Italian experience

Macaroni Grill has joined the Columbia restaurant scene. It features Italian cuisine and live opera performances. The restaurant, at the intersection of Ash Street and Stadium Boulevard, opened Jan. 24, one of almost 200 Macaroni Grill restaurants across the country. Other Missouri locations include Kansas City and St. Louis.

General manager Giles Clowers said he has been pleased with the restaurant’s initial reception.

Clowers has worked for Macaroni Grill for more than two years and transferred to Columbia from the Creve Coeur location near St. Louis.

“It’s real Italian food made from scratch each day, but with a corporate background,” he said.

The menu includes pastas, veal, seafood, steaks, roasted chicken, wood-fired pizzas, soups, salads and a variety of desserts.

The restaurant also has a bar that seats 50 people.

Clowers said the most popular pasta dishes are the Penne Rustica, shrimp, grilled chicken, smoked prosciutto and parmesan baked in a creamy cheese sauce over penne pasta, and the Pasta Milano, grilled chicken, sun-dried tomatoes and mushrooms in a roasted garlic sauce. The price of most pasta dishes ranges from $8.99 to $12.99.

The restaurant also features six options on the Sensible Fare menu for the fat- and carb-conscious.

Bread is served with every meal, and appetizers and salads are also available.

He described the portion sizes as “extremely generous” and said few people come into the restaurant without having to take something home.

“The portions were twice as large as other restaurants for only a couple dollars more,” said Kelly Cofer, a Columbia resident who dined at Macaroni Grill on the restaurant’s opening night.

If there’s room for dessert, customers have a number of choices. The dessert menu includes treats such as Desert Raviolis — chocolate, caramel and peanut-filled pastries served with vanilla ice cream, and Strawberry Zabaglione — strawberries topped with Italian sweet marsala cream sauce and served with sugar cookies.

Every 30 to 40 minutes, opera singers add a spark to the restaurant’s atmosphere as they sing to customers at their tables.

Cofer said the servers also sang an Italian version of “Happy Birthday” to her friend.

“Columbia has a lot of culture, and Macaroni Grill brings traditional Italian culture back to the mainstream,” Clowers said.

Clowers said he hopes people will come to the restaurant for its comfortable, casual environment and service.

Larger parties can request to use The Godfather Room, which allows for a more intimate dining experience. The room is separated from the restaurant and features its own music and close atmosphere. The room can accommodate up to 10 people.

The restaurant also offers curbside takeout service. Customers can call their orders in, drive to the restaurant and have a server deliver the meal to their car. Anything off the regular menu is available, in addition to family-style meals that feed eight to 10 people.