Romano’s Macaroni Grill Knows How to Stuff Pasta -- and Customers

It’s a fact of life that your favorite meal at a restaurant will vanish one day. Last year, I got a heads-up that my big fave at Romano’s Macaroni Grill, the pork chop with mushroom risotto, was going bye-bye and had it for one final time. I ate it slowly and enjoyed every single bite. I haven’t been back since.

That is, until this past week when I paid the , 17095 Southpark Center, for the first time. (I had always gone to the North Olmsted location.)

I wasn’t sure what I was going to order when I entered, except that it wasn’t going to be the pork chop. (Sigh.) However, after getting the menu I was pleasantly surprised at how large of a selection they had.

I knew I wanted pasta of some sort but had a hard time narrowing it down. That made the Mama’s Trio a perfect choice. It offered a helping of three of their top dishes: Lasagna al Forno, Chicken Parmigiana with Capellini Pomodoro, Roasted Chicken Cannelloni.

The lasagna was topped with mozzarella and filled with soft, pillowy layers of pasta stuffed with loads of ricotta cheese along with some meat. (The meat lover that I am, I would have loved to have seen more.) My slice had heft and was quite filling.

The Chicken Parmigiana had a light, crispy crust. The baked Parmesan-crusted chicken breast wasn’t dry at all, which, unfortunately, is how I often get it at other restaurants. I also appreciated the serving of capellini pasta that it was nestled on.

I’m a big fan of chicken cannelloni and the serving I got was even bigger than my appetite. This was one large stuffed tube of roasted chicken, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses all combined in a very creamy arugula pesto. Mmmm.

All three items were outstanding and I, amazingly, didn’t have a favorite. I enjoyed each item and will gladly order any of them again.

I will say that I must be slipping, as I actually had to take a good portion of my plate home in a doggie bag. I was one stuffed camper when I was done.

Of course, part of that is because I also had bread, salad and soup.

I usually get the fresh greens salad but this time tried the Caesar. No regrets there. It was simple, fresh tasting with crunchy but giving croutons.

For the soup, I gave the Amalfi Chicken a spin. It was a surprisingly clean tasting soup and not overly salty. The little stuffed dumplings were tasty and the roasted chicken didn’t suffer from being overcooked and chewy as is often the case in a chicken soup. I suspect they must add the chicken when preparing the individual bowl. Either way, it was great.

I love any place that still brings bread, especially fresh, to the table at no additional charge. Here they bring a big, golden ball of dough called Italian Peasant Bread. It’s basically Italian with fresh rosemary and it’s pretty dang good, wonderfully chewy with a crispy crust. It’s even better when dipped in olive oil laced with fresh ground black pepper.

After enjoying such a delicious meal, I guess I’ll forgive the Macaroni Grill for dropping my beloved pork chop and all-so-delicious mushroom risotto. Then again, I’ll promise to drop by more often if they bring it back.

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