Sampling the Season’s Best Flavors at Applebee’s {Giveaway Closed}

After a weeknight’s worth of home-cooked dinners, my family and I like to hit the town for supper on Friday nights. A favored local establishment for us is Applebee’s, for their kid-friendly atmosphere and menu. Despite being a chain restaurant, fresh, seasonal flavors can be found – and are done surprisingly well! – making Applebee’s a win-win for our foodie family.

At a recent visit to the Paramus, New Jersey Applebee’s location, my family and I were treated to some new items from “The Season’s Best Flavors” menu, including the Grilled Vidalia® Onion Sirloin, Strawberry and Avocado Salad, Strawberry Lemonade Quencher and Chicken Freshcado. Here are our thoughts:

Strawberry and Avocado Salad & Strawberry Lemonade Quencher: I happen to really love grilled chicken over greens at Applebee’s – my go-to meal is typically the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad, dressing on the side. But when I saw the new Strawberry and Avocado Salad on the menu, I couldn’t resist, so we ordered it for the table as a starter. And I was not disappointed. Featuring strawberry slices, fresh arugula and romaine , the salad is tossed in an awesome chili lime vinaigrette and topped with fire-grilled chicken breast. Hand-cut avocado chunks cool things off, adding a nice complement to the zesty dressing. And I found the non-alcoholic Strawberry Lemonade Quencher to be quite refreshing alongside the salad. (side note: I actually diluted it a bit with my water to tone down the sweetness. Totally enjoyed it this way!)

Grilled Vidalia® Onion Sirloin: The hubs and my dad each had this dish. It featured a tender 7 oz. grilled sirloin topped with a caramelized slice of sweet grilled Vidalia® onion. It was served with sautéed spinach and smashed and crisped red-skinned potatoes in a warm, sweet and spicy Hawaiian BBQ sauce. My dad especially loved it and commented on how he normally doesn’t like spinach but enjoyed this side dish very much.

Weight Watchers®-endorsed Chicken Freshcado: OK, so full disclosure – on the Paramus, NJ restaurant menu, this dish was called “Cali Grilled Chicken” – so if you are looking to order this, just be aware that it seems to roll under an alter ego. I alert you to this, because you don’t want to miss this dish – especially if you are on Weight Watchers or are calorie-conscious. For 440 calories, you get: a substantially sized grilled chicken breast loaded with avocado, pineapple, peppers, onions, zucchini and cucumbers and served with white rice. I can’t say enough about how satisfying this dish was for me. Well done, Applebee’s!

No meal is complete without a little dessert. So we had a lot of dessert. The Salted Caramel Pretzel Bites were a hit with my dad, while Roc, Mike and I enjoyed the Chocolate Meltdown (served a la mode of course!)

Is your mouth watering yet? OK hang tight – here’s a chance for you to win a Dinner for Two gift certificate as a giveaway for one lucky reader (a $60 value!)

To enter, simply comment below as to what new Applebee’s menu item you would most like to try. To see the complete list of what’s in store for summer, visit them here. For an extra entry, be sure to follow mom a la mode on Instagram, and tell me that you did so in your comment.

Got that? Ok good. So don’t forget to comment below to enter to win Dinner for Two…and in the NYC Metro area, here are your Applebee’s locations:

In New Jersey: Brick, Bridgewater, Butler, Clifton, East Hanover, Edison, Flemington, Garfield, Hackensack, Hackettstown, Hillsborough, Howell, Jersey City, Jersey Gardens, Kearny, Lacey, Manahawkin, Manalapan, Manchester, Middletown, Milltown, Mt. Olive, Newark, Newton, North Bergen, Northvale, Ocean, Paramus, Parsippany, Phillipsburg, Piscataway, Rockaway, Tinton Falls, Toms River, Totowa, Union, Wall and Woodbridge.

On Long Island: Applebee’s is located in Nassau County:  Baldwin, Bellmore, Bethpage, Elmont, New Hyde Park, Rosedale, Valley Stream and Westbury and in Suffolk County:  Bohemia, Brentwood, Commack, East Farmingdale, East Islip, Farmingville, Huntington, Lake Grove, Lindenhurst, Miller Place, North Babylon, Patchogue, Riverhead and Shirley.

 

 

oxox

-mom a la mode

 

 

 

{I received a complimentary meal at Paramus Applebee’s for my family for review purposes only. All opinions expressed here are solely mine.}

 

Contest Terms & Conditions (aka the fine print):

 

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

1. Promotion Description: The ‘Applebee’s Dinner for 2’ (“Sweepstakes”) begins on 06/17/2014 at 11:45 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) and ends on 06/21/2014 at 12 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) (the “Promotion Period”). By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant unconditionally accepts and agrees to comply with and abide by these Official Rules and the decisions of mom a la mode (“Sponsor”), which shall be final and binding in all respects. Sponsor is responsible for the collection, submission or processing of Entries and the overall administration of the giveaway. Entrants should look solely to Sponsor with any questions, comments or problems related to the Sweepstakes.
2. Eligibility: Open to legal residents of USA who are 18 or older. Void where prohibited or restricted by law. Sponsor and their respective parents, subsidiaries, affiliates, distributors, retailers, sales representatives, advertising and promotion agencies and each of their respective officers, directors and employees (collectively, the “Promotion Entities”), and members of their immediate families and/or persons living in the same household as such persons, are ineligible to enter the Sweepstakes or win a prize.
3. Winner Selection: The winner of the Sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible Entries received throughout the Promotion Period. The random drawing will be conducted by 24 hours by Sponsor or its designated representatives, whose decisions are final. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of eligible Entries received. Winner will be notified by email at the email address provided in the Entry Information on or about 24 hours after the random drawing. Potential winner must accept a prize by email as directed by Sponsor within 48 hours of notification. Any winner notification not responded to or returned as undeliverable may result in prize forfeiture. The potential prize winner may be required to sign and return an affidavit of eligibility and release of liability, and a Publicity Release (collectively “the Prize Claim Documents”). No substitution or transfer of a prize is permitted except by Sponsor.
4. Prizes:

1 (#) winner(s) will receive [ 1 Gift Certificate for Dinner for 2 at Applebee’s] (approximate retail value or “ARV”: $60)

Only one prize per person and per household will be awarded. Gift cards and gift certificates are subject to the terms and conditions of the issuer. Prizes cannot be transferred, redeemed for cash or substituted by winner. Sponsor reserves the right in its sole and absolute discretion to award a substitute prize of equal or greater value if a prize described in these Official Rules is unavailable or cannot be awarded, in whole or in part, for any reason. The ARV of the prize represents Sponsor’s good faith determination. That determination is final and binding and cannot be appealed. If the actual value of the prize turns out to be less than the stated ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. Sponsor makes no representation or warranty concerning the appearance, safety or performance of any prize awarded. Restrictions, conditions, and limitations may apply. Sponsor will not replace any lost or stolen prize items.

 

Prize will only be awarded and/or delivered to addresses within USA. All federal, state and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner. Failure to comply with the Official Rules will result in forfeiture of the prize.

1. Online Entry: Enter the Sweepstakes during the Promotion Period online by commenting on the blog post. The entry form can be found on the following website at https://momalamode.net .
Automated or robotic Entries submitted by individuals or organizations will be disqualified. Internet entry must be made by the entrant. Any attempt by an entrant to obtain more than the stated number of Entries by using multiple/different email addresses, identities, registrations, logins or any other methods, including, but not limited to, commercial contest/sweepstakes subscription notification and/or entering services, will void that entrant’s Entries and that entrant may be disqualified. Final eligibility for the award of any prize is subject to eligibility verification as set forth below. All Entries must be posted by the end of the Promotion Period in order to participate. Sponsor’s database clock will be the official time keeper for this Sweepstakes.
2. Privacy: All entrants acknowledge that if they are chosen as a winner, certain of their personally identifying information may be disclosed to third parties at least as required by law, including, without limitation, on a winner’s list. All personal information submitted as part of the Sweepstakes may be shared by and between the Promotion Entities, and each of the Promotion Entities will use such information in accordance with their respective independent online privacy policies. By entering this contest, you give Sponsor permission to add your email address to house list.
3. Limitation of Liability: Sponsor is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, whether caused by website users or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in the Sweepstakes or by any technical or human error, which may occur in the processing of submissions in the Sweepstakes. Sponsor assumes no responsibility for any misdirected or lost mail, or any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay of operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of, Entries. Sponsor is not responsible for any problems or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of email or players on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website or combination thereof, including injury or damage to entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from participating downloading materials in the Sweepstakes. If, for any reason, the Sweepstakes is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of Sponsor which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes, then Sponsor reserves the right in its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. In such event, Sponsor may, in its sole discretion, perform the random drawing from among all eligible Entries received prior to or after such cancellation, suspension, or modification. 
In the event of a dispute concerning who registered online to participate in the Sweepstakes, the registration will be declared to have been made by the authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an email address by an internet provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, education institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address. A potential winner may be requested to provide Sponsor with proof that the potential winner is the authorized account holder of the email address. If a dispute cannot be resolved to Sponsor’s satisfaction, the entry will be deemed ineligible.
4. Winner’s List: To obtain a copy of any legally required winners list or a copy of the Official Rules, send the applicable request and a self-addresses, stamped, #10 envelope to Groupe a la Mode, LLC at 143 E. Ridgewood Avenue, #493, Ridgewood, NJ 07423. Request must be received no later than 48 hours + 6 MONTHS for the name of the winner and, by the end of the promotion, for a copy of the rules.
5. Sponsor: The Sweepstakes is sponsored by Groupe a la Mode, LLC

 

Facebook Disclaimer: Entrants should understand that they are providing their information to the Sponsor and not to Facebook. This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook.