.

I'll be honest and admit that we found the location a bit hard to find, but once we found it we were very pleased. Silverspoon offers an outdoor seating option and the restaurant also open to the outdoors on nice days so it's the perfect indoor/outdoor arrangement.

The Silverspoon is open for breakfast and lunch Monday – Saturday from 10-3, dinner from Tuesday – Saturday from 5:30-10 and brunch on Saturday & Sunday from 10-3. It is also a BYO facility so bring your favorite bottle of wine and enjoy it along with a fantastic meal.

Tuesday and Thurday we have our full dinner menu plus a new bistro menu as well. Wednesday nights we offer our World Tour, a 4 course tasting menu featuring cuisine from different countries, plus a shortened version of our regular dinner menu.

For more information, or to make reservations, visit their website: http://www.silverspoonwayne.com/index.html

Many thanks to Silverspoon for a delicious meal!

disclaimer: meals provided for review, but this is my honest opinion

Romance/Getaway Series - Maya Restaurant

ABOUT MAYA:   

 "Located in the center of Charlottesville Virginia’s Midtown, MAYA serves dinner 7 days a week and Sunday Brunch. Our “made from scratch” menu is prepared daily in honor of the Old Southern Kitchen. Whether it is free range chicken from across the mountain, stream raised trout from the Shenandoah Valley, fresh fruits and vegetables from our many nearby farms, or stone ground grits from just down the road, we strive to support local food and spirit producers. Charlottesville and the surrounding area is rich with farms, wineries and craft breweries offering a wide range of produce from which to work. MAYA offers three separate dining spaces for private functions and offers both on and off premise catering. Our outdoor patio doubles as a live music venue at night and the bar, offering full service wine, beer and liquor, is open 7 nights a week. Please join us in our efforts to bring back the simple and wonderful flavors of freshly prepared, local foods." ~ straight from their website

My Thoughts: 

We visited on a Saturday night, expecting parking to be a challenge, however we were wrong. We found parking very close to the restaurant very easily and were greeted by the hostess and informed that there were tables available inside and outside. Everyone loves having options! Since it was a nice day we opted for outside. One of the things that I enjoy about Maya is that they try to use as many local ingredients as possible: fish, vegetables, range chicken, etc. So many ingredients come from other states and countries, that I really appreciate when restaurant owners make the decision to go local. Another thing that I enjoyed about Maya was the warm and inviting ambiance. Although we sat outside which is fun and casual, inside the restaurant are exposed brick walls, exposed wood beams and all these elements make for a cozy and inviting environment which I enjoy.

Now on to the food!!! While we ordered specific items the chef had other plans in mind. We ordered 2 main courses: Ribs and Salmon, but the chef sent out beet soup, pimento cheese fritters, and the Cod special with fresh mushrooms. At that point we knew that this was a serious meal, and we accepted the challenge! I'll be the first person to say that I don't enjoy beets, so I was a bit unsure about beet soup, but it was made with a vegetable stock, so it had a rich flavor and a smooth silky texture which made it all the more enjoyable and palatable. I am very fond of soups with unique flavors and velvety consistencies, so this got an A+ from me, and coming from someone who is not a fan of beets, this speaks volumes.

Next were the cheese fritters, which my husband seemed to really enjoy. I was not able to enjoy them due to a food allergy, but he didn't seem to mind tackling them himself.  Next came the entrees - salmon, ribs and cod.  Being a seafood enthusiast I hoped that these would be delicious, and I was not disappointed. The salmon was blackened on one side giving it the perfect crunch when paired with the tender salmon. Topping the salmon was minted pea mash and carrot ginger sauce. Not only did this make for a colorful plate, but the combination of flavors was spot on.  The cod entree was topped with fresh mushrooms and this was also a delicious combination. The ribs fell right off the bone and my husband didn't appear to have any complaints as they were quickly consumed.

Following our entrees we surprisingly still had room to try some desserts. One of the unique dessert options they offered was a s'more so I couldn't pass up the chance to try this. The other option was a chocolate cake special. Don't they look delicious? They were!

Advantages:

1. Indoor/outdoor seating, weather permitting

2. Friendly and accommodating staff - they'll leave out certain items, if needed

3. Live Music on select evenings, and no cover charge!

4. Warm and inviting atmosphere with exposed brick and exposed beams

5. Can accommodate parties/events such as rehearsals and receptions

For information regarding private parties, please call 434.979.6292
or Email maya.cville.restaurant@gmail.com

Disadvantages:

1. On-street parking, so it could be a challenge if other events in town are taking place

2. Too many delicious options to decide between, but this isn't really a disadvantage 

For more information, or to make reservations, you can find their contact information here: http://www.maya-restaurant.com/

Maya Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/profile.php?id=1540191572

disclaimer: compensation provided for review