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belc0011 View Drop Down
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    Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 4:29am
They must have some of the worst ad execs of all time because every single one of their ads sucks royally with some of the worst acting I've seen.  I particularly hate the one where the dad says "I love our family tradition where we pass our plates to the right."  Then the daughter sets him up perfectly (like it wasn't already COMPLETELY obvious where he was going with that one) "when did that become a family tradition?"  Dad - "when you ordered THAT!"  Cue ridiculous corny laughter. 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jppuertorico85 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 4:40am
LOL there is a lot of cheese in the olive garden commercials...and its not the mozzarella on the plates!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 4:16pm
Olive Garden is the McDonalds of Italian restaurants.

I feel bad for areas in our country who don't have access to great, authentic Italian cuisine.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote flabbergasted Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 10:02pm
Ew, I hate that guy.

If someone tried that with me, I'd bite their arms off.

You know, if it wasn't Olive Garden food they wanted to take from me... xD
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 10:09pm
I'm of the belief that, if you set your standards too high, you'll spend your life (or at least your hours dining out) in a constant state of disappointment.  I've been to Olive Garden maybe twice, and was not disappointed either time.  On the other hand, I've been to highly-regarded restaurants and actually been disappointed.  "I'm paying $80...for this!!??"
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote msdeli Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 11:03pm
I used to like Olive Garden but it seems that the more popular they have gotten (crowded) at least in this area, the crappier the food is.  Wow, hows that for a run on sentence.  The last time I ordered the fettucinni alfredo (how adventurous) the butter had seperated from the sauce already and was pretty much flavorless.  I believe Fazolis (sp?) tasted better.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote ForumAdmin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 11:05pm
One of my favorite videos EVER posted here:

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hootman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 11:46pm
Originally posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote:

Olive Garden is the McDonalds of Italian restaurants.

I feel bad for areas in our country who don't have access to great, authentic Italian cuisine.


There was a member of the old site, Vinnie, that owned an Italian restaurant here in my town.  It was pure 'old Italian", and was our favorite Friday night date.

He closed it and moved to California.  We have nothing since to compare.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote PaWolf Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 12 Aug 2008 at 11:51pm
Homey don't go there, anymore...
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote fourstringdrums Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 1:39am
I actually like the Olive Garden, but yes I hate the commercials.

"We're celebrating"

"Oh, special ocassion? Anniversary, Birthday?"

"Nope, just...Tuesday!"

or the one where the girlfriends talk about their tradition of going out every thursday and having the never ending pasta, salad and breadsticks. 'Chery'll passes the salad, I pass around the breadsticks..." Who the hell cares what lame order you have to take in your "tradition">
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 2:23am
Originally posted by Hootman Hootman wrote:


Originally posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote:

Olive Garden is the McDonalds of Italian restaurants.

I feel bad for areas in our country who don't have access to great, authentic Italian cuisine.
There was a member of the old site, Vinnie, that owned an Italian restaurant here in my town.  It was pure 'old Italian", and was our favorite Friday night date.He closed it and moved to California.  We have nothing since to compare.


That's what I'm talking about with my comparison.

There is nothing as good as a simple, Mom & Pop Italian restaurant or diner.

There's a place around the corner from where I live named Giuseppe's. I love their gnocchi and italian sausage platter. It comes with a garden salad and freshly baked Italian bread. On nights when I get home and my wife has already gone out with our daughter (usually shopping at Saks ), I order that meal as a take out.

Unbelievably tasty.......and it only costs $12.50 !
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 3:21am
Unfortunately, Jimmy, there is no such thing as a Giuseppe's in California.  California prefers chains.  I think people here trust them more.  LOL
 
There is a pretty good chain Italian restaurant I go to occasionally.  It's called Pasta Pomodoro.  Good food, cheap prices.  Still, it's not the "sausage platter" kind of Italian restaurant.  Those don't exist even in San Francisco.  Well, no more at least.  It all seems to be geared to the middle America interpretation of Italian food.
 
A friend of mine laughs when I express disgust with his and his family's actual love of a restaurant out here called The Spaghetti Factory.  They think it's really good.  It's horrible---and my standards aren't even that high!!  Well, as long as they like it, I guess...
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 3:33am
Originally posted by Thor Thor wrote:

Unfortunately, Jimmy, there is no such thing as a Giuseppe's in California.  California prefers chains.  I think people here trust them more.  LOL
 

There is a pretty good chain Italian restaurant I go to occasionally.  It's called Pasta Pomodoro.  Good food, cheap prices.  Still, it's not the "sausage platter" kind of Italian restaurant.  Those don't exist even in San Francisco.  Well, no more at least.  It all seems to be geared to the middle America interpretation of Italian food.

 

A friend of mine laughs when I express disgust with his and his family's actual love of a restaurant out here called The Spaghetti Factory.  They think it's really good.  It's horrible---and my standards aren't even that high!!  Well, as long as they like it, I guess...

 

 


Y'know, I just don't understand this. There are Italian Americans everywhere in our nation, so why aren't there more of those charming diners and cafe's and restaurants dotted across the country?

There is no food better to nosh on than that lovely homemade Italian cuisine.

I visited California once and was surprised at how lousy the eateries were. I had no idea that they were so in love with the whole "chain" thing.

That's a damn shame for you.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jppuertorico85 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 3:35am
the spaghetti factory is ok...they have one in philadelphia too...but i would never try to pass it off as true authentic italian you know?
 
I say enjoy the chains as long as you dont think that they are a real representation of whatever culture's food they've reinvented!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 4:48am
Originally posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote:


Y'know, I just don't understand this. There are Italian Americans everywhere in our nation, so why aren't there more of those charming diners and cafe's and restaurants dotted across the country?

 
At this point, Jimmy, I think there are more Italian last names than there are Italians in this country.  Generations after the Itals came over here, generations of inter-marriage...and now you're starting to see blonde-haired, steak and potato Midwesterners with last names like my own.  Even I'm only half-Italian in ancestry.  In fact, now that I think of it, only one of my father's seven full-blooded Italian siblings married another Italian. 
 
I think this has many good points, but the dearth of authentic Italian food is not one of them.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 5:04am
Originally posted by Thor Thor wrote:

Originally posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote:

Y'know, I just don't understand this. There are Italian Americans everywhere in our nation, so why aren't there more of those charming diners and cafe's and restaurants dotted across the country?

 

At this point, Jimmy, I think there are more Italian last names than there are Italians in this country.  Generations after the Itals came over here, generations of inter-marriage...and now you're starting to see blonde-haired, steak and potato Midwesterners with last names like my own.  Even I'm only half-Italian in ancestry.

 

I think this has many good points, but the dearth of authentic Italian food is not one of them.

 

 


Bloody shame!

That whole steak and potato crap is so over done.

Italian cuisine is so diverse. From the sumptuous white sauces in the Northern region, to the tangy and tasty tomato and pesto sauces in the Southern region.
Then the lovely, cheesy masterpieces from Sicily.
The Italians use every type of meat in their dishes. Beef, pork, lamb, veal, chicken, then there are the wonderful things they do with seafood.

God, do I love Italian food!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jeroboam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 Aug 2008 at 7:01am
There's some nice ones in Cali, surely there is.
One thing California can brag about is Thomas Keller
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote SheRa Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 12:41am
These truly are the cheesiest non-satire commercials currently playing.  I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I have the displeasure of working at an advertising agency, and yes, people really do get paid big bucks to come up with this crap.

Aside from the lame father-daughter "passing plates tradition" one, there's also the grandson-grandpa "I'm paying for dinner" one.  Still, the lame pseudo-yuppie couple "nope...just Tuesday!" one takes the pre-freezed $4.89 dessert cake. 

*additionally, the canned laughter seems to be left over from some equally-cheesy sixties sitcom.

Thank God for pasta roni and the mute button.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote kat Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 12:58am
I HATE that commercial because as a real Italian, the food offends me. My people do NOT fry our ravioli. If a guy ever tries to take me out there, I'll oblige because I have dignity and I'm nice, but I'll be very discontented within myself.

And the one with the plate-passing is worst, because just before the dad says his line, you can hear the little girl going "You are SO FUNNY grandpa! Funny!" >:[
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 1:10am
Originally posted by kat kat wrote:

I HATE that commercial because as a real Italian, the food offends me. My people do NOT fry our ravioli. If a guy ever tries to take me out there, I'll oblige because I have dignity and I'm nice, but I'll be very discontented within myself.


 
Fried ravioli seems to have become very trendy at hip, expensive restaurants these days.  Of course, to make it "cuisine", they often fill it with mushrooms or artichoke.
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote FaithSF Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 1:42am
I miss East Coast (NY/NJ) Italian food.  I ate twice at an Olive Garden back there (ironic, huh?), and it was okayyyyyy, but not GOOD.  I'm afraid to try it out here.  I want lasagna that doesn't have bechamel in it.  Just good ol' sauce, cheese and noodles. 

I don't need "four cheese" anything.  Just mozzarella and a little ricotta (not a huge fan) to make it authentic.

Jimmy, have some real pizza for me, okay? Wink
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Thor Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 2:43am
Originally posted by FaithSF FaithSF wrote:

I miss East Coast (NY/NJ) Italian food.  I ate twice at an Olive Garden back there (ironic, huh?), and it was okayyyyyy, but not GOOD.  I'm afraid to try it out here.  I want lasagna that doesn't have bechamel in it.  Just good ol' sauce, cheese and noodles. 


 
Like the Taco Bell in the Mission.  LOL
 
 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 3:36am
Originally posted by FaithSF FaithSF wrote:

I miss East Coast (NY/NJ) Italian food.  I ate twice at an Olive Garden back there (ironic, huh?), and it was okayyyyyy, but not GOOD.  I'm afraid to try it out here.  I want lasagna that doesn't have bechamel in it.  Just good ol' sauce, cheese and noodles.  I don't need "four cheese" anything.  Just mozzarella and a little ricotta (not a huge fan) to make it authentic.Jimmy, have some real pizza for me, okay? Wink


I returned from the Philly Folk Fest a little early today. One of the other sous chef's had a death in the family, so I was asked to cut short my fun time in Schwenksville.

When I left the restaurant this evening, the first place I went to was Gino's pizza. I got a nice pie with the works (sans anchovy's), and returned home to enjoy it.

God, was it good!

and good Lord am I tired!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Jimmy Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 3:46am
Originally posted by Thor Thor wrote:

Originally posted by kat kat wrote:

I HATE that commercial because as a real Italian, the food offends me. My people do NOT fry our ravioli. If a guy ever tries to take me out there, I'll oblige because I have dignity and I'm nice, but I'll be very discontented within myself.

 

Fried ravioli seems to have become very trendy at hip, expensive restaurants these days.  Of course, to make it "cuisine", they often fill it with mushrooms or artichoke.

 

 


I make lobster ravioli, hand made from a recipe I learned from an elderly Italian lady named Jenny Taglianetti.

She lived in Brooklyn and sadly passed on in 2005.

She brought her recipe from Sicily from her Papa. They only used to make it for weddings, as lobsters are so bloody expensive.

I serve it exactly as Mama Jenny used to, lovingly prepared with a white sauce, Caesar salad, and freshly baked Italian bread.

That's what I call Italian cuisine at it's finest.

and it's $25.00 on our menu....and very popular!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote jeroboam Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 18 Aug 2008 at 5:20am
Originally posted by Jimmy Jimmy wrote:


I returned from the Philly Folk Fest a little early today. One of the other sous chef's had a death in the family, so I was asked to cut short my fun time in Schwenksville.

When I left the restaurant this evening, the first place I went to was Gino's pizza. I got a nice pie with the works (sans anchovy's), and returned home to enjoy it.

God, was it good!

and good Lord am I tired!!


Man those festivals are great.
I did the Portland Bite a few years back and it was easily 95 degrees outside so imagine our lovely little tent/kiosk.
Still I wouldn't trade those moments.
Sometimes I feel like that those times mirror some of the  stories you hear the old cooks tell. Screaming, sweat, blood, so on.
Restaurant kitchens are so PC and quiet these days (relatively I know) but the red faced exec throwing a meat slicer on to the floor is becoming the thing of legend. (which in reality I know is a good thing, but to say you experienced it)

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