Won a Noodles & Company Tasting

I am going to start this post by saying I was NOT informed I had to blog about it. I only won the sampling because I put my business card in their fishbowl. I took my best friend who has been there through everything for the last six years. My husband was so awesome and stayed home with the kids so I could enjoy a night out.

I wanted to talk about the sampling and give  little insight into this company. I have NEVER been disappointed with Noodles & Company. I go there every year for my birthday for their free meal ... but I also order food once or twice a year as a date with my husband. It is not cheap, but it isn't very expensive either. I put it in the same class as Chipotle and Schlotzsky's.

We were running late for our reservations, but we still ended before their closing time. It was slow and great, because our host (Skylar - who is AWESOME) was able to really interact with us. We started with Margarita Flatbread and Cheesy Garlic Bread. It was nice to nom on something while we waited for the entrees to start. I do have to apologize, my friend and I did a lot of talking and note taking, so there is only one photo. LOL

The first two dishes they brought out were the Penne Rosa with Parmesan-Crusted Chicken & Whole Grain Tuscan with Grilled Chicken. We noticed immediately that you HAVE to mix the grilled chicken in and let it sit for a bit for the flavors to really intermingle. When  we talked to Skylar about it, she told us that it was because they had people fearing they weren't getting their full amount, so they have to put it on top. I have to say that once it is mixed in, it is fine ... but I probably would just choose a different protein.

After those dishes, we were given the Chinese Chicken Chop and Med Salad (with Kalamata Olives) with Pulled Pork (they recommend chicken but Skylar loves it with pork and we couldn't agree more). The Med Salad was TOO DIE FOR! The Chinese Chicken Chop was real good but we had the same problem with the chicken. We did think it would be AWESOME with the tofu, and that is what I plan on getting next time.

Chinese Chicken Chop

Next came two of the fan favorites, Japanese Pan Noodles with steak and Bangkok Curry with grilled chicken. The pan noodles are my go to meal ... but not sure that will be the same after my sampling. I found a LOT of others that I REALLY like. I also would have really liked the Bangkok Curry with pulled pork. The curry was a sweet coconut curry and you will really want to mix it together to just marinate the flavors.

Those would have been our last dishes, but Skylar asked if there was anything on the menu we were looking forward to trying. I was really hoping to try the Thai Curry Soup, and my friend hoped to try the Indonesian Peanut Saute since Jeremy really liked it. You can really taste the turmeric in the yellow Thai sauce and it is just a very comforting dish. A little heat but it will definitely be something to order during the winter when colds start rolling in. I couldn't eat the Peanut Saute because it is too spicy, but my friend enjoyed it as much as my husband. Skylar gave us a spice to put on top and I tried a shrimp with the spice sprinkled on and it is a NEED in the homes. It is called Smolder from Boulder and it just really brings out the flavors with spices ... without being over the top.

Of course we had a lot of food to take home, and we were given the different desserts to try when we weren't rolling out the door. They were basic, but they were soft and yummy. They make Rice Krispy Treats and Cookies every morning.

So ... it was a great night, with great service. My friend had never been to Noodles & Company before and he was pleasantly surprised with how much he liked the food. They do offer gluten-free options, you can order online, and they have the free meal on your birthday (as I stated earlier).