TheBakersfieldCalifornian.com

One national news story I caught recently highlighted the economic troubles of midpriced restaurant chains like Applebee's and Chili's. Seems like they're losing a lot of business in this economic downtown to restaurants like Chipotle Mexican Grill.

To which my regular companion responded, "How come the Bakersfield restaurants always have long lines outside?" Darn good question.

But there were no lines at all during a recent visit to Romano's Macaroni Grill on Rosedale Highway, which would seem to be in the same economic niche.

And with the a new menu and anti-Olive Garden approach to pasta (more on that later), I think they do deserve more customers than the other two chains mentioned above. Macaroni Grill just has a bit more class, and no slavish devotion to MSG in the kitchen as well.

What's on the new menu? A section called "fresh pastas," which our waitress (who really seemed to have a good working knowledge of the menu) said was code for al dente pasta: firm to the bite, the way the gods of Italian cuisine wanted it served.

Nevermind that my daughter, one of my companions, has yet to develop an appreciation for this preferred state of pasta. Just like the mushy-noodled Olive Garden, I guess. But other new items include veal saltimbocco ($19), chicken cooked under a brick ($16), and a lot more entrees under 600 calories.

I think that may be a big move. I know many oppose Big Government and the push to list calorie counts on restaurant menus, but it's a positive move, if you ask me. The information can be stunning.

For example, we ordered a couple of appetizers under the Italian tapas -- choose two for $9. We selected the oven-fired artichoke hearts (590 calories) and the mac and cheese bites with truffle dip (990 calories). Nine hundred-ninety calories for that? That dish had more calories than my entire veal saltimbocca plate! We wisely chose to save portions for lunch the next day, but I can see how this new law is causing sticker shock for many. Offering those low-cal options such as pan-seared branzino (570 calories) is a good road to go.

The chicken under a brick was amazing: half a chicken (deboned), roasted with sage and flattened in the process (presumably under a brick), with fresh asparagus stalks, roasted rosemary potatoes and a diavola sauce that the waitress described as an Italian sauce with a kick, "something you might find in an Asian restaurant." Interesting. It's actually an American creation and can be made with or without tomatoes. This version, with tomatoes, is a perfect dipping sauce with all three items on the plate.

My veal was similarly successful: veal scallopine cooked with rosemary ham, and a garlic artichoke pasta with green peas that was al dente. Sure, it was no Frugatti's or Mama Tosca's but it had the Macaroni Grill's touch of class at a reasonable price.

My daughter, a young woman of simple tastes, went for the chicken parmesan ($13), and was pleasantly surprised at how succulent the meat was under the crispy, pan-fried coating. I was more impressed by the cherry tomato halves on top. A nice touch that seemed perfect.

For our final course, we enjoyed the cheesecake, with its nutty shortbread crust and an oddly skimpy portion of fresh strawberries that, while artistically presented in shards, left us wanting more, more, more. It was more garnish than complementary part of the dessert.

Service had its grace notes (our waitress's familiarity with the menu, her recommendations and little touches like waiting until fresh loaves came out before bringing bread to the table), but there were some serious gaps of inattention that might rankle those who were less involved in the table conversation.

There was also a long delay in getting the artichoke hearts that shouldn't have happened.