This past week, my boyfriend and I were trying to decide where to go out to eat. After a memorial day weekend of grilling and bonfires, we didn't feel like cooking dinner ourselves, so we headed over to Olive Garden. This restaurant was chosen for a couple reasons- We love Italian food & I had only been to it once!
As we walked in the door, we were seated immediately, bypassing a larger group who were still waiting for a big table to clear. Our host introduced us to our server for the night: Grant- a 20 something, slightly nervous, kind & accomodating guy. He started us off with a sample of a rose wine, and I decided to have a glass after the tasting. This is a great way to get customers to buy booze, by the way!! Though this was a nice start,we had a foursome of hooligans behind us. They seemed to be some young guys and their girlfriends, who had come over after meandering through the mall. All the guests seated around this table were equally annoyed with their loud mouths, rude remarks and inconsiderate actions. Thankfully, they left shortly after our appetizers arrived!
We didn't actually order appetizers, because we were given the complementary salad and breadsticks that Olive Garden is known for. They were wonderful & I was probably a little too full afterwards to start my main course, but it was worth it! I managed to eat my braised shortribs and portobello risotto just fine, which I was pleased was on the menu in the first place. It is a usually a fall or winter dish, but they made my day by fulfilling my craving! I even had enough leftover for one more meal to take home!
My boyfriend had a blue cheese fettucine with steak tips. He was reluctant, but had to send the steak tips back to be cooked a bit more. They were returned perfectly cooked & the manager even offered us dessert on the house because of the mishap! We were full, so we declined, but it was nice to see such great service from a chain restaurant. We left with full bellies and satisfied smiles. So the next time you go out to eat, I encourage you try the Olive Garden for an extensive menu of Italian classics!
