Friday, August 10, 2007

Romano's Macaroni Grill

For notes, see entries for Maggiano's and Chili's.

Hello,
I would like to visit your restaurant. Can you tell me what menu items are vegan (no animal products)? Thank you for taking the time to research this.
Best,
Erin


Romano's Macaroni Grill response:
Dear Ms. xxx,
Thank you very much for taking the time to send us an email and for your interest in Macaroni Grill. Since there is no single vegetarian eating pattern, our company dietitian has compiled the list below of suggested menu options for various types of vegetarian diets. We hope that you will find this list helpful during your next visit to our restaurant.
If an item you desire does not appear on the list below, please keep in mind that our chefs will gladly try to accommodate your special dietary needs by custom-preparing a meal using any ingredients that we have available in our kitchen. However, please be aware that none of our menu items are certified as vegetarian. Many of our recipes contain meat, fish, egg and dairy products and normal kitchen operations involve the sharing of cooking and preparation areas, including common fryer oil. Therefore, it is possible for any food item, including fried vegetables, to come into contact with animal products during the preparation and/or cooking process. Additionally, please be aware that our tomato sauce contains butter. Based on our supplier ingredient information, the menu items you may consider are as follows:
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarians (contains egg and/or dairy, but no meat/fish):**
All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans and Lacto-Vegetarians" listed below,
including the following:
Mushroom Ravioli
Salad Dressings: Honey Mustard, Fat Free Creamy Italian, Ranch Dressing
Eggplant Parmesan
Tomato Basil and Cheese Tortellini Soup
Desserts: New York Cheesecake, Lemon Passion Cream Cake, Tiramisu
Suggested Menu Options for Lacto-Vegetarians (contains dairy, but no meat/fish or egg):**

All "Suggested Menu Options for Vegans" listed below, including the following:
Mozzarella Alla Caprese
Tomato Bruschetta
Pizza Margherita
Garden della Casa Salad
Insalata Blu Salad
Fettuccine Alfredo

Suggested Menu Options for Vegans (contains no meat/fish, dairy or egg):**
Any String Pasta with Garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Tomato Bruschetta – order without Cheese
Garden della Casa Salad – order without Cheese and Croutons
Salad Dressings: Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette
Grilled Asparagus and/or Broccoli
Bread
** Note: All desserts and fried menu items may come into contact with animal products
during the normal kitchen preparation and cooking processes due to cross-contamination.
On your next visit to Macaroni Grill, please speak with a manager about your dietary
restrictions to ensure that your meal is carefully prepared with your needs in mind. We hope that you are able to choose a meal to your liking and look forward to serving you soon.
Macaroni Grill
Guest Relations
Ref # 671710


The verdict:
"String" Pastas are vegan
Garlic and Olive Oil are vegan
Tomato Bruschetta, ordered without cheese, is vegan
Garden della Casa Salad, ordered without cheese and croutons, is vegan
Balsamic Vinaigrette, Italian, and Roasted Garlic Vinaigrette dressings are vegan
Grilled Asparagus is vegan
Grilled Broccoli is vegan
Bread is vegan

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I find your blog rather interesting. Personally I like Romano's Macaroni Grill. It is a great chain of Italian food restaurants. Macaroni Grill offers Tuscan bread, grill dishes, pasta and macaroni, a diverse range of Italian souses and many other Italian dishes. In addition, the company offers catering services for all kinds of gatherings in California, Arizona, Florida, Georgia and in some other U.S. states. I have learned about the restaurant from www.pissedconsumer.com

Unknown said...

That is the craziest letter. They list options for Vegans as:
Mozzarella Alla Caprese
Tomato Bruschetta
Pizza Margherita
Garden della Casa Salad
Insalata Blu Salad
Fettuccine Alfredo.

Fettuccine Alfredo!!! OMG! So not Vegan.
Lisa

Erin said...

Yes Lisa it's confusing to read even if it were accurate, and on top of that it's surely not! Makes you wonder about anything they claim is vegan, and sure shows what work there is to be done to expose the general population to the definition of "vegan."

kjirish408 said...

those ingredients are not vegan! cheese and butter and milk and eggs... no!!!!!