Olive Garden Rant

[Subby]

I had no idea they pre-cooked pasta in chain restaraunts and then quick boiled it.

Wow.

[QuikSand]

Originally Posted by Subby

I had no idea they pre-cooked pasta in chain restaraunts and then quick boiled it.

Wow.

Cooking pasta is a very difficult task. Much better to leave it to the experts back at factory HQ.

[Ksyrup]

Originally Posted by kcchief19

On the grand scale of restaurants, it's hyperbole to say Olive Garden is the worst restaurant in any genre. It's not even the worst Italian restuarant chain -- obviously some of you folks have never been to a Fazoli's.

I don't think Olive Garden is awful - it's decent, but there are too many other Italian chains that are much better to make OG a satisfactory choice. Like Red Lobster is one of the few chain seafood places, so saying it's one of the best isn't say all that much. However, I don't think you can really compare OG to Fasoli's, since Fasoli's is a fast-food restaurant. That's like comparing Taco Bell to On the Border (or Tia's or fill in the name of your local chain sit-down Tex/Mex restaurant).

[JeeberD]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

The places in my travels I have found for finding local foods are the market cafes in rural New England, the hole-in-the-walls of Northern New Mexico and the harborside seafood diners along the West Coast.

If you're ever traveling through central New Mexico along I-25, make sure you stop in the tiny town of San Antonio so you can visit The Owl Cafe. They make the best Green Chile Cheeseburgers in the world there. And Green Chile Fries. And probably Green Chile Coke if you asked for it. Well worth the short drive off of 25.

Originally Posted by cartman

Well, there is an Olive Garden restaurant in Italy...

Ah, the Riserva do Fizzano, our culinary institute in Tuscany. We're actually just finishing up a big promotion about it where the OG is gonna give away an eight day trip for two to Italy, "highlighted" by a visit to the culinary institute.

Originally Posted by Loren

i had the vinegar taste in my mouth for quite a while, and thats cuz after i was told i couldnt get it without, i had them bring me ranch dressing so i could try to cover up the vineger

I'm sorry you got a shitty server, there's no reason for that to have happened.

Originally Posted by Sharpieman

Should have went to Hooters.

The scenery and wings are good, but everything there is so damn overpriced...

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

Like Red Lobster is one of the few chain seafood places, so saying it's one of the best isn't say all that much.

Red Lobster fans better eat there while they can. From what I hear Red Lobster is losing guests and money hand over fist, and the only reason that they're still in business is because Olive Garden is making so much money that they're keeping them afloat (both OG and RL are owned by Darden Restaurants, btw)...

[kcchief19]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

I don't think Olive Garden is awful - it's decent, but there are too many other Italian chains that are much better to make OG a satisfactory choice. Like Red Lobster is one of the few chain seafood places, so saying it's one of the best isn't say all that much. However, I don't think you can really compare OG to Fasoli's, since Fasoli's is a fast-food restaurant. That's like comparing Taco Bell to On the Border (or Tia's or fill in the name of your local chain sit-down Tex/Mex restaurant).

Fair point. I suppose it's that I group Olive Garden into a category much closer to fast food than I would to sit-down/fine dining. It's one-rung above. I'm in the category of people who like Olive Garden because I like my pasta well done and the salad and breadsticks are excellent. But if I'm eating Italian out, it wouldn't be at the top of my list.

I think the criticism of the restaurant in this case is a bit harsh because it's being criticized for not doing something it doesn't claim to be -- it's not fine dining. Mistaking it for a made-to-order restaurant to me is the same as critizing Burger King for not making your Whopper rare. But that's just me.

[Ksyrup]

OK, why am I the first person to mention THIS authentic Italian here?

De Laurentiis proves that Italian cooking is about more than pizza and pasta.

[Tara]

Trust me, she's never it more than 40 g of pasta in a week, yes maybe she's italian but fo sure not... a pasta eater...too slim

[stevew]

Originally Posted by Subby

I had no idea they pre-cooked pasta in chain restaraunts and then quick boiled it.

Wow.

We pre-cooked and then Microwaved at one place i worked.

[Bubba Wheels]

Originally Posted by stevew

We pre-cooked and then Microwaved at one place i worked.

What else did you do to it?

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by Ksyrup

OK, why am I the first person to mention THIS authentic Italian here?

De Laurentiis proves that Italian cooking is about more than pizza and pasta.

People are probably worn out from the "does head size matter" argument about her in the Hot or Not thread.

[terpkristin]

She's also a talentless hack.

Can't believe that biotch has her own show on Food Network. Snooze city more than usual.

/tk

[Desnudo]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Ah, the Riserva do Fizzano, our culinary institute in Tuscany. We're actually just finishing up a big promotion about it where the OG is gonna give away an eight day trip for two to Italy, "highlighted" by a visit to the culinary institute.

Is that where chefs are taught the ancient Italian art of pre-cooking pasta?

[Bearcat729]

Originally Posted by JeeberD

Ah, the Riserva do Fizzano, our culinary institute in Tuscany. We're actually just finishing up a big promotion about it where the OG is gonna give away an eight day trip for two to Italy, "highlighted" by a visit to the culinary institute.

I do like that one of the questions asked on the entry form is

What does Al dente mean?