Noodles & Company -- Fitchburg, WI

LOCATION: 2981 Triverton Pike Dr. at McKee Rd., Fitchburg, WI

As the name of the restaurant aptly declares, it's mainly about the starch. The "Company" is the stuff that's added, I presume, but it's really never quite enough. Good-for-you vegetables are treated like a distraction from the sauce (quite good) and noodles (quite chewy).

Expect a 6-1 ratio of noodles to veggies. I counted maybe five shrunken mushrooms and about 8 shriveled (not that that's a bad thing) spinach leaves in my Penne Rosa.

My wife ordered Macaroni & Cheese, which arrived with a full cup of mounded, shredded cheese on top. I don't know about you, but that just seemed a tad on the excessive side. It's not like that was the only cheese in the dish. It was mounded ON TOP of the Mac n' Cheese. Easy enough to shovel off on to MY plate, however.

Before our food arrived we had to find a table that wasn't already occupied by dirty dishes, which comprised at least a third of the available spots. Am I'm being too picky when I don't want to share my meal with soon-to-be garbage?

The servings have always been generous (noodles!) at Noodles, and if you are there for the noodles -- of course you're there for the noodles -- then no worries. This place would be on my regular go-to places for food if only I could get a generous portion of vegetables, meat, tofu, etc., in my dish. Sure, you can add more, double, or even triple the load, but that's just too much pre-planning, and too expensive.