OK, How the hell was this missed? John Oliver/Olive Garden

[rufus dog]

[BigmanPigman]

1. Now that restaurants have to print the calories

in their food, I wonder if all those breadsticks will still be consumed? Oh wait, this is the US and not Italy, so the answer is, "Yes, and bring out some more please".

[sarah FAILIN]

7. Those breadsticks are horrible

The rest of it ... it used to be better.

[BigmanPigman]

11. I know...what a waste of calories.

I would trade one for a cannoli any day of the week (but only if it came from a bakery and NOT The Olive Garden).

[CatWoman]

2. whenever I eat at Olive Garden -- which is not very frequent at all

is their soup and salad. That's all I ever order there.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

8. Same here. The soup and salad is decent.

Plus, I don't have that large an appetite any more, so there's no point in ordering any main dish.

[CatWoman]

9. my grandaughter used to work there, as well as Red Lobster

and she told me all of that stuff is prepackaged and all they do is microwave it.

[BigmanPigman]

12. That is the norm for tons of restaurants.

I have watched and read Tony Bourdain and he tells all the dirty details of the business. It isn't pretty.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

13. Many, many restaurants,

use prepackaged food for much of their offerings. I learned about this years ago from the food column in the Minneapolis Star written by the late great Al Sicherman. He more than once referenced that fact, and over time that's become fairly obvious to me in many restaurants. I'm sure some of the larger chains have their own dedicated food warehouses, but apparently there are several that supply food to many.

Very few restaurants really bake or cook from scratch, and those that do tend to stand out. I remember some years ago ordering the turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy and some veg plate at a small restaurant in Alexandria, VA, and being stunned that the turkey was obviously from a real, baked freshly, actual turkey. And the mashed potatoes were the real deal also. One of the best meals ever.

[lordsummerisle]

3. Seems a bit harsh

I've never eaten there, but have always thought of it as a Denny's or Applebees with an Italian theme. I don't think it purports to be gourmet or anything...

[pangaia]

4. The Italian version of take out ersatz Chinese.

[USALiberal]

5. I love their salad and breadsticks! Nt

[TheBlackAdder]

6. Darden's Olive Garden and former Red Lobster slather their dishes with a perverse amount of butter.

[LostOne4Ever]

10. This is hugh! Kudzu imagine if he decides to cover uncircumcised pitbulls breast feeding there.

Agent Mike and Cluck Kent would approve so long as you don't tutch the but.