So lets start of with the DON'Ts.
1) The new chicken Carbonara is a don't for several reasons. The sauce is very thick and pasty. It includes bacon bits in the paste already and then has pancetta added with red peppers. For me the taste isn't worth it. It's about a C+ to me.
2) Stuffed Chicken Marsala: a double lobe of chicken with a cheese stuffing in the middle. Drenched in a creamy mushroom marsala sauce this dish is a no no. Most of the employees I work with have trouble getting this cooked correctly and as a result the chicken gets served very over cooked, if not burned. The mashed potatoes that are served with it are usually prepared incorrectly as well or sometimes old. The sauce can cover up a lot these weakness, but I think there are many other items worth eating on the menu to spend money on this. I give it a C- even though my wife likes it when prepared correctly.
3) Steak Toscano: Now why on earth would ever go to an Italian restaurant and order a steak? Longhorn, at least in my area, is across the street. Getting the temperature right on this steak is often very difficult for the employees I work with because most have had little to no proper training on steak temperature. Also it comes with fried potatoes and a demi-gloss sauce. Really not worth the money. I give it a C- and you an F if you order it.
4) Pizza: Really? You're going to eat pizza at Olive Garden? Try Pizza Hut, Dominos, or Papa Johns. You don't go to an italian restaurant and eat pizza. UNLESS you are going to get it as an appetizer and share it with people. B- In taste and quality, D+ If you order it.
5) Capellini Pomodora: This, to me, is the most boring dish Olive Garden serves. Angel hair pasta, marinara sauce, and a tomato basil mix. Great for vegetarians who aren't very hungry. I give it C, for being boring.
DOs:
1) Steak Gorgonzola Alfredo: Fettucini Alfredo with spinach and gorgonzola cheese. This comes with 4 pieces of steak cooked to order. This steak is worth the price. Very tasty. I give this dish an A-
2) Lasagna Classico: Very good if done correctly. Tons of meat sauce, cheese and lasagna noodles. Super tasty. I give this dish an A.
3) Tour of Italy: Chicken Parmesan, small portion of Lasagna, and a small portion of fettucini alfredo. Super awesome A+ and if it happens to be on special for a lower price even better.
4) Braised Beef Tortellini: A very nice mix of filled pasta, sauce, and meat. Beef is good, marsala sauce is decent, and the cheese tortellini is nice. B+ is about right for this dish.
5) Seafood Alfredo: Sauteed shrimp, scallops, and fettucini alfredo. Very creamy, simple but very tasty if you like seafood. I give it an A-.
Now it is important for the reader to know that these are my opinions and my tastes. They in no way reflect the opinions of the restaurant. Also these dishes, DON'Ts and DOs can be both bad or good depending on your local employees. Unfortunately, a good portion of Olive Garden employees don't have professional culinary training. They are however trained well enough that if they pay attention and care enough, they should be able to produce these entree's close to picture perfect.
Enjoy!
Posts
I'm sorry, I must disagree with your assessment of number 5 in your Don't list. And, no, I am not a vegetarian... yes, I come to the Olive Gardin hungry. I find the tomato and basil flavors very complimentary and the amount of pasta and sauce is enough to satisfy most anyone's hunger. If the customer reads the discription of the dish it would be clear this is a pasta dish which does not include meat. Also,this is hardly a traditional marinara sauce. I find there are destinct differences between this dish and those served with marinara. For example, spaghetti marinara is a completely different dish. I agree that the cuisine at The Olive Garden is not 5 star by any stretch of the imagination, however I do not totally agree with your "Do's and Dont's" list because the cooks at The Olive Garden are mediocre and could produce any one of these dishes which could end up on either of your lists, depending on your opinion, which you did state clearly... I just happen to disagree with it. My "Don't" list would include the Chicken Parmasana, which is often overcooked and the pasta is dry, the cheese is sometimes burned, and the chicken is often burned as well (due to the overcooking).
ReplyDeleteI never met an Olive Garden waiter/waitress I didn't like (in the Wilmington DE market or anywhere around our great country)!
ReplyDeleteMost of us have a range of tipping percentages that we use to recognize good, better and best service (poor service gets no percentage, except one copper penny), and I've never found it necessary to use any other than my "best" percentage. As a matter of fact, when MDW and I have the all-you-can-eat soup and salad for lunch, we always double the tip because of the ratio of work to check total.
That by the way is the best deal ever -- I often have a third bowl or a third serving of salad.