ALL'S FARE

VIVA!

aggiano .
ruschetta

The service almost rises above the
wonderful food at Maggiano's.

STORY BY DAVID MOSS

s location can dramatically increase or
decrease the value of real estate, service
can make or break a restaurant experi-
ence. If the maitre' d is snobby, if the
waiter is in a bad mood, if the kitchen is erratic,
you may not return.
With our recent trip to Maggiano's Little Italy
in Troy, service is the reason that we'll be back.
Don't take this as a knock on the food. It was
delicious, and there were huge portions to boot.
But when the valet parker introduces
himself, when the waiter is
knowledgeable, pro-
fessional and
engaging, and
when the
food comes
out at a
relaxed pace
and looking
almost too good to eat,
this restaurant has already
won me over.
Maggiano's is a high-end chain serv-
ing family-style portions of the usual Italian
favorites — spaghetti and meatballs, linguine with
clams, eggplant Parmesan, etc. The spacious din-
ingroom has high ceilings, dark wood accents and
red checkered tablecloths. The smell of fresh
tomato sauce fills the air.
Maggiano's offers a large selection of wine by
the bottle and glass. While our house Chianti was
hearty and flavorful, it was disappointingly warm.
For an appetizer, we tried the calamari, one of
more than a dozen mostly vegetarian options.
Coated with a light batter and quick fried, the
outside was crunchy while the meat inside was
fresh and tender.
Our dinner choices were the chicken saltimboc-
ca, with prosciutto and provolone, and Mom's
Bolognese lasagna.With several entrees, a side
pasta is just $2.95, so we opted for the mostacci-
oli and eggplant marinara.
The chicken, while not extraordinary, was tasty
and plentiful with a hint of sage. The sauce on

A

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8 •

APRIL 2005 •

JNPLATINUM

the mostaccioli was a little too sweet. The lasagna
was dense and chock full of ground beef, Italian
sausage, ricotta and melted provolone, with a
zesty marinara.
There was no way we would finish any of this,
as our appetizer and entrees could have easily fed
four (which is really a bargain). Our server offered
to pack it up for us and returned with our left-
overs in aluminum containers complete with
warming instructions. What a welcome change of
pace from servers who hand you
a Styrofoam container
and make you do
the work!
And
speaking of
bargains, if
you go for the
full family-style
meal, available to
tables of four or more,
you get to choose two each of
appetizers, salads, pasta, entrees
and desserts for $23.95 per person.
Next to service, dessert was another highlight.
We tried the tiramisu, which made us feel as
though we died and went to adult dessert heaven.
Large enough for two, it was sinfully rich with a
luscious coffee flavor.
We also sampled the profiterole, an airy Italian
cream puff filled with vanilla bean ice cream and
topped with Sanders hot fudge. There's also creme
brulee, cheesecake, an apple crostada and Italian
sorbetto.
Maggiano's is a lively and satisfying place for
two or for 20. Make reservations, and prepare to
be treated well. ❑

Maggiano's Little Italy
2089 West Big Beaver Road • Troy
(248) 205-1060

aggiano
Fish

