There was a time that I swore I'd never go back to Olive Garden again. There are many great and local Italian places in the valley. Olive Garden's prices were going up, their portions were huge, and the quality was either dropping or my tastes were maturing.
And then recently we went with some friends. I have to say that there was a time that I loved Olive Garden before getting to the point I mentioned before. Our last trip reminded me of the good times here. The salad was great. The breadsticks had more flavor than just butter and salt. And a better texture than my last few trips. And the pasta dishes were great. Suddenly this place is higher on my list than 1 or 2 of the local favorites I would've recommended a year ago.