… A restaurant with a chain name to it could be any more than an average restaurant with average ambiance and food; and yet last night I visited just such a place. Romano’s Macaroni Grill in North Olmstead, OH. I would like to apologize before I go further; I only know the name of one managing partner; his name is Dewayne Sims; but I do believe that a restaurant that is that beautifully maintained must be a total group effort and a true act of love.
Now some might say that because I am speaking of a chain restaurant; that I might not exactly know what I am talking about; that I am probably someone who might never have even left their home town; but I am far from that. Living in and visiting such places as Rome, Paris, London and Phuket had opened my very senses to a great abundance of aromas and flavors much beyond anything I would have had if I had stayed in my safe world I knew as my childhood. I will grant that many chain restaurants do indeed leave you with an average night out; ambiance pleasant but regular; food nice yet boring; no creativity in anything about the places at all; not Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
From the moment you step into the place you get a feeling that you are visiting a small village in Italy; the hostess is completely welcoming; and our waiter Jay was very attentive to whatever needs we had during the meal. Sharing with us his own personal preferences and opinions on the menu as well; we found Jay to be perfectly amiable and someone we would love to return to every time we visited the restaurant. Our first dish; an appetizer that Jay had said was not yet on the menu; was a shrimp flatbread that looked to us much like pizza from central Italy. Cooked to tender perfection; the flatbread crust was wonderfully crisp and light; the sauce flavorful; and the shrimp lightly seasoned; yet flavor filled with each bite. For our next courses my husband ordered the Steak Calabrese with Roasted, Rosemary Red Potatoes and I had the Penne Rustica which had a delightful balance of Penne cooked exactly to Al Dente; shrimp again bursting with flavor; and chicken roasted to a smoky goodness; and all blended so beautifully with the creamy sauce; the vibrant peppers; and the soft; sweet onions; that it was as festive as a dance in my mouth. Just as curious about my husband’s steak; I could not let him finish it without begging a bite of my own. I watched as he sliced a thin piece and it seemed to cut as easily as a hot knife through butter. I know this might sound a bit cliché, but that is how easily the knife slipped through the tender beef. Once it was in my mouth; it nearly melted into fond memories of simple seasonings and thoughts of childhood bbq’s.
Our dinner was finally capped by our introduction to heaven on earth when we were quickly brought both our cappuccinos and our desserts we had chosen. Mark choosing the Ricotta Cheesecake and I the Lemon Passion Cake; we had each taken a taste of our respective desserts then traded tastes of each other’s. Feeling as if we were floating on clouds of pure confectionary bliss; we had both made Jay laugh as we voted unanimously for the Lemon Passion Cake as being the better of the two desserts; to which he himself had declared it to be his favorite as well. Asking him to let the Chefs know of our total pleasure; I was happily surprised as Dewayne Sims himself came to our table with the most down to earth smile asking in a quite joking manner; “Ok what did I do now?” Joining in on the joke I told him I would “shoot” anyone who said they did anything wrong…After another ten minutes of sheer amusement as Dewayne explained all the love and care that went behind each little detail; he gave us his business card as he asked us to let him know the next time we were in the neighborhood. I believe anyone who would like a meal quite beyond any normal expectations should also go there as well…
