Fifteen or twenty years is a long time to stay away from a restaurant. One food creator went back to Olive Garden after about that long, found that the internet had a lot of opinions about what she ordered the first time, and took them all up on it.
The creator behind @paigeeatsgood says this was her second try at the chain, after a first visit where commenters told her she ordered wrong. So this time she asked for suggestions and ordered from them, and walked through the whole meal course by course.
Her first stop was an appetizer that might surprise anyone who has not been in a while.
@paigeeatsgood
Toasted ravioli with a surprise inside
The toasted ravioli arrived with classic marinara. She noticed right away that there was meat sauce inside, which she had not expected. She had assumed it would be just ricotta cheese. The meat sauce, she said, really adds a lot, and she loved it. She called it savory, meaty and cheesy, with herbs, a little dried oregano, and parmesan on top.
She also pointed out how generous the portion was, saying you could easily split it with your whole family, and she was ready for another one almost right away.
The soup everyone argued about
She ordered two soups because she already knows what the house salad tastes like. The one that got the most comments on her first visit was the Zuppa Toscana, so she gave it another go. She noticed nice big pieces of sausage and kale in the bowl, and was honest that she was not crazy about the gnocchi. That is the beauty of asking for opinions: not every suggestion is going to land, and she did not pretend that it did.
The dish that won her over
Skipping ahead to the end, her verdict was not close. Her favorite thing was a hundred percent the spicy Calabrian steak bucatini. The pasta was perfect, the steak was cooked perfectly, and she loved the sauce on it. She described it as almost a lighter, fresher version of an Olive Garden pasta. She said she was obsessed, and signed off to go finish the plate. She also said she could not see herself liking another dessert more than the one she had, though the donuts looked good.
It is a fun story, and it is a nice example of something that works well when you are dining at a big chain: ask around, and be willing to try something outside of your usual order.
How to order well at a big chain
- Skip your usual, once. Many of us fall into a rut and order the same plate every time. Try the dish that is newest or most talked about on the menu.
- Ask your server what they actually like. Servers eat the food and hear honest feedback all day. Ask what comes out best, not just what is popular.
- Share a few starters. A big appetizer, like the toasted ravioli she described, is made for splitting. It lets everyone taste something different before the main course.
- Check the lighter options. If you find that a classic pasta feels heavy, look for dishes described as lighter or fresher, as @paigeeatsgood found with the Calabrian bucatini.
- Take home the leftovers. Chain restaurant portions tend to be large. Boxing half your dinner makes a second meal and keeps the bill a better value.
Taking the internet’s advice, with a grain of salt
There is something worth admiring in how she handled the comments. She did not get defensive when strangers said she had ordered wrong. She went back, tried what they suggested, and reported honestly, including the parts she did not love. If you are going to take food advice from the internet, that is the way to do it: try it, form your own opinion, and keep what you like.
Tastes differ, of course. Someone who loves the soup may find the gnocchi perfect, and someone else may prefer a classic dish to anything new. The point is not to find the one right order. It is to give a familiar place a second look, especially if it has been years since your last visit.
She ended by asking everyone what their favorite dish was. If you have not been in a long time, that is a pretty good question to bring with you to the table.
A few extra tips for a return visit to any old favorite. Go at an off hour, such as mid-afternoon or an early weekday dinner, when the kitchen is less rushed and the dining room is calmer. Check the restaurant’s website or app before you go, since menus change and there are often seasonal dishes or specials that never made it onto the menu you remember. And if there is a loyalty program or email list, signing up is free and sometimes turns into a coupon for an appetizer or dessert.
Most of all, go in with an open mind. A restaurant you wrote off two decades ago may have changed quite a bit, and so may your own taste.
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