c53x12 Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 As did taking your wife to a "Spaghetti Factory" on your honeymoon, I'd imagine. Her idea. We were young and penniless. Like I need to justify to you. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 I mmm those lil alfredo chickin pizzas. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Sid down - shud up - and eat - yous family. Capiche? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Good Old Neon Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 FUCK THE OLVIE Garden me and my girlfriend ate at one on a road trip.....big mistake. We both wound up vomitting until the next day. And let me be the first to tell you Highway 1 and a bad stomach are not a good mix. I know the feeling Quote Link to post Share on other sites
viatroy Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 I agree w/Whitty's assessment of the Orlando style ambience, but damned if it isn't better than dinner at Sheetz sometimes! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Ahhh Olive Garden... all the subtle culinary nuance of your grocery store's freezer section combined with the authentic Italian ambiance of Orlando, Florida! Years ago, someone sent me a "copycat" recipe for Olive Garden's breadsticks. Take rock-hard frozen bread dough, melt it, fashion it into a phallic shape, spray the top with butter-flavored Pam and garlic salt, bake. Seriously. That's an Olive Garden breadstick. I'm a culinary snob, and the existence of the entire Darden Restaurants family (Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze, Smokey Bones) makes me want to do horrible things with my 12" chef knife. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Smokey Bones sucks. I heard they closed a bunch of those. All of the ones in Memphis(yes they put chain BBQ restaurants in Memphis) closed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
poppydawn Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 Smokey Bones sucks. I heard they closed a bunch of those. All of the ones in Memphis(yes they put chain BBQ restaurants in Memphis) closed. I'm amazed Smokey Bones even dared to try in Memphis. How long did that last? An hour? There's still one in Fairview Heights, IL ... a half-mile up the road from the restaurant Bon Apetit magazine recently chose as the second-best ribs in the country. Rendezvous was first, of course. And yet people still go to Smokey Bones!!! When I drive by I want to hang my head out the window and yell, "Dude! Second-best ribs in the country are over there!" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted September 28, 2007 Share Posted September 28, 2007 If I'm not mistaken, the Olive Garden was mentioned by a batchelorette as a good Italian restaurant on that goofy show "The Batchelor". He looked at her like she was nuts and that was the deal-breaker. I went to one once and I was definitely "meh". There is one maybe a mile from my house -- but there is also Via Venato that blows the doors off of it. More $$ for sure, but like 10x better. That's just one of maybe 10 in my neighborhood. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tweedling Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Try Via Carducci sometime and you'll never walk into an Olive Garden again. (That's just the one really good Italian place I know in Chicago ... there are probably better ones.) You can make better breadsticks at home. This place is very good also. Not real expensive and close to Michigan Ave. (In case you get hungry from shopping. ) The gnocchi was killer! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JerseyMike Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 when I am surrounded by all kinds of Italian eateries, why would I go to Olive Garden. WHY? I never understood why anybody in New Jersey would ever go to the Olive Garden or the macoroni grill, or get a bagel at Dunkin' Donuts. I live in a town with 2 traffic lights and we have 3 Pizza/Italian places and 2 bagel shops and there are probaly 30 Italian joints withon a 10 mile radius. Stop the insanity people! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OOO Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 I went to an olive garden once in my life, and asked for the never ending pasta thing. The waiter chuckled and said "Sir, we haven't had that promotion for months." Like I pay attention to when you have your stupid never ending pasta specials. No thanks! (For good Italian dining in Los Angeles, try C&O Trattoria in Marina del Rey. Their Garlic Rolls are soooooooooo good) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
radiokills Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 so gross Quote Link to post Share on other sites
yermom Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 I've been asked to eat at Olive Garden and declined many times. I don't have to actually go there to know it's going to be a mediocre dining experience...the advertising gives it away. I have been known to eat at places like Applebee's and Chile's because they have easy access to teh booooze. Last time I did Applebee's, my Greek salad and rum & coke refused to stay in my tummy for the 45 min. drive home. It was a miserable experience so I'll probably avoid that place in the future. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted September 29, 2007 Share Posted September 29, 2007 Her idea. We were young and penniless. Like I need to justify to you.VC: When you're here, you're family. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Alan Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 http://www.floras-hideout.com/recipes/reci...den_Breadsticks now no one has any reason to go to that god awful place. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 http://www.floras-hideout.com/recipes/reci...den_Breadsticks now no one has any reason to go to that god awful place. I go there for the lil chicken pizzas Quote Link to post Share on other sites
PigSooie Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 I like the Olive Garden. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted September 30, 2007 Share Posted September 30, 2007 I like the Olive Garden. I love it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted October 1, 2007 Share Posted October 1, 2007 I haven't been in a long time. We have a lot of good restaurants here. It has something to do with being in the same town as the Culinary Institute of America, I think, and all the rich city people who love yummy things. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mystik Spiral Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 I know the feeling Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Edie Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 what I got was two slices of white bread with congealed cheddar cheese in the middle. . That's beyond eww. I have found German food is the most veggie unfriendly. Steakhouses are pretty OK since they usually have great vegetable sides and I ask them to toss a few choice ones on a plate. Yum creamed spinach! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Duck-Billed Catechist Posted October 2, 2007 Share Posted October 2, 2007 Oh, dear, never go to Cracker Barrel if you're vegetarian. The first and last time I ate there, a few years ago, the only thing I found to order was a grilled cheese. Well, really it was more like the bacon grilled cheese sans the bacon... what I got was two slices of white bread with congealed cheddar cheese in the middle. . Hmm...any cheese that comes in a box seems suspect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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