NEW: No. 51

My apologies to the author that somehow this didn't get posted earlier. Ed.

MACARONI GRILL

Walking up to the door of Macaroni Grill I’m always struck by the yummy, smoky smell. My mouth is watering for the Chicken Marsala, which I know to be the best in town. I love the sauce that’s used on the chicken, with the mushrooms and the caramelized, roasted garlic! This night, however, with a small group of friends in tow, we decided to each try something we had never had before. We began our meal with the fried mozzarella. The mozzarella was crispy, contrasting with the creamy inside. The sauce was a bit on the tangy side, but was a nice compliment for the dish. It was a very small portion for four people. It would have been nice to have 4 slices on the plate instead of 3 so that we could have had one slice per person. The bread was excellent, as always; warm and soft on the inside and crusty on the outside. The Caesar salad was the right blend with crisp lettuce, garlicky croutons, and tangy dressing. One friend decided to try the sausage and bean soup and said the sausage was great, but the beans overwhelmed it.

Onto the entrees. I had a dish that had been recommended to me, Shrimp Portofino. The shrimp, pine nuts, and mushrooms were a good combination of flavors and textures in the dish. I think I would have enjoyed this dish more if it had not been lukewarm. The spinach was a bit tough, but had the shrimp mixture been hot when it was poured over the spinach, it would have wilted it a bit more.

Another friend tried a new dish, seared scallops with a lettuce, feta, prosciutto salad with a citrus dressing. The scallops were outstanding and perfectly cooked. The combination of feta and prosciutto, along with salty breadcrumbs, was a bit too much salt for the dish.

The Honey Balsamic Chicken dish was outstanding, but then I’m partial to balsamic anything. I love the way the sauce reduces down and coats anything it comes in contact with. The only drawback to that dish was the broccoli, that was served along side of the chicken was difficult to manage because of the size.

Last, but not least, was the Chicken Parmigiano. That dish was enjoyed by all and could have easily fed all of us at the table.

The service was hit or miss on this particular night. Our server was fairly attentive and did offer to reheat or replace my Shrimp Portofino. On the other hand, when filling water glasses, it would have been better to refill all of the glasses and not leave some empty.

We did for the most part enjoy the meal. We enjoyed the soft singing at the table next to us and the conversation and laughter of a girls’ night out, but next time I’m having the Chicken Marsala!

South Macaroni Grill

Lake Avenue