Maggiano’s has sat proudly amongst high quality shopping centers and restaurants at Keystone at the Crossing for several years now.
However, I had always passed Maggiano’s by, not ready to part with memories of the restaurant previously housed in the same building, an American Bandstand restaurant owned by the late Dick Clark. It was where my older sister worked at the time of her death from a car accident. She excelled as a chef there while pursuing a nursing degree.
When Clark got out of the dining business in the late 1990s and closed his Indianapolis location, the Maggiano’s family of restaurants, which were launched in 1991, moved in.
As they say, time can help heal everything, and recently I visited Maggiano’s to enjoy some authentic Italian cuisine.
Immediately, I was impressed by the ambiance. Maggiano’s has an attractive combination of classy, traditional décor and a warm, welcoming atmosphere that makes it suitable for any occasion.
With its wood finishes, home style furnishings and Frank Sinata/Dean Martin style music being played, you will probably feel like you have stepped back in time into a restaurant that was in the Little Italy neighborhood of Chicago or New York during the mid-20th century.
Maggiano’s specializes in Italian cuisine made from scratch, and although the company has several locations, each one has its own character and a lead chef that offers his or her signature style to the menu options.
Customers can enjoy an enticing variety of homemade pastas, salads, seafood entrees, steaks, chef specials, signature desserts and a satisfying list of wines. Popular selections include the baked ziti, lasagna (prepared the way it is truly supposed to be made), chicken and spinach manicotti, chicken or veal Parmesan, lobster carbonara and the amazing tilapia. As far as desserts go, some of the most popular choices seem to be the cheesecake, tiramisu and zuccoto chocolate cake.
As for me, I decided to go for the sausage rigatoni, which is made with pasta that was cooked just right and has that bold kick in the flavor I love.
Maggiano’s friendly staff serves with a friendliness that makes you feel like they truly care about making your experience at the restaurant a good one, even if on the inside they are anxiously waiting for the last customer of the evening to walk through the door.
Although the beloved American Bandstand is no more, I am glad that Maggiano’s decided to move in. It is ideal for a nice lunch to impress business associates, a romantic dinner with that special someone or a fun family outing.
