1. “Italian” Dressing
“Italian” dressing is not Italian at all but VERY American rather. The “Italian” dressing at Olive Garden is full of numerous ingredients including eggs, cheese, garlic, and many different oils. In Italy, salads are topped with oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper.
2. Dollops of sauce that are not mixed in the pasta
At fake Italian restaurants, the pasta will not come fully coated with sauce. There will be a large dollop on top of the pasta. In Italy and at authentic restaurants in America, the pasta will be tossed in sauce.
3. Pasta with meatballs the size of softballs
Although Italians do eat meatballs, they are nothing like the ones served at Olive Garden. Meatballs in Italy are much smaller and served alone instead of on top of pasta.
4. Fluffy garlic breadsticks
In Italy, you would never see the type of fluffy “bread” served at Olive Garden. Italians eat grissini which are hard breadsticks. Italians also generally eat bread with other food instead of alone. When the bread is eaten alone in Italy, it is often dipped in olive oil or it is made into brsuschetta and is eaten as an antipasto.
5. Fettucini Alfredo
Fettuccini Alfredo is as American as it gets and the fact that Americans eat it and think that they’re “eating Italian” is a shock to real Italians. In Italy, the only time Italians eat anything close to Fettuccini Alfredo is when they eat pasta with with butter, olive oil and cheese when they are SICK.
Do they really send their chefs to Italy to learn how to cook like this?
YES, Olive Garden senior executive chef’s go to Italy and other cities around Europe to bring back ideas to incorporate in it’s menu… but local chefs in it’s restaurants have to deal with portent packed entries and try their best to make it work…
My husband and I are both Italian, and we enjoy going to Olive Garden. The food is decent, the price is right, the wait staff are pleasant and competent, and the atmosphere is perfect without a lot of background noise or music. One of our favorite places to go.