I went to Olive Garden last night with some family that's staying for part of the weekend. I'm usually left feeling guilty about the cheesed-up lard food, but I think last night was probably the best Olive Garden food I've had.
The first rule of Olive Garden is to load up on the unlimited soups and salads and bring a good amount of the main dish home. So, I had a couple bowls of minestrone. It's the healthiest soup option on the menu because it's not doused in cheese. And don't let the waiter/waitress tempt you with extra cheese on top.
The waiter served a sample of Merlot from Clos du Bois in Sonoma County, which is listed under "Soft Berry Flavors" on the menu. There were slight hints of berry, but it was a little too strong and fruity for my taste.
I opted for a glass of "Super Tuscan" from Villa Antinori, listed under "Robust and Rich." According to the menu, it "captures the tradition of sangiovese grapes blended with cabernet, merlot and syrah - from one of Tuscany's most prestigious wineries." Great choice. It was full-bodied and smooth. What a difference a couple bucks makes.
Appetizers were typical Olive Garden quality. My aunt ordered calamari and mussels. I wasn't too fond of the small pieces of squid and mussels. The calamari was served with marinara and parmesan-peppercorn sauces, but was sans tentacles, which I think is an integral part of the dish. Mussels were served in the wine and garlic-butter that it was simmered in, which makes for a great dip for the breadsticks.
Along with the wine, the other highlight of the night was my main dish, Venetian Apricot Chicken. Part of their "Garden Fare low fat entrées," this dish consists of "Grilled chicken breasts in an apricot citrus sauce. Served with broccoli, asparagus and diced tomatoes." Can't get anymore straightforward than that. It's simple and not overwhelmed by cheese-and-butter lardiness. If you want to see how nasty that stuff can get, just open a box of takeout food the morning after.
To finish off, I had half of a slice of black tie mousse cake, which was presented with Hershey's chocolate syrup on top. I don't know, but that just really hits me the wrong way. You can tell that it's something that was premade, unlike a desert made from scratch at Jake's Famous Crawfish. But what can you expect from the Olive Garden? It's just a little reminder that as much as they can do to improve the menu, it's still just another national chain that serves up food the same way Starbucks baristas pull shots or McDonalds workers flip patties.
3 comments:
Thanks Thomas.
An OG requisite for me is the Alfredo dipping sauce for the breadsticks. Probably about 500 calories to the teaspoon...pretty much takes care of the cheese and lardiness!
Here's something you didn't mention that's important for the drinkers out there to know about the Garden:
Not your traditional happy hour, but a constantly-running option to upgrade your cocktail to a double for $2.
I like to take advantage of this when drinking something like a top shelf martini, because you end up with an obscene amount of pricey liquor for the same $11 that buys a normal sized one at Jake's.
It's a good deal if you're out to get trashed.
That said, the quality of my Garden martini wasn't as good as the one I get from my favorite tenders at Jake's.
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