Macaroni Grill - The Mother of all Chains
posted on January 20th, 2008 in Portland
the lowdown: Romano’s Macaroni Grill | 300 SW Yamhill St, Portland, OR 97204 | 503.546.3040 | Website | Entrees $7.79 - $21.99 | Lunch, Dinner | ***
Special menu upon request, useful for building your own vegan dish.
I don’t normally patronize large chain restaurants but I sadly lose all integrity when offered a free lunch, especially on my employer’s dime. To be honest, I was quite surprised with the food, especially after I had called ahead and was told my choice was a garden salad.
Most Italian restaurants make their pasta fresh, thus it generally includes eggs. One upside of Macaroni Grill being a chain is that they make very little from scratch, especially not the pasta, so it is all vegan. This provides a lot of opportunities for anyone trying to make the most out of a work sponsored lunch. Simply ask for the custom menu and you can choose your own base, vegetables, and type of pasta. I ordered the wheat penne with a garlic and olive oil base, topped with basil, asparagus, and spinach. In fact, I started a trend because when others at the table saw me building my own dish, they followed suit. It’s surprising what people will do when they have options.
