My last dance and Macaroni Grill

June 10, 2:05 AMDenver Dining ExaminerStan Dyer

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Nicely decorated inside and out.

This is my last, “official” article for Examiner, my "Last Dance".  Oh, I am not going to stop writing and I, of course, am not going to stop eating, but I have retired and I want to spend a lot of time doing whatever I want, even if that is nothing at all.  With my last article, I wanted to leave you with a list of my favorites, and, while compiling my list, it occurred to me that I had not been to Romano’s Macaroni Grill in some time, so off I went.  

When it is busy, I don't mind eating at the bar.

They now call it Romano’s Macaroni Grill, but it will always be just Macaroni Grill to me.  I had never heard of the place a few years back when my Aunt Helen gave me a gift certificate for Christmas.  At first, just the thought of macaroni on a grill, (two things that just did not go together in my mind), was not very appetizing, but they won me over, and I do not think they even served grilled macaroni. 

I love the open spaces.

On my list of favorites, I am listing Mac Grill as my favorite Italian, and I will tell you why.  It is consistency.  We old guys like to know what to expect when we go out to dinner, and this old guy finds that just about any Mac Grill I go to will have just about the same quality, quantity, and value served in an atmosphere conducive to Italian dining.  The restaurants are usually very open, nicely decorated and perfectly lit.  Of course, they can get noisy when it gets busy, but some of us don’t mind that extra company.  

M is for "Mmmmmmm".

On the menu, you can find items for just about any budget.  You can go inexpensive and get exactly what you want, (including whole-wheat penne), on the “Create Your Own”, or, if you prefer, there are a number of ways to splurge.  I, of course, judge every Italian restaurant to some extent by its Eggplant Parmesan, and Mac Grill’s is as good as anyone’s at only $10.99.  I have paid 30% more for eggplant that was not 30% better.  Folks can spend a lot of money or just a little and still enjoy the same ambience, atmosphere and good food.  I like that.  

Hey, look, they even have a patio!

Is Mac Grill the best Italian in Denver?  No, probably not.  None of my favorites are the best in Denver, but they are the best for me.  I am old school all the way and, even though I am vegetarian, I did not grow up that way.  I like the restaurants that can satisfy my appetite while respecting my dietary choices, and serve food cooked the way I like it.  Almost every restaurant has some value, and if you find value that suits your tastes, that is the best restaurant in town.  That’s why I have always tried to include a lot of pictures in my reviews.  Even if you disagree with my assessment, you might like what you see and be enticed to check it out for yourself.  All reviewers should do that.  Instead of wearing out the pages of a thesaurus trying to find new and creative adjectives, they should just report things the way they see them, take a lot of picture and let the pictures tell the story.  So, without further commentary, I present my list of favorites with brief explanation of my judgment.  Any cuisine that does not appear on my list is just not one of my favorites.  That does not mean it is no good or that I do not like it.  It only means it is not one of my favorites.  

MY FAVORITES:

Italian – Mac Grill, with seven locations in the Denver area.  The location I last dined at was the West Denver location: http://www.macaronigrill.com/menu/Menu.aspx?UnitId=001.009.0167

Pizza – No matter what they tell you, there is still good pizza in Denver and there are a lot I like, but my absolute favorite without peer is “Beau Jo’s”, but only the one in Idaho Springs.  I recommend the Five-Pound, Vegetarian Mountain Pie on Whole Wheat Crust: http://www.beaujos.com/locations.html#idaho

Mexican – I love most of them in Denver or at least can find something I love there, but I voted “Tamales by La Casita” at 35th and Tejon as my favorite because they are one of the few places serving truly vegetarian tamales and they can have them ready to go in about 15 minutes: http://www.yelp.com/biz/tamales-by-la-casita-denver-2

Chinese – Szechuan Chinese at 6th and Garrison in the Meadowlark Shopping Center.  I like this restaurant because they “do” tofu right, they will substitute tofu in any meat recipe and they still use the whole, hot peppers.  They are also very inexpensive: http://www.menuism.com/restaurants/ahcI8yjSWr245yabBlKsEs-szechuan-chinese-restaurant-lakewood-co

Middle Easter Food – Marrakech Grill at Colorado Boulevard and Iliff Avenue.  I love their falafel and they have this garlic butter that makes my mouth water: http://denver.decider.com/restaurants/marrakech-cafe-grill,23059/

Fast Food – I’ll bet you weren’t expecting this, but I love Chipotle’s Vegetarian Burrito with the spicy sauce, guacamole, (don’t call it “gauck”), cheese and lettuce.  It is a $5.95, full-meal bargain: http://www.chipotle.com/#/land  Running a close second and worth mention is the Five-Dollar Foot Long at Subway.  I get the Veggie Delite on the Multi-Grain Bun with all the “fixins” including both kinds of peppers and I am a happy man: http://www.subwayfreshbuzz.com/

Vegetarian – If you had asked me a year ago, I would have said Watercourse Foods was my favorite.  They still have great variety for Vegetarians, but they have problems with consistency.  Try it, but approach with caution and only devout vegetarians need step inside: http://www.watercoursefoods.com/     

Also Vegetarian and worth a visit is Leaf on 16th Street in Boulder.  I have only been there once, but I loved it and believe that even meat eaters will like this place.  It is a bit pricier, but worth it: http://www.leafvegetarianrestaurant.com/


Well, that’s my list and I’m sticking to it.  I may still post a few articles before the end of the month, but, after that, you will have to find me somewhere else, (look in New Orleans!), and you will still be able to reach me at: denverrestaurantexaminer@gmail.com.  
Happy dining, and keep reading Examiner!  For more Mac Grill pics, check out the slide show of my dinner