Wednesday, December 22, 2004
When out of town, Maggiano's Little Italy is almost like homemade
Larry Bly
Larry Bly runs an ad agency and does freelance writing in the Roanoke area.
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A few weeks ago a reader of this column suggested that I do too many reviews of downtown Roanoke restaurants and suggested that I need "to get out more."
If you'll pick up my gas tab, Bub, you're on. Otherwise I'll "get out more" when the mood hits me.
Which it did recently. I got way out, in fact, traveling down to Durham, N.C., on a shopping spree. And while at a mall called The Streets of South Point, chanced across a franchise Italian restaurant with food even mamma could love.
Maggiano's is out of Chicago, though you have to work like the dickens to find that out. Their Web site, while very nice indeed, doesn't show the menu when it's supposed to, and the site needs updating. The map of restaurants shows dozens of locations in the Northeastern states, but it didn't show any in North Carolina -- and I'm certain that's where I was when I ate there.
Maggiano's has a nice layout: bar area and "to go" pickup area to the front and expansive dining rooms toward the side and back. Even the bathrooms are luxurious, with lots of heavy tile and plenty of pictures of handsome Italian men and equally handsome women from all walks of life.
Service is quick and the servers well-versed in descriptions of the daily specials. The menu is huge, featuring true Italian fare like you'd find in a family Italian restaurant. In some ways it reminded me of a recent visit to Little Italy in Boston with its wonderful, dark, richly paneled rooms and meals piled high on the plates.
We started out with something strictly NOT Italian for appetizers -- crispy onion strings -- only because we saw a plate piled with them go past our table and just had to have them. For less than four bucks we fed a table of four. The bruschetta is equally enticing and delicious. Other appetizers of note include mozzarella marinara, calamari fritte', stuffed mushrooms, crispy zucchini fritte', and jumbo lump crab cakes.
Again our eyes wandered to other beautiful presentations nearby being placed before diners, which caused us to change our minds repeatedly. A friend had to have the lasagna with meat sauce, which was a huge square stacked high and brimming with lots of sweet Italian sausage, red sauce and noodles. Frankly it was terrific, but way too much for one sitting, especially after the onion straws and the fresh bread delivered to the table moments after you sit down (served with the traditional plate for sopping olive oil).
Another friend had the chicken parmesan and yet another ordered the shrimp oreganata. Side include spaghetti marinara or fettuccini alfredo, both delicious and fresh in preparation. The kitchen manages to deliver exciting looking dishes of chicken scaloppine, piccata style, whole roasted chicken with Rosemary garlic, and veal parmesan.
Other pasta dishes include angel hair with Pomodoro sauce, mostaccioli, eggplan marinara, fettuccini alfredo with broccoli, rigatoni with chicken, mushrooms, and marsala sauce, eggplant parmesan, angel hair, shrimp al Arrabiata, and mushrooms ravioli al forno (which means baked), just to name a few. There are daily announced luncheon and dinner specials, but better bring a big appetite.
Lunch time sandwiches are easy to pass up considering the delicious entrees offered, but they do have plenty of them as well, including meatball provolone, Italian sausage with peppers and onions, chicken parmesan brioche, chicken pesto with Arugula and tomatoes, Italian chicken, jumbo lump crab meat sandwich, seared salmon with crispy bacon and avocado sandwich, and open-faced steak sandwich with onion relish.
Sandwiches are served with choice of cup of soup or side salad. They offer a thin crust pizza, and various soups, including minestrone, beef & root veggie, abruzzi chicken and zucchini, mushroom marsala, fire roasted red pepper, New England clam and creamy chicken potato.
The wine list is extensive; mixed beverages are available.
We never got to desserts, but they are plentiful and bigger than a house and fairly reasonably priced: lemon cookies, black raspberry sorbetto, spumoni, zuccotto cake, warm apple crostada, homemade tiramisu, and New York style cheesecake, of course.
Maggiano's has put a lot of thought into their operation and their menu; and one can easily see that there are many "authentic Italian" items to be had here. Food tasted freshly prepared and were brimming with herbs and spices and meats.
And Maggiano's legal department has put lots of thought into the small print at the bottom of each menu, warning of dishes that contain nuts (LAWSUIT!!) or that eating undercooked meats, poultry, seafood or eggs increase your risk of illness, especially if you have certain medical conditions. I'm surprised the legal beagles didn't warn us about making derogatory remarks about certain ethic stereotypes, not that I can think of any, mind you.
I liked this restaurant and would seek one out in another city, given the chance, especially after a reader wrote to say he enjoyed the food and atmosphere at a Maggiano's in Short Pump, just outside of Richmond.
MAGGIANO'S Little Italy
Locations Mostly in the northeast, but you can go to their Web site for details: maggianos.com
