Tuesday, March 10, 2009

New Maggiano's Dazzles

We dropped in for lunch at the new Maggiano's Little Italy in Cherry Hill and found a spacious, airy atmosphere with all of those unforgettable Maggiano touches.
A wonderful, welcoming entryway leads to a huge bar area evocative of New York, mid-century. The main dining room is grand with a huge floral arrangement, corner chandeliers, plush elevated booths, tables with checkered linens and comfortable chairs. It's a great place to see and be seen and is destined to be a popular gathering spot.
Everything is made from scratch at Maggiano's and our meal was hot, delicious and -- as always -- plentiful. The bread was fresh and crusty; the orzo soup, zesty The pasta was divine. And our chicken parm sandwich came complete with extra marinara sauce for dipping. Our waitress couldn't do enough for us and the manager came over to chat and see how we were enjoying things.
Another great feature: If you're not sure about a particular dish Maggiano's will probably let you have a taste just so you can make the right decision. But the truth is that everything on the menu is delicious and you can order smaller portions if you'd like.
While we were there we dropped by the banquet rooms and they as much an attraction as the main dining room. In fact, the banquet area can be opened to a full room or divided into several smaller rooms without the usual tacky dividing walls. No expense has been spared here.
Maggiano's will also feature outdoor dining when the weather warms up and a special door accommodates carry out and pick up service.
As we left Maggiano's workers were putting the finishing touches on many other parts of the new Cherry Hill Mall which will welcome Nordstrom on March 27. Stay tuned!

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