New Italian Restaurant Opens at Columbia Mall

The Mall in Columbia has a new place to dine, since Maggiano's opened its doors following a "ribbon-cutting" Monday morning. The ribbon was actually a 10-foot-long braid made of pasta.

Homemade pasta is one of the specialties at Maggiano's, a national chain with 46 restaurants. Maggiano's at The Mall in Columbia is located in the new open-air part of the mall, with Italian-inspired pastas, salads, prime steaks, chicken, seafood and desserts on the menu. 

Executive Chef Matt Delano will whip up seasonal specialties as well as staples like Maggiano's signature dish "Rigatoni D"—herb-roasted chicken, mushrooms and caramelized onions, tossed with rigatoni in a Marsala cream sauce.

The Columbia restaurant also offers a Lighter Take menu, which includes 11 entrees such as chicken parmesan and fettuccine Alfredo prepared with techniques and ingredients that reduce the calories by one-third compared with the regular-menu version.

The Lighter Take menu will be rolled out at the 45 other Maggiano's locations across the country in the fall, according to a statement from the restaurant. The closest Maggiano's are in Annapolis, Chevy Chase, Tysons Corner, VA, and Washington, DC.

In addition to adding a new dining option to the mall, Maggiano's is bringing jobs. There will be approximately 150 Maggiano's employees, according to a prepared statement from the restaurant.

Maggiano's at The Mall in Columbia, 10300 Little Patuxent Parkway, is open from 11:30 a.m.–10 p.m., Monday–Thursday; 11:30 a.m.–11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and noon–9 p.m. on Sunday.