about macaroni grill.

I mentioned earlier that Neal took me to Macaroni Grill just outside of Baltimore for my birthday. I was talking to my mom on AIM during the drive to the restaurant. My mother joked this is the "Gourmet McDonald's" restaurant. I don't know what she was getting at!

Anyway.. Neal was treating me to a birthday dinner. When we got our sodas served, we ordered:

Me:
Mozzarella Fritta
Fried mozzarella with a zesty pizzaiola sauce and basil pesto.

Pollo Magro "Skinny Chicken"
Grilled chicken breast served over steamed spinach with fresh tomatoes, red onions, fat-free feta cheese and honey balsamic vinaigrette. Approximately 5 fat grams.

Tiramisu
An Italian tradition of ladyfingers dipped in espresso liqueur, then layered between rich mascarpone cream.

Neal:
Mama's Trio
Three Italian favorites on one plate. Lasagna, Chicken Cannelloni and Chicken Parmesan.

Smothered Chocolate Cake
Topped with warm homemade chocolate ganache. (Chopped pecans topping is standard, but he ordered it without nuts.)

Instead of eating Mama's Trio, he would rather have:
Penne Rustica
Imported penne pasta with shrimp, grilled chicken and smoked prosciutto baked under a golden crust of Parmesan cheese.

By the way, it was my first time to try Tiramisu! Not bad, but I felt they used TOO much whipped creme that killed the overall flavor. I'm gonna try making a homemade one and see if I could make it better than Macaroni Grill's.