Italian food is the comfort food of the 21st century for many people, and that’s a trend with which Maggiano’s Little Italy easily synchronizes. High ceilings and a sprawling dining room may not be the stuff of homey memories, but much else at Maggiano’s has a homey feel to it. Red checked tablecloths with white overlays and cloth napkins are enough to move the restaurant a notch above many of the Italian-American eateries in the area.
The Tony Bennett soundtrack that plays at a noticeable but not obtrusive level in the background, warm lighting and soft red velvet curtains on large windows all give the restaurant not only a comfortable feel but also help it rise above the chain formula that is the establishment’s backbone.
The wine list is one immediately noticeable distinction about the restaurant — it is definitely not a typical chain offering. To be sure, $110 is a lot to spend on a bottle of wine, but to find the Napa Valley Silver Oak Cab for anywhere near that cost is cause for celebration. Terrazas Malbac ($36), Villa Antinori ($45) and Franciscan’s excellent Magnificat meritage ($79) are all worthy inclusions. There could be a greater emphasis on innovative Italian reds, but this is still a list that will please a wine lover.
Where many Italian-American restaurants hide their mixed background under the guise of being “traditional Italian,” Maggiano’s unabashedly embraces its M-imigrM-i take on Italian cooking. A large box on the dinner menu salutes recipes from Little Italy neighborhoods around the country, including chicken Cacciatore ($15.95) from Philadelphia, Lobster ravioli ($21.95) from Haymarket and Boston’s North End, cannelloni filled with braised beef ($17.95) are credited to New York’s Italian American tradition and Chicago’s Taylor Street is saluted with baked ziti and sausage ($14.95).
The cannelloni is my favorite dish among the four, with a rich flavor and very good pasta. Surprisingly there is only one pizza on regular offer ($9.95), an appetizer portion topped with fontina, sausage and what purports to be pesto but carries a negligible amount of basil flavor. The crust is a bit tough, making this a less advisable starter than mussels with fra diavolo sauce ($12.95) or bruschetta ($4.95) notable for its fresh tomato flavor.
Pastas at Maggiano’s are decent — properly cooked, though often swimming in too much sauce. I found the house meat sauce served with spaghetti ($12.95) wet enough to qualify as a noodle stew. Chicken with pine nuts and pesto ($15.95) is a less heavily sauced option than the often recommended but oversauced fettuccine Alfredo ($14.95. Baked lasagna, available in a vegetarian as well as meat version ($14.50), is the best of the baked pastas.
Maggiano’s does a great job with fish, an area where many neighborhood Italian restaurants suffer. Portions are large (much here is aimed at family-style service) but the fish I’ve tried has been precisely cooked. I found a tilapia filet (market price) a trifle overseasoned but wonderfully moist and perched on top of rather than immersed in a nicely balanced caper, olive and tomato sauce. Salmon with lemon and herbs ($23.95) and shrimp with garlic and linguine (16.95) are other good bets.
In addition to the sizable portions of most of the dishes on the menu, there is a separate family-style dinner menu that provides an easy option for groups of four or more. For $25.50 per person, the table gets two appetizers, two salads, four main courses, two side dishes and two desserts. It may not be the most refined meal in town but it’s a good deal for families and groups of friends who cherish the conviviality Maggiano’s provides.
A huge list of dessert ($6.95) rounds out dinner at Maggiano’s, though given the portion size, many diners are pretty well rounded before the last course is offered. This is a fun restaurant with a friendly staff and that intangible element so many trendy places miss. Maggiano’s is enjoyable, and that counts for something for diners tired of hip food accompanied by an overly large helping of attitude.
Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
Contact dining correspondent Lyn Farmer at or write to him in care of the Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.
* * 1/2 (OUT OF FOUR STARS)
Cuisine: Italian
21090 St. Andrews Blvd.
Boca Raton
561-361-8244
maggianos.com
Cost: moderate
Credit cards: all major
Hours: lunch, dinner daily
Reservations: recommended
Bar: full service
Sound level: moderate
Smoking: prohibited
Children’s facilities: yes
Wheelchair accessible: yes
