Located at the corner of 12th and Filbert in Center City, Maggiano's Little Italy offers a taste of great Italian cuisine.
This restaurant is a great place to dine whether it is to celebrate an anniversary, to unwind with a big group of friends, or to eat dinner with visiting family, including younger siblings.
When my friend and I went, Italian music played in the background, romantic candles lined the windows, black and white pictures from Italy decorated the walls, and wine bottles were placed around the restaurant.
The staff was delightful. Our knowledgeable waiter was charming as he flipped wine glasses with his hands and joked with us, and was able to answer any of our questions quickly.
He explained to us that Maggiano's offers half orders and full orders. I personally feel that many of the great restaurants in Philly have small portions. So being a food lover, I thought that a half order would not be enough, but I quickly learned that a half portion is more than enough.
We barely finished the appetizers between the two of us, feeling full and satisfied before we had our entrees.
And we really were satisfied. I have never eaten better calamari. It didn't seem cheap, something calamari can easily be if it is over fried . The batter was very light, and the meat was tender. My only hesitation in recommending the calamari at Maggiano's is that you will never be able to eat calamari anywhere else!
The stuffed mushrooms were also very good. I could taste the spinach, cheese and garlic in the large mushrooms. The bread crumbs on top were finely made and light.
For our entrees, we ordered a half order of Maggiano's most popular dish, the Rigotini D. We also ordered a half order of Lobster Ravioli.
The Rigotini D's noodles were in a light Marsala sauce, and the chicken was juicy. I particularly liked the caramelized onions. I can see why it is a favorite.
However, it was no match against the Lobster Ravioli. No words can express the look on our faces when we first bit into the ravioli. The lobster had a great texture against the cheese inside the ravioli. It was a very rich option.
For dessert, we ordered tiramisu and their creme brulee.
The tiramisu's distinct chocolate coffee taste was a great way to finish our meal. It was sprinkled with chocolate flakes and powdered sugar and dribbled with chocolate fudge.
The creme brulee was my personal favorite. It was made of Godiva chocolate. I can attest that this is now one of my favorite desserts. Unfortunately, this dessert only comes out one-sixth of the year. I highly recommend that you taste it before its run ends for the year. The hard, crunchy layer on top was sweet, and the smooth, rich chocolate underneath was thick.
To top it all off, for the atmosphere, the food we ate, and the full meal I ended up taking home with me, the entire experience was for a great price, two three-course meals for under $70.
Overall, Maggiano's has made its way to my personal favorites. My friend was equally impressed, as she came back to Maggiano's the very next day with a visiting friend and ordered some of the same food we had ordered.
