Who likes Olive Garden?

[tomterp]

Let's just say these places are much better than McDonald's

For breakfast too?

[JCA-CrystalCity]

even these chains can have a dish or two that you crave, or at least enjoy.  Mac Grill did a balsamic glaze over a chicken breast before it became widespread. 

My brother's daughter in law was the second chef at place that was rated the best Italian restaurant in the Boston suburbs (Angelos in Stoneham).  He'd eat there once or twice a week.  We'd still hit Macaroni Grille at the Burlington Mall for lunch when he worked down the street.

[MarquisDeSade]

I actually found a decent Mexican place last time I passed through Omaha - but I'm thinking about towns 4 hours west of there such as Duck Whistle Falls, population 130

Those usually don't have any major chains, certainly not an Obesity Garden.  As much of a pile of steaming Web 2.0 shiite that Yelp is we've found a number of good restaurants using it.  If you're ever in Des Moines I highly recommend the Cheese Shop of Des Moines (http://thecheeseshopdsm.com/).

[imref]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5810914


They don't salt pasta water to get a longer warranty on pots.  Sigh.   

[tomterp]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5810914


They don't salt pasta water to get a longer warranty on pots.  Sigh.

They hit on another of my pet peeves, true for lots of restaurants - what's up with the copious amounts of salad dressing they pour on?  Soggy lettuce and overwhelming goop.   Bad.

[HalfSmokes]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5810914


They don't salt pasta water to get a longer warranty on pots.  Sigh.   

it's ok, their sauces more than compensate for the lack of sodium http://media.olivegarden.com/en_us/pdf/olive_garden_nutrition.pdf Their standard tomato sauce has 1380 mg per serving?!

[GburgNatsFan]

I wonder if their olive oil is really ahh-live oil, a chemically enhance combination of corn oil, modified soy protein solids, carageen, and salt.

it's ok, their sauces more than compensate for the lack of s odium http://media.olivegarden.com/en_us/pdf/olive_garden_nutrition.pdf Their standard tomato sauce has 1380 mg per serving?!

[tomterp]

it's ok, their sauces more than compensate for the lack of sodium http://media.olivegarden.com/en_us/pdf/olive_garden_nutrition.pdf Their standard tomato sauce has 1380 mg per serving?!

Not surprising, restaurants everywhere load on the salt.  Have you ever had the lobster bisque at Great American Restaurants locations (Arties, Coastal Flats, Carlysle, Mike's American Grill, Jackson's etc)?  Very tasty but boy do they load on the salt.  They could dial it back by half and it would still be tasty.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

unsalted water *shudder*

[HalfSmokes]

Not surprising, restaurants everywhere load on the salt.  Have you ever had the lobster bisque at Great American Restaurants locations (Arties, Coastal Flats, Carlysle, Mike's American Grill, Jackson's etc)?  Very tasty but boy do they load on the salt.  They could dial it back by half and it would still be tasty.

planet money had a podcast on it years ago that has stuck with me- they were talking more about frozen food, but it probably applies. The gist was that sugar, fat and salt can mask crap ingredients. The reason that you don't see low priced healthy food is that with out the salt/sugar/fat people would realize just how bad the ingredients were and that decent ingredients push the price too high to be viable as replacement for the current stuff

[MarquisDeSade]

Other than the salt you just describe every Weight Watchers, Lean Cuisine, and Healthy Choice meal in your frozen food section.  Let's be honest though, when it comes to Olive Garden do you really think that the majority of their customers can tell that the pasta isn't salted?  Isn't it just flash frozen and dumped into boiling water for two minutes?

[UMDNats]

i just want the unlimited breadsticks

[houston-nat]

i just want the unlimited breadsticks

According to the slideshow, the breadsticks turn cold after an average of 7 minutes because they are made in a factory and microwaved.

[Nathan]

Wait, you're telling me a chain restaurant serves unhealthy processed food

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

If that company couldn't make it in this land as the merchant of Red Lobster cheez biscuits, they might as well liquidate everything and channel their resources into Medicaid fraud. 

[imref]

According to the slideshow, the breadsticks turn cold after an average of 7 minutes because they are made in a factory and microwaved.

i worked a summer at a high end restaurant, we used to get dinner rolls delivered from a local bakery a few times a week, we'd keep them in the refrigerator to stay fresh.  Before dinner we'd take a large warming rack with a glass door, put the rolls on baking sheets, and fill the warming rack.  We'd then put a pan of water on the bottom above a few cans of sterno.  The steam would heat the rolls to the point where they tasted like they just came out of the oven.  I always used to laugh when i'd hear diners talk about our wonderful "fresh baked bread."

[UMDNats]

According to the slideshow, the breadsticks turn cold after an average of 7 minutes because they are made in a factory and microwaved.

[imref]

planet money had a podcast on it years ago that has stuck with me- they were talking more about frozen food, but it probably applies. The gist was that sugar, fat and salt can mask crap ingredients. The reason that you don't see low priced healthy food is that with out the salt/sugar/fat people would realize just how bad the ingredients were and that decent ingredients push the price too high to be viable as replacement for the current stuff

I think it was anthony bourdain who wrote in kitchen confidential that chefs always load up dishes with salt, butter, and fresh herbs to make them taste good, and that you could easily do the same thing at home.

This is one of the reasons I LOVE Seasons 52 (also a Darden property I believe), they make fantastic food without any fat and with limited salt.

It's amazing that Darden owns S52, Bahama Breeze and Capital Grill, all of which are very good, and they can't fix Olive Garden.

[Slateman]

Fix Olive Garden? There's nothing to fix. They make money.

[imref]

Fix Olive Garden? There's nothing to fix. They make money.

actually sales keeps declining.

[Slateman]

actually sales keeps declining.

Still making money. They're not going to fix the food. People want it for whatever reason. Otherwise it wouldn't be packed on a Friday night.

[houston-nat]

Still making money. They're not going to fix the food. People want it for whatever reason. Otherwise it wouldn't be packed on a Friday night.

Another reason they're packed on a Friday night is they're understaffed and don't have enough servers to keep the restaurant tables all filled. That's also in the takeover argument, that there are artificial wait times because of crappy service.

[Slateman]

Another reason they're packed on a Friday night is they're understaffed and don't have enough servers to keep the restaurant tables all filled. That's also in the takeover argument, that there are artificial wait times because of crappy service.

Solid point. However, I will say that I  can't remember the last time I saw an OG that didn't have a ton of people in the evening. There is something about it that people like and continue to flock to.

[HalfSmokes]

Still making money. They're not going to fix the food. People want it for whatever reason. Otherwise it wouldn't be packed on a Friday night.

DRI is over 10% off its 52 week hight- they aren't making investors money and that's what matters

[GburgNatsFan]

Cheap carbs.

Solid point. However, I will say that I  can't remember the last time I saw an OG that didn't have a ton of people in the evening. There is something about it that people like and continue to flock to.