Granddaughter’s Birthday at Maggiano’s

Last night, we celebrated youngest granddaughter’s third birthday at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Maggiano’s.   My daughter-in-law, who made the reservations and ordered the family style dinner, is responsible for providing my wife and I a wonderful dining experience.

There were nine of us eating and believe me, we ate very well.  For the appetizer, we had the Mozzarella Marinara and the Crispy Zucchini Fritté.  As a rule, I don’t care for zucchini, but I think I ate more of it than anyone else. The house dressing that went with it was delicious. For the salads, we had Caesar and Maggiano’s special house salad which was absolutely awesome with large clunks of bleu cheese throughout the shredded greens.  Then came time for the main course which was the fettuccine Alfredo, baked ziti & sausage and a truly delightful rigatoni accompanied by chicken marsala and chicken parmesan.  For dessert, we had the New York cheesecake with strawberries and the tiramisu.  Everything was served on big platters and in large bowls, with a “help yourself” approach. The portions were huge and there were plenty of leftovers. And our waiter, Sonny, ensured we didn’t run out of anything. While the distance to the restaurant is too great for my wife and I to drive routinely whenever we feel like eating Italian,  this was an experience worth repeating.

The bill for this wonderful meal including beverages and tip was just under $260 dollars and worth every penny.  The evening, however, was absolutely priceless as we ate, laughed, took pictures and watched the little princess enjoy her special day. If you have a Maggiano’s restaurant in the area, make a reservation and prepare yourself to enjoy a  truly wonderful dining experience. We did.