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I lived in Roswell, GA in 1990-93, which was my first exposure to Romano's Macaroni Grille... extraordinary quality food at that time at that location... I have the pics of the 20-lbs I gained as proof! Took 2 solid months on the Nordic Track to loose that extra weight that I thoroughly enjoyed gaining!
They offered a wonderful bread (not the current rosemary bread they offer) at the table with olive oil & cracked pepper. It was a flatter, non-yeast bread (about 1" thick) with a "cakey" texture... more like a moister corn muffin texture... they cooked it in a rectangular cake pan, so they cut it into 4" squares. I believe it may have contained rosemary like the current bread, but it's not really a bread, more like a cake-ish bread, if that makes sense... anyone who was lucky enough to sample it back then will instantly know what I mean. It was moist, dense & "creamy" for lack of a better adjective.
At one point, they switched the table breads & said they'd no longer be offering our beloved treat... they discontinued the bread we looked forward to at least 4-times/wk! The kitchen manager came out to speak with us, since we were regulars who'd expressed such remorse over losing the bread we looked forward to each day (we frequented the restaurant with business associates several times/wk for lunch & dinner) & he kindly offered us the recipe, which made me almost faint from joy. We waited over 1/2-hr... & he never returned, so to my dismay & my only life's regret, we left. I left GA shortly thereafter & have been searching for that bread recipe since 1993.
I would love to make that bread, whose name I forget... an Italian name, of course. I'd written & called the restaurant several times over these many years... emails/letters never garnered a reply... phone calls only confused new employees who swore they had no such bread at the Roswell, GA location (Roswell Rd, was it?... too long ago now). Wrong! I'm writing this in the hopes that a long time Mac Grille patron is out there & either remembers the name of the flat, square, sent from the heaven's bread or actually has a recipe for it. I promise, I will paint your house for that golden recipe. Or, at the very least, give you a hearty thank you & a promise to ship samples to you... really. Any givers out there???
By the way, the bread was yellow-ish in color & had either pepper or another spice/herb disbursed throughout the finished product... it was flickered with black spots, in other words. I can barely remember the flavor, but very strongly remember that texture... it was heaven... soft, cornbread-ish but creamier... it may have had a slight rosemary flavor, but it's the moist texture I really recall.
Please help a poor woman searching for a long lost culinary delight!!!
I can't help with the recipe but from your description the bread sounds a lot like a focaccia.
Thank you OutB... the old bread looked similar to the new, but the texture/flavor was completely different. I won't know if this is the old or new bread 'til I try it so I will give it a whirl & post back.
I don't believe they called the old recipe focaccia, but it was so long ago, I really don't recall. Keeping my fingers crossed & I'll make sure I have both flours... perhaps that's the secret... I want to say it may have contained some cornmeal... but, I can't be sure. I'll let you know!
Good to see you!
Yes, this is the old recipe, its awesome, I make it all the time.
Yes!! So glad to hear it. I'm making my list now & will be making it this week. Guess I need to amp up the walking/aerobics since visits to Mac Grille several times/wk long ago were responsibe for a pudgy tummy. Of course, that was several times/wk for 2-yrs... geesh!
I stopped eating there & bought a Nordic Track... lost 20-lbs in 2-mos & skiied 1/2-way to Antarcticia! I'll have to keep an Addiction List on my fridge where I allow myself Mac G bread & homemade pizza once/month only. Metabolism sure slows down after 30...
Okay, I made this recipe last weekend & this is the old recipe & it's great, thank you Outback!
Not sure why I didn't take pics when it came out of the oven... it's simple to cook, as Kshe said... I cooked it in a cast iron pan, but it did take longer to bake than the instructions said (35-min rather than 20-min)... I think my pan was smaller than the suggested cake pan, so next time, I'll split this recipe into 2 pans or make 1/2.
I even substituted 1/2 whole wheat flour & didn't spread several Tlbs of oil on top before or after it came out of the oven (I just lightly brushed the top)... that would taste better, but I'm trying to use up my whole wheat & I don't need the extra 6-Tlbs olive oil in my diet.
Although it's great, I won't be making this often... after eating 1/2 of it while still hot out of the oven (yes, I said it) with pasta... I gained 3-lbs overnight. I cut up & froze the other 1/2. After I loose this 3-lbs, I'll eat the other 1/2, then gain 3 more & so on... then make another & do the same.
Boy, does metabolism slow down after 40... geesh! And, boy do I hate maths...
Glad you found your food fantasy! Do you have to eat it with pasta? I love carbs but try not to allow too many in one sitting.. So it would be pasta OR bread for me.
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Do you have to eat it with pasta? I love carbs but try not to allow too many in one sitting.. So it would be pasta OR bread for me.
