Maggiano’s Little Italy
205 Mall Blvd, King of Prussia, PA
maggianos.com
After a quick phone call to Maggiano’s to confirm the internet rumor that they do indeed have rice pasta, my boyfriend and I ventured out for an Italian dinner (which we don’t usually get to enjoy out). We showed up and felt worried at first about what we were wearing – sporting the collared shirts and jeans, but it turned out to not be super dressy inside. I wouldn’t wear cutoff pants, but its not exactly fancy clothing.
While there was no seperate Gluten Free menu, there was a special note that Gluten Free pasta was available upon request immediately underneath the pasta section. I settled on the Chicken Cachatoire that had a side of pasta with it. I spoke to the waitress when she came to our table and asked her if it could be made Gluten Free for me. I also inquired about the soups. She went back and talked to the chef and came back with the verdict: the chicken cachatoire ‘could’ be made gluten free (it wasn’t naturally so) and the soup was not GF. Fair enough, since I usually can’t have soup anywhere.
The meal itself was delicious. It was a large portion of chicken in a red sauce with mushrooms and peppers and onions (although not heavy on the onions, which made me happy). There were spiral rice noodles on the side with a slight butter sauce. The noodles didn’t really do anything for me, I felt they easily could have been replaced with rice for the same taste. They also weren’t my favorite GF noodles in the world. However as a whole the meal made me very happy.
When the waitress asked about dessert, we asked her to see what she could find that was gluten free. Imagine our surprise when the Sous Chef came out with a plate of GF cookies! They aren’t on the menu yet, but he is looking to get them on there sometime soon. He mentioned he has been able to adapt most menu items with the GF noodles, even making a lasagna for one woman! I know what I’m getting the next time I go! Of course, it is lasagna made with the spiral noodles done in layers, but beggers can’t be choosers. He was VERY friendly and we talked a bit about baking with GF flour. It was a good thing he gave us an even number of cookies, or else my boyfriend and I would have fought over the last one – they were that tasty!
The meal wasn’t too expensive (the meals range from $12-18 per person, not including salads or soups or drinks. My chicken was $15). If you really go for the full soup, salad, alchoholic drinks, and meal it could add up – but you can keep it reasonable if you want.
I know I’m hoping to go back soon – I had a great time and felt confident in the kitchen being able to handle everything.
