Macaroni Grill is a favorite across the nation, and we in Hawaii especially love the great value and exceptional customer service. That’s why when Spoon Hawaii found out that they were introducing new items to the menu, we rushed over to get a first-look into their latest creations.
The Food:
The new menu items range from appetizers to entrees, all the way down to drinks and desserts.
The Prosciutto + Cheese Board comes with four rosemary crackers, sun-dried tomato herb goat cheese, prosciutto, grana Padano cheese, and guava jam (wow that was a mouthful). It’s a fun way to make your own combination – If you’re a sweet & savory kind of gal, spread some guava jam and prosciutto, and if you’re a hardcore cheese kind of guy, pile up the goat cheese and grana Padano.
Crispy Brussel Sprouts with Crispy Prosciutto:
Even though this was an appetizer, I think everyone on our team agreed that these brussel sprouts were the star of the night. The balsamic glaze gave the dish a very mature feel, and the contrast between the crispy prosciutto and the brussel sprouts was a match made in heaven. 11/10 would recommend to anyone. BRB while we try to recreate this dish at home (we’ll keep you updated).
The Italian Chopped Salad was a mish-mosh of tomatoes, artichokes, pepperoni, chickpeas, feta, mozzarella, and parmesan, tossed in a balsamic herb dressing. If you’re not the biggest fan of salads, this is for you. The different components balance each other out, and there’s so many flavors going on that you’ll totally forget that you’re eating a salad (and being healthy).
The Osso Bucco was another favorite; The combination of the tender braised beef and butternut squash mashed potatoes covered in the Italian brown onion gravy was to die for. The meat was so tender that it basically melted in your mouth, and the mashed potatoes were so creamy, we were all fighting over the last few bites.
Carmela’s Chicken:
The Spoon Hawaii team is obsessed with anything pasta and starches, so this dish was another winner by default. This dish comprised of rigatoni pasta with roasted chicken, caramelized onions (the only way onions should ever be cooked, in my opinion), mushrooms, and marsala cream sauce. The caramelized onions hinted the pasta with a sweet element, but not enough to take away from the perfect marsala cream sauce.
Mocha Mud Pie & Mascarpone Cannoli:
The Mocha Mud Pie is a locally made chocolate & mocha ice cream pie with a chocolate cookie crust. The Mascarpone Cannoli had a wonderfully crispy pastry shell, filled with mascarpone cheese that was just the right amount of sweetness, topped with mini chocolate chips on both ends. These were the perfect way to end an amazing dinner at Romano’s Macaroni Grill.