It’s a fact that magicians love Maggiano’s. The restaurant has everything to offer a card-slinging planeswalker. It’s no surprise that at the end of the day duelists flock there after a long gauntlet of battling with cardboard.

Magicians Love Maggiano’s for the Value

Any self-respecting Magic: the Gathering (MTG) player values value. For civilians, value is any advantage you can gain. It’s like when Burger King slips in a couple onion rings with your fries. That’s value! Since duelists are after the best bang for your buck, it’s no surprise that all-you-can-eat restaurants are a top choice.

Maggiano’s takes it a step further. Since it’s family-style, the shared plates create the perfect hedge for a player trying to game the system. Not only can you try out each item on the table, but you can order infinite rounds of whatever you deem the highest quality. The only way you can lose if not selecting a particular dish in the first place.

Selecting the Perfect Maggiano’s Courses

MTG players are gamers, and ordering at Maggiano’s is certainly a game you want to win. Magicians love Maggiano’s because it’s about identifying the best value plates, while balancing the politics of the table. Most people don’t order the banquet multi-course dinner by themselves, so you need a game plan to win over your friends. Here are some hot tips to make the best of your experience, and ensure the group orders what you want.

Appetizers

Don’t pay extra. Spending more money is a minus, and hurts the overall value of the meal. Unless your local Maggiano’s is offering some absurd app, or you just feel like balling-hard, save any additional funds you want to spend for more important courses.

Make sure to name several appetizers you want, but don’t commit too hard to anything. Try to nominate the most agreeable options or back up other suggestions at the table. The appetizer course is important, but you don’t want to lose your bargaining chips early. The dinner course is the real meat of the meal, and if the table thinks you had too much influence during apps selection then they’ll discount your opinion later. If anything, try to steer the conversation towards the dinner course if this seems to be the case.

Salads

Don’t weigh in at all. If anyone shows signs of caring, let them choose everything. If someone at the table is foolish enough to get trapped picking both salads, it’s an easy way to politically remove them from deciding the other courses. “But George, you chose both salads so let’s go with Megan’s choices for apps.” You never want someone to have the power to say that to you. Stay out of this conversation.

You don’t want to play your hand that this course doesn’t matter, because then anyone that made the salad choices is now back in for debates on other courses. You could also try this as a power play: choose the salads and convince everyone it doesn’t matter so you can choose other items.

Pastas & Entrées

Depending on the size of your party, this is where you’ll need to make a choice. In fantasy football you usually need to decide between strong running backs or wide receivers. Same goes for Maggiano’s. If you value excellent pasta choices, you lose voting power during the entrees. The reverse is true, so if there is an entree that you must-have, then don’t throw too much weight around on pastas.

Sides

This is a trap. You already signed up for 4-5 courses of unlimited food. Don’t spend extra for a sixth.

Desserts

This is another category that many people will value highly, but it’s a misplay. Depending on how many rounds the table orders of each course, the table might not even gorge hard enough on dessert for it to matter.