Maggiano's Little Italy

Maggiano's Little Italy Restaurant Review:

There's live piano in the lounge from 6 p.m. to close on most nights, southern Italian food, and the novelty of either individual plates or festive family-style service at this mega-chain. Huge portions are a hallmark, prices are reasonable and the menu doesn't get stuck in the typical chain rut, with specialties like gnocchi in garlicky tomato-vodka sauce, homemade ravioli stuffed with veal and Asiago, and a better-than-ordinary baked shrimp oreganata under a crust of gratin, roasted tomatoes and basil. Just one example of value: the popular Marco's Meal For Two ($39.95), which includes an appetizer, flatbread or two side salads, two classic pastas, one dessert plus two additional pastas to take home. The acoustics can get loud and service can be brisk, but it sure feels more like "family" than those other "Italian family" chains.