Romano's Macaroni Grill and Rosengarten

[GoodEater]

Last night I thought I saw a TV commercial for Romano's Macaroni Grill featuring David

Rosengarten. I could not believe it! Did I really see this or was it a bad dream?

[tommy]

my god i hope so. (that you saw it, that is)

Edited August 24, 2004 by tommy (log)

[Rachel Perlow]

What were you watching? Maybe someone recorded it and could review the tape/DVR.

[GoodEater]

I think I really saw it but my focus was not fully on the commercial. Just wanted to know if anyone else saw this and what they think. I think it smacks of the shameless Rick Bayliss(sp?) and Burger King promotion.

[Rachel Perlow]

I know, that's why I wanted to know what television program you were watching. For example, if it were on during the Olympics, I record a lot of that every day in several hour blocks (that's the way TiVo/DirecTV has it set up), so I might have captured the commercial as well.

[GoodEater]

What were you watching? Maybe someone recorded it and could review the tape/DVR.

I don't really remember what channel I was on as being a typical male I was flipping around all over the place. It was around 10 or 10:30 last night. Sorry I can't be more specific.

[tanabutler]

I tried to call and was routed into the seventh circle of voicemail hell, but here is the number:

(972) 980-9917

That's Brinker International in Dallas, Texas. Ask for someone with Romano Macaroni Grill...she's out of town today but Stephanie at x7285 has voice mail. You can ask her. I don't give out my phone number to corporations like that.

[GoodEater]

I called the corporate office too and just got a voicemail message for Stephanine as well.

[tommy]

she's out of town today but Stephanie at x7285 has voice mail.

she's on a european vacation with bayless and rosengarten.

[FoodMan]

I have seen this commercial several times, it's been out for a while. It basically features Rosengarten talking about wine and MG, however I am not sure what he says exactly since I have not seen it recently. Sorry.

Elie

[NulloModo]

While Romanos is a chain, it is a pretty darn good chain. I'd easily rank it above OG, and the food I have had there is superior to the majority of mom and pop Italian places i the area.

[GoodEater]

While Romanos is a chain, it is a pretty darn good chain.  I'd easily rank it above OG, and the food I have had there is superior to the majority of mom and pop Italian places i the area.

Sorry to say this but it appears as if David Rosengarten is a sell-out. I'm not going to say that Romano's is the worst of the chains but I had a different image of David when he talks about food on his own shows or in various apperances. RMG is not high-end.

This is a review that explains my point: http://www.washingtonian.com/dining/Profiles/romanos.html

This is like the mismatch between Martha Stewart and K-Mart. High-end meets low- end. Look where she has ended up!! I fear for David Rosengarten's future.

Edited to add: It depends on which area you are talking about. In and around NYC and Northern NJ there are some great mom and pop places for low cost basic Italian food. In the middle of nowhere a MG might be a welcome sight - but not around where I live.

Edited August 24, 2004 by GoodEater (log)

[Katherine]

While Romanos is a chain, it is a pretty darn good chain.  I'd easily rank it above OG, and the food I have had there is superior to the majority of mom and pop Italian places i the area.

Sorry to say this but it appears as if David Rosengarten is a sell-out. I'm not going to say that Romano's is the worst of the chains but I had a different image of David when he talks about food on his own shows or in various apperances. RMG is not high-end.

This is like the mismatch between Martha Stewart and K-Mart. High-end meets low- end. Look where she has ended up!! I fear for David Rosengarten's future.

David Rosengarten sold out a long time ago. Don't you get those lurid marketing blurbs from him, trying to help people who have more money than sense find more expensive food sources?

[GoodEater]

Yes I guess I knew that but at least I thought he was trying to hawk higher quality items. Live and learn.

[hjshorter]

Have you read his book It's All American Food? I don't get the sense that he's all that hifalutin' - especially not when singing the praises of a well-made chicken pot pie, or tuna salad with Hellman's mayo.

Edit: What exactly is the problem with Macaroni Grill other than that it's a chain?

Edited August 24, 2004 by hjshorter (log)

[tommy]

Edit: What exactly is the problem with Macaroni Grill other than that it's a chain?

i'm guessing not much. in fact, it's more reliable than a good amount of those local mom and pops here in northern NJ. that doesn't make it really really good, mind you, but any port in a storm.

[hjshorter]

Edit:  What exactly is the problem with Macaroni Grill other than that it's a chain?

i'm guessing not much. in fact, it's more reliable than a good amount of those local mom and pops here in northern NJ. that doesn't make it really really good, mind you, but any port in a storm.

I hear you. Good Italian-American mom and pops are in short supply in my neighborhood.

We don't go out of our way to eat there, but we wind up there sometimes - it has an decent kid's menu.

[tommy]

I hear you.  Good Italian-American mom and pops are in short supply in my neighborhood.

We don't go out of our way to eat there, but we wind up there sometimes - it has an decent kid's menu.

and there are no surprises at MG, which is a good thing at times.

looks like you can even get a decent enough glass of wine at the location near me. that's more than i can say for a lot of these mom and pops in northern jersey. (except for Lou Reda's place which is a standout and a much better choice than RMG)

Edited August 24, 2004 by tommy (log)

[fiftydollars]

I refuse to believe it until I see the ad. Although I don’t doubt he would do something desperate like this - I seem to recall he did some way-off-Broadway musical theater this summer so he is obviously not doing much with his life right now – but macaroni grill?

In a related matter I’d like to defend the Rosengarten Report. I received a subscription as a gift and I really enjoy reading it. I agree that some of the food is expensive, but the products I have tried have all been excellent. Sometimes you need a good source for caviar, mail-order barbecue, turducken, and cheese…

[VeryApe77]

I'm somewhat amazed by some of the hostile responses here. The fact that Rosengarten is not some elitist snob seems to be really hitting some people hard....

[FoodMan]

Macaroni Grill itself is not too bad when it comes to chains. Then again YMMV especially from one location to the next, but in any case it is light years ahead of that abomination, The Olive Garden. However, I was a little surprised to see Rosengarten in the commercial, still not nearly as bad as Mr. Bayless endorsing BK.

Elie

[Jason Perlow]

Actually of all the chains, if I had to pick one to go out to lunch to with my co workers in the middle of office park chain food hell, Macaroni Grill would probably top my list. Their tagilatelle with meat ragu is pretty decent.

[Katherine]

The problem with Macaroni Grill is that the pasta sauces are indigestibly greasy, and the cooked food way too salty. I couldn't eat the salad, either, as the dressing seemed to be pure vinegar.

But you'll be alright as long as you stick to the focaccia and table wine.

[tommy]

But you'll be alright as long as you stick to the focaccia and table wine.

by table wine do you mean house wine? i can't imagine their house wines being even decent (chardonnay, wine zin, etc, according to the website). but i've never had them.

[Katherine]

But you'll be alright as long as you stick to the focaccia and table wine.

by table wine do you mean house wine? i can't imagine their house wines being even decent (chardonnay, wine zin, etc, according to the website). but i've never had them.

I was speaking survival mode. Go with the flow. Brain in neutral. Last I saw, diners poured themselves mass quantities of table wine into tumblers, working on the honor system. I don't think their food even goes with wine, YMMV, probably a mixed drink would be better. Or several. Now I doubt you would be happy with this, since you seem to have concerns. But it would anesthetize me while I enjoyed the hot bread and waited for my dining companions to finish their meals, at which point we could probably split one of those desserts that's large enough for a table. Undoubtedly they owe it to me, as they would have had to be treating me in the first place for me to go to Macaroni Grill.