Maggiano’s makes a gray day brighter

Mary A. Castillo

Walking into Maggiano’s Little Italy, it isn’t the old Chicago

vibe with the imposing bar or the red leather booths with tables

covered in white and red checkered tablecloths that lures you. It’s

the smell of simmering sauces and freshly baked bread.

On a rainy afternoon, my husband and I ventured forth to the

restaurant in the lot of South Coast Plaza, forewarned by relatives

and friends that we were about to see portions my New Mexican great

grandmother would have been proud of.

To the accompaniment of Sinatra’s version of “Under My Skin,” we

began with a bread basket filled with crispy parmesan and herb

toasts, as well as a crusty bread spongy enough to soak up the olive

oil and balsamic vinegar. Diners have a wide selection of appetizers,

soups, salads, pasta, chicken, veal, steak, chops and seafood. The

wine list is exclusively Italian and California varietals, and there

is a full bar in the waiting area.

Maggiano’s also offers a family-style dining menu for groups of

four or more. Diners can choose two appetizers, two salads, two

pastas, one main course, two vegetables and two desserts. At $22.95

per person, that’s a pretty good deal, and judging from the amount of

food passed around at a nearby table, no one will leave hungry.

After a seemingly unending parade of desserts that marched by our

table, we briefly considered turning this into a dessert review

rather than a dining review.

Nonetheless, after intense deliberations, we managed to order

pretty much the same thing: chicken parmesan with Joey Z’s pomodoro

sauce ($14.95) for him and eggplant parmesan for me ($11.95). In case

you’re wondering, we don’t dress alike.

The cup of minestrone that appeared under my nose was an antidote

to the cranky rainy skies outside. Each spoonful yielded pasta

shells, beans and generous slices of zucchini, carrot, celery and

onions in a tomato-herb broth. Some restaurants pass off a watered

down version with no pasta as minestrone. In the bowl-sized version,

this minestrone could suffice as an entire meal.

Slices of breaded eggplant interlaid with mozzarella cheese was

served with a slightly sweet sauce. The eggplant parmesan arrived at

the table not too hot or too cold; perfect for the diner who can’t

wait a second longer to eat.

On the other side of the table, my husband gave his undivided

attention to two breaded chicken breasts smothered in sauce,

accompanied by a bowl of angel hair pasta. Joey Z’s pomodoro sauce

was a zesty, heartier version of the sauce on the eggplant parmesan,

with chunks of stewed tomato. My husband at first insisted there was

no difference in our sauces. However, I believe it was a cheap excuse

to get extra bites of my lunch.

True to our promise, we ordered one of the richest, most sinful

tiramisus ($5.50) I’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. Over a bed of

espresso-soaked lady fingers rested an inch-thick layer of mascarpone

cheese that was coated with powdered cocoa. There are no words to

describe it.

An hour later, as we walked out into the misting rain, each toting

a bag of about half our meals, we knew we’d be back again. And if our

families and friends were good, we might actually bring them with us.

* MARY A. CASTILLO lives in Costa Mesa. Kathy Mader is on

vacation.