I've never eaten at a Red Lobster, but being in an area with real seafood restaurants I doubt I'd prefer it. Olive Garden, however, is expensive, delicious crack. I could eat my weight in soup, salad, and breadsticks. Zuppa Toscana forever!!!
I don't particularly care for either one, but I put them both in the same general category. Is one more prevalent in other places than the other? I can't think of any RLs in Manhattan, but there's an OG in Chelsea next to a Best Buy.
I don't particularly care for either one, but I put them both in the same general category. Is one more prevalent in other places than the other? I can't think of any RLs in Manhattan, but there's an OG in Chelsea next to a Best Buy.
There's a Red Lobster in Times Square, and another OG in Times Square.
Some of my former coworkers and I used to go to the TS OG about once a month because it was between all of our offices at the time. I like it.
But I'm also not one of those "WHY WOULD YOU EVER EAT AT OLIVE GARDEN WHEN YOU HAVE REAL ITALIANS IN YOUR CITY?" people. There is of course a lot of good Italian here but let's be honest -- a lot of crappy Italian too. And OG fills a different part of my heart than the "Authentic Italian Food" section.
RL = frozen seafud (typo - I decided to keep it b/c it's not 'seafood')
OG = fake italian - but I like their breadsticks & salad...
To be fair, most Italian restaurants in the US are fake Italian. Or at least, the food they serve does not resemble what you'd find in Italy -- they serve Italian-American food, not Italian food.
RL = frozen seafud (typo - I decided to keep it b/c it's not 'seafood')
OG = fake italian - but I like their breadsticks & salad...
To be fair, most Italian restaurants in the US are fake Italian. Or at least, the food they serve does not resemble what you'd find in Italy -- they serve Italian-American food, not Italian food.
V, the way you keep rallying for OG is making me laugh.
I'll take "fake" Italian-American food from a mom and pop restaurant in NJ than OG any day.
Having been in Italy, though, I don't think NJ is all that far off. Some of the restaurants I've been to in NJ were better than Italy. (although I totally did have the best pasta of my life in Tuscany)
I'll take "fake" Italian-American food from a mom and pop restaurant in NJ than OG any day.
Having been in Italy, though, I don't think NJ is all that far off. Some of the restaurants I've been to in NJ were better than Italy. (although I totally did have the best pasta of my life in Tuscany)
Add some of the restaurants in Boston's North End to this group.
I'll take "fake" Italian-American food from a mom and pop restaurant in NJ than OG any day.
Having been in Italy, though, I don't think NJ is all that far off. Some of the restaurants I've been to in NJ were better than Italy. (although I totally did have the best pasta of my life in Tuscany)
I find the type of food you'd find at most NY area Italian restaurants to be very different from what you'd find in Italy. You aren't generally going to find chicken parm and caesar salads and penne a la vodka and spaghetti doused in marinara sauce over there, and those items pretty ubiquitous at Italian restaurants in the tri-state area. And that some of the restaurants you've been to in America are better than ones you've experienced in Italy (which is certainly true for me as well) doesn't mean much -- real Italian food, and fake Italian food, and everything in between can all be super tast. That's why I don't like "[Chain restaurant] is gross because it serves fake [food] and I have real [food] in my area" elitism. That Italy and ma and pa restaurants have good food doesn't mean there isn't a place for people to love Olive Garden.
In the very conservative town I used to live in, I think it was something like 78% voted for McCain. Olive garden was always packed. An hour wait was routine on a Friday or Saturday night. Red lobster wasn't nearly as busy.
I think OG is brilliant with their new marketing campaign, eat a meal here, take in home for tomorrow, all for $12.99...that's value!
I'll take "fake" Italian-American food from a mom and pop restaurant in NJ than OG any day.
Having been in Italy, though, I don't think NJ is all that far off. Some of the restaurants I've been to in NJ were better than Italy. (although I totally did have the best pasta of my life in Tuscany)
I find the type of food you'd find at most NY area Italian restaurants to be very different from what you'd find in Italy. You aren't generally going to find chicken parm and caesar salads and penne a la vodka and spaghetti doused in marinara sauce over there, and those items pretty ubiquitous at Italian restaurants in the tri-state area. And that some of the restaurants you've been to in America are better than ones you've experienced in Italy (which is certainly true for me as well) doesn't mean much -- real Italian food, and fake Italian food, and everything in between can all be super tast. That's why I don't like "[Chain restaurant] is gross because it serves fake [food] and I have real [food] in my area" elitism. That Italy and ma and pa restaurants have good food doesn't mean there isn't a place for people to love Olive Garden.
Well, the "fake" food for me comes from the fact that MOST chains freeze their food and get their sauces pre-made-- its not like any real cooking goes on. I don't think its necessarily "fake" because of what they are serving.
And I am not a chain elitist- I do try to avoid them, but mainly because I don't like many of them. But we'll go to Maggianos on occasion because its close, and they have a liquor license. I just don't like Olive Garden's food. I've eaten there maybe 5 times, so its not that I am saying I dislike OG only because its a chain, I've actually eaten there.
I also almost never order things like chicken parm at a sit down Italian restaurant- I'll have that if I am getting takeout at a pizzeria.
And don't you remember that penna a la vodka was invented by a true Italian, Paula Franzese's grandfather? lol