Olive Garden: The Hidden Truth Behind the Beloved Restaurant

lovetakesyouto
4 days ago
5 min read

Man in a mint green shirt smiles at a restaurant table with seafood pasta dishes; lively background with people and soft lighting. Man sitting at the restaurant table in Italy. Real Italian Restaurant serving fresh pasta dishes. Authentic.

What perplexes me the most about Olive Garden is that it's supposed to be Italian. I should have understood that from the "Olive” part of the name, but where is the “Garden?" I mean, are we supposed to believe that fettuccine Alfredo grows on vines like grapes? Can I just pick my own breadsticks right off a bush? Talk about farm-to-table!

And let's be real: an Italian restaurant that compares itself to a garden full of trees could spell defeat. I can imagine it now: “Welcome to Olive Garden, where the only thing greener than our salad is our idea of authenticity!”

Let’s dive in to analyze.

Olive Garden Logo

I moved from Italy to the United States in 1998. I had to wait until 2014 – that is when the Olive Garden logo changed – to see the olives correctly depicted in the restaurant's logo. Before 2014, the Olive Garden logo had a purple grapevine instead of olives. Quite confusing! Did they mean: "Welcome to Olive Garden where, if you order olives, we'll give you grapes."? The change from "Italian Restaurant" to "Italian Kitchen" came with the change of the fruit logo. “But we are still family, enthusiastically squeezed in the kitchen – while the chef overcooks the pasta.”

Olive Garden Menu

I went to Olive Garden, convinced by some American friends who could not wait to hear my opinion. Never mind the garden and the olives that, at the time, were not olives, but grapes. I went straight to the menu: Fettuccine Alfredo, Chicken Carbonara, Shrimp Scampi, Mozzarella Sticks (they forgot to mention that they fry them just like most of the food), Pepperoni Pizza, and Neapolitan Ice Cream. You know when your mom tells you to pay attention to the red flags when you go on your first date? That's how I felt when I saw the menu at Olive Garden for the first and last time.

Olive Garden Alfredo Sauce

Before I arrived in the States, I did not know that such a thing as Alfredo sauce existed. Rarely do Italian dishes have people's names associated with them. Grandma usually gets the credit if you have to give credit to anyone for an excellent recipe. But Alfredo? How about Mario, Salvatore, or Giovanni? Who the hell is Alfredo? Some Alfredo di Lelio owned a restaurant in Rome at the beginning of the last century. He served some American tourists pasta with butter and Parmigiano cheese; the rest is history.

When I was sick, my mom often served me pasta with butter and parmesan. There is a belief in Italy that says when you have a fever, you are better off eating food without sauces as they may be too heavy for digestion – it's a non-scientific, wholly made-up treatment. But it actually exists, and it’s called "mangiare in bianco” (eat white stuff). Hence, colors are reserved for healthy people.

Between butter and parmesan and Alfredo sauce, is an entire ocean—indeed, the Atlantic Ocean. Alfredo sauce is an American invention with too many artificial ingredients that will make you sick instead of helping your digestive system.

Nine pizzas with varied toppings like ham, berries, and cheese are displayed in a grid. Each pizza has a golden brown crust. Made in Italy

Olive Garden Breadsticks

It comes as no surprise that the breadsticks served at Olive Garden are not authentic Italian. Sorry for my monotonous tone and for upsetting Olive Garden restaurant enthusiasts. The most type of bread served at a restaurant in Italy is sliced "filone di pane," a loaf of bread made with flour, yeast, water, and salt, depending on the specific tradition of the region.

The word “breadstick” more precisely translates to "grissino," which is a long, pencil-like stick of crispy, dry-baked bread served as a snack while you wait for your order at the restaurant.

Olive Garden Soup

Let's examine two of the several soups offered at Olive Garden: “Chicken and Gnocchi” and the famous “Italian Wedding Soup.”

The “Chicken and Gnocchi” is made with potato flour dumplings, roasted chicken, spinach, and creamy sauce. The problem is that gnocchi in Italy is never served as a soup. They are an alternative to pasta and risotto, served with tomato sauce or "pomarola" (alla Sorrentina), with ragu (meat sauce, preferably made with beef, never chicken) or a blend of cheeses (Gorgonzola or Quattro Formaggi).

The “Italian Wedding Soup” is another American invention that was never served at weddings in Italy. It has a potential parallel but different ingredients and cooking techniques from the one served at Olive Garden. Indeed, there is a soup called "minestra maritata" (Italian for married soup), but its name alludes to blending the ingredients, not the fact that it is served at weddings. The soup is typical of Southern Italy, with many regional variables but with recurring ingredients such as black cabbage, chicory, escarole, chard, pork rind, ribs, and sausage, which is a different recipe altogether.

Garden Pasta Pass

Where to even start with the authenticity of Olive Garden offering an unlimited pasta pass? Since when has pasta been downgraded to ‘unlimited'? What about the promise of prioritizing quality over quantity? In Italy, food is about the richness of flavors and abundance of culinary experiences, never about stuffing your face with fettuccine Alfredo sauce.

Do you have any other deals? Tell me what your menu deal is, and I'll tell you what your stomach will feel like—not great so far!!!

Olive Garden Dressing

Where does the dressing on the salad come from? In Italy, salad is not served as an appetizer or prior to your entrée, and balsamic vinegar from Modena is not the only vinegar used. The classic seasoning for salad is extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, and salt. An Italian immigrant in Tijuana, Mexico invented the Caesar salad; as the story goes, he substituted missing ingredients with what he had in the kitchen. If you want authenticity, have your Caesar salad with tacos, burritos, and nachos – and have your margarita, too, which is also savagely

served along with sangria at Olive Garden. Mama Mia!

Olive Garden Dessert

“Sicilian Cheesecake” and “Chocolate Brownie Lasagna” are not … yes … I confirm … hard to believe …they are not desserts you will ever find in Italy, under any circumstances, even if the world was ending. The association of Sicily with cheesecake, lasagna, and chocolate may seriously offend any Italian. Please don't even mention that you are aware of such a thing. We care for you and want to avoid any issues you may have while traveling in Italy, a country that prides itself on its culinary history and legacy.

Tiramisu literally translates to "pick me up" or "cheer me up." Please serve me a tiramisu. After reading the Olive Garden menu, I really need it.

Olive Garden Italian Restaurant

Still stuck on Olive Garden? Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden, is listed on the NYSE and operates other brands, including Yard House, Ruth's Chris Steak House, Season 52, Eddie V's, and others. Do you want a far-removed chef, hundreds of miles from your table, head of a chemistry lab in a remote warehouse, to serve your food? Unlimited?