rev:text
| - Olive Garden is becoming a large disappointment. And here I am, writing another review of a chain restaurant that's part of a corporation that's part of a conglomerate. No review I write will change their recipes, or make them revamp their menus.
I know that Olive Garden isn't really an "Italian" restaurant, any more than Panda Express is a "Chinese" restaurant. But I expect a bit more, in taste, not proportions, from a restaurant that charges $20 for a simple chicken item. Olive Garden has become the McDonald's of Italian restaurants.
I ordered delivery (sorry Yelp, I used a competitor, but Olive Garden isn't on your list of restaurants) from this particular restaurant. I had the salmon piccata, and my husband had the chicken piccata. We also ordered a couple of those dessert mousses in a cup; lemon and amaretto tiramisu.
I'm used to getting a nice lemony sauce with a bit of wine with a piccata, whether it be chicken, salmon, or veal. Both of the entrees were virtually devoid of any sauce, and loaded with capers that had all the taste and salt rinsed out of them. The salmon was oh so dry and over cooked. And those little dessert cups are so sweet that they will induce diabetes in perfectly healthy people. And sweet was ALL they were. Flavor index of about 2.
We ordered salad as well. It came with bagged croutons (bagged!) and prepackaged dressing. I could get the same thing at my grocery store! And for less money. Olive Garden used to be famous for its salad dressing, but it's turned into a mass manufactured and vacuum sealed product that's WAAAAAY too vinegary. The greens were fresh and crisp, though.
I'm afraid that the only good thing I can say about this dinner is that Olive Garden's breadsticks are still delicious. But you can find a recipe for them on the web, if you're inclined to bake. I did add a star for the breadsticks and the fresh greens in the salad.
I know, I know. It's a nice place to go for a casual meal, but you'd do better if you ordered delivery from a local, non-chain mom-and-pop Italian place. They care about the taste and quality of their food a lot more.
I won't be ordering from or visiting Olive Garden any time soon. Like I previously said, they've become the McDonald's of Italian restaurants. I get a craving for a Big Mac about every six months. I'm afraid Olive Garden has been downloaded into the same category.
This review is more of a review of Olive Garden restaurants everywhere, not this particular franchise, but I hope they'll read this!
|