Re: Olive Garden - when?
I'm unclear as to what the all the fuss is about the Olive Garden. It's good...but only good as a national mainstream franchise specializing in Italian-style food can be.
Here in RI, one of two largest ethnic groups in state are the Italians..the other one are the Portuguese. (Plenty of malassadas, pao doce, and bacalao to be had here!) Most people I know here, who are of an Italian heritage, and happen to know a little about Italian cuisine, think the Olive Garden is just mass-produced fast-food Italian...to call Olive Garden an exceptional Italian restaurant, in their view, would be analogous as, say, a native of Maine calling Red Lobster a "wicked good" restaurant for seafood.
This area is blessed with so many restaurants that specialize in authentic Italian cuisine; the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence and the North End of Boston are legendary for their restaurants that serve up superior Italian food. Quite frankly, with so many choices available in restaurants specializing in authentic Italian cuisine around here, I'm surprised that the Olive Gardens in existence here do so well; it seems that there is always a minimum of a thirty minute wait for a table at them here.
To me, it seems the one common thing that all patrons of the Olive Garden enjoy, is, of course, the breadsticks and house salad combination...I'm constantly hearing about how good it are. Yeah, I've had the combo, and it does make a nice appetizer for the main meal, but beyond it, I think Olive Garden is just mass-produced Italian-style food.
BTW, the breadstick and house salad combo is so popular, one can now order them as a meal by themselves at Olive Garden...it's an all-one-can-eat kind of deal.
I'm unclear as to what the all the fuss is about the Olive Garden. It's good...but only good as a national mainstream franchise specializing in Italian-style food can be.
Here in RI, one of two largest ethnic groups in state are the Italians..the other one are the Portuguese. (Plenty of malassadas, pao doce, and bacalao to be had here!) Most people I know here, who are of an Italian heritage, and happen to know a little about Italian cuisine, think the Olive Garden is just mass-produced fast-food Italian...to call Olive Garden an exceptional Italian restaurant, in their view, would be analogous as, say, a native of Maine calling Red Lobster a "wicked good" restaurant for seafood.
This area is blessed with so many restaurants that specialize in authentic Italian cuisine; the Federal Hill neighborhood of Providence and the North End of Boston are legendary for their restaurants that serve up superior Italian food. Quite frankly, with so many choices available in restaurants specializing in authentic Italian cuisine around here, I'm surprised that the Olive Gardens in existence here do so well; it seems that there is always a minimum of a thirty minute wait for a table at them here.
To me, it seems the one common thing that all patrons of the Olive Garden enjoy, is, of course, the breadsticks and house salad combination...I'm constantly hearing about how good it are. Yeah, I've had the combo, and it does make a nice appetizer for the main meal, but beyond it, I think Olive Garden is just mass-produced Italian-style food.
BTW, the breadstick and house salad combo is so popular, one can now order them as a meal by themselves at Olive Garden...it's an all-one-can-eat kind of deal.
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