Slightly nicer casual dining
Located at Northpark Center in Dallas (as well as other locations around the country), Maggiano's Little Italy doesn't look like your standard chain restaurant. Maggiano's offers both "off the menu" items and a "family dinner style" meal, featuring a set of selections from different categories of food.
Our group was six adults, two children (4 and 2); relatives were visiting over the holidays. We were told there would be a 45 minute wait (we had not called ahead with reservations), so we wandered the mall. Arriving just short of our appointed time, we were seated promptly and comfortably in the main dining area.
After some debate (mild for my family), we ordered:
Appetizers - Homemade Thin Crust Pizza,Sausage & Fontina Cheese * Sliced Tomato, Fresh Mozzarella
Salads - Maggiano's * Italian
Pasta - Lasagna * Four Cheese Ravioli,Pesto Alfredo
Main Course - Whole Roast Chicken, Rosemary, Garlic * Italian Pot Roast (which seems to be off the menu now, more the pity)
Desserts - Tiramisu * Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
I enjoyed everything we ordered, with the exception of the Roast Chicken. Many of us had been iffy about this choice, but my father prevailed; I believe he thought we'd get a whole chicken, but we received a quartered bird. The pizza was a big hit with the little ones, while the adults enjoyed the salads. I only sampled the Ravioli and Lasagna (later going back for another thick slice of the lasagna), saving room for the delicious Roast. We lucked into two plates of the beef, somehow, and it was just as good as leftovers. The tiramisu could not, of course, compare to that I had in that Italian restaurant in Germany, but was good nonetheless. Its major flaw was the size of the portion; my family is a bit gluttonous, and I'm no exception. The ice cream finished the meal off nicely.
I took the online survey of their restaurant; the only thing I complained of, besides the chicken, was the fact the waiter did not offer us drinks. I don't know that we would have sampled any, but my brother is known for his taste in wines, and I certainly wasn't driving. All in all, it was a hit with the entire family. I stand by what I said in the survey; I would, and do, recommend this restaurant to a friend.