Last night I had to drive out of town to pick up some supplies for a project. It was raining like crazy and I was running way behind. So rather than go home and cook at 8 pm we decided to stop at a restaurant and grab a bite to eat. Then we would drive the hour+ to get home 30 miles away. I snapped a couple of pictures when the food was brought to the table. I should have snapped it before the parmesan was put on, but they are still representative of the entrees.
We stopped at Macaroni Grill. I am not impressed with chain restaurants all that much, but living in suburbia makes them a usual choice. That's why we chose Macaroni Grill. They have this amazing salad. I order it every time I go in.
Steak and Arugula salad. I have eaten it in 4 locations and it is them same every time. Macaroni Grill's description is this: Tender cuts of sirloin cooked to order on a bed of fresh baby arugula, spinach, radicchio, apple-smoked bacon and bleu cheese. Served with Toscana dressing.
Last night we dined in Redlands. My salad was good, but it was missing the bacon. It did change the flavor of the salad, but it was still good, the service was great and we were in and out in less than 45 minutes. Let's hear if for a rainy Wednesday night.
My husband had the Penne Rustica. Macaroni Grill's description: Imported penne pasta with shrimp, grilled chicken and smoked prosciutto baked under a golden crust of Parmesan cheese. It was fabulous. The husband subsituted whole wheat penne (an option at all the locations is whole wheat penne, no other whole wheat pastas available) and it was delicious. The smoked flavor of all the meats combined with the light use of sauce and cheese we wonderful. A nice light, not over portioned selection. The picture below is from their website, not a huge difference in what was brought to the table. Other than the fact that the cook decided to place the rosemary garnish like a pine tree in the middle of the entree. Kind of amusing if you ask me.
So next time you're out and can't cook at home Macaroni Grill is a good choice for dinner or lunch.
