Maggiano's Little Italy in Denver Colorado

Maggiano's Little Italy

Address: 500 16th St. Suite 150

Cross Streets: 16th and Glenarm

Phone: 303-260-7707

Price: $$

Reservations: Yes

Hours: L-D:Daily

Both the freestanding south Denver Maggiano’s and the Denver Pavilions location draw huge crowds of people hungry for traditional family-style Italian. Red-checkered tablecloths, Sinatra crooning in the background, family pictures on the wall and lots of wood create an upbeat atmosphere for diners to get in on the action. A solid staff of amazing cooks and servers dish up family-sized portions for the table to share, or they’ll lay out spectacular buffets to accommodate massive groups. Start with mussels in marinara; the sauce is good to the last drop. Fried calamari arrives crispy with an aioli dipping sauce that has just the right amount of spice. The kitchen-sink salad has everything that makes lettuce exciting—tomatoes, onions, blue cheese, olives, crispy bacon, chunks of chicken and balsamic vinaigrette. The Caesar is also a great alternative. The vegetarian pasta, penne with chicken or meatballs and sausage are all good choices. Leave room for veal Parmesan, chicken piccata and divine balsamic salmon served over spinach. Don’t miss rosemary chicken marinated in olive oil and lemon and then roasted until perfectly browned and juicy. Heavenly desserts end the feast. The special meal for $23.95 per person includes two appetizers, two salads, two pastas, two entrées and two desserts—with doggy bags free of charge. Half portions are available on request. A nice wine list complements the food.