Vanity: Received reply from Darden Restaurants regarding my email to them yesterday...

self | MNGal

[ml/nj]

I would support a move to ban pasta from the Olive Garden and from the White House. (and, I am NOT joking)

Then you have no reason to be participating here at FreeRepublic.

ML/NJ

[A Texan]

I do not know what you said in your email, I only saw the summary of your email.

[mplsconservative]

Darden Restaurants got an Obamacare waiver last year. This is their payback to Moochelle. I know they’re crossed off my list!

[MNGal]

“...but given this administration’s socialist propensity to meddle in all aspects of people’s lives, I question her motives....Kid’s menus, adult menus? What next?”

I couldn’t agree more. This is my issue, also. It’s not that my kids require french fries. If I want french fries, I can take them to McDonald’s. The point is that the government is pressuring private businesses to limit choices to the consumers based on what government deems to be good behavior.

I believe somebody said yesterday that the irony of all of this is that the same people who want to limit kids’ exposure to french fries at restaurants and require parental consent for them are the SAME PEOPLE who advocate that children be given condoms and abortions WITHOUT PARENTAL CONSENT.

Make sense of that. (shaking head in disgust)

[Eagle of Liberty]

I really don’t like to take our children out to eat. The items on the children’s menus are similar to the foods in the frozen food section at the grocery store. Preprocessed garbage is garbage whether you cook it at home or have it served to you at a restaurant.

Some of the posts on this thread are amazing. We're talking about little kids here. Fries are almost a staple among kids. And yes, it may be garbage, but many kids CHOOSE garbage. My family cooks up some great food, in smell, taste and looks, but you give them a choice between chicken and fries and a really good lasagna, they will choose the chicken and fries every time. You take my option for fries away and I will be taking my wee ones to another restaurant.

And yes, while I CAN cook very well, sometimes I DON'T WANT TO!

[Tucker39]

FWIW Department. Our extended family group of 10 adults dined at Texas Roadhouse Tuesday evening. Wonderful meal! Peanuts out the wazzoooo as a warm-up. Then Country Fried Steak smothered in gravy as the main event. Not once did I see or hear a “DISCOURAGING WORD” from some do-gooder whimp about my choices. The missus and I later went out and hiked 4 miles to work it off, but THAT IS OUR CHOICE!!

Big Nanny State Gubmint....leave me the he!! alone!!!

[Genflag]

Until just a little a few weeks ago I was working for Darden at Olive Garden, and I was there when they rolled out the new menu.

My first thought was exactly the same as yours.

They have added grapes to replace the french fries, and they have also added a new chicken dish that is a “healthier” addition, to replace the Chicken Con Broccoli

I have to say though, the grapes are really good that they are using, but the Mediterranean Chicken is pretty bad. Far to much lemon and acid to be palatable.

Really I sort of think that either they are trying to implement a whole new menu over a long period of time so that they can sneak in the “healthy” items so that they don't loose all their customers at once, or this is more of a cost saving measure, grapes and all of the ingredients in the chicken dish, are cheaper then the extra fry oil, and heavy cream that they use in everything else since the sauce for the new one is pretty much just lemon juice and chicken broth with some herbs and garlic.

But I'm pretty sure it is also a nod to Moochelle Obama as well.

But the rest of the menu is amazingly carb and calorie rich, and then the all you can eat breadsticks on top of that.

Really Moochelle would still eat there, but I figure they wouldn't see the irony even when they wheel the troth out for her so she can drink the carbonara sauce(one of the highest calorie sauces that they offer) with a straw and have no fear of running out.

[mewzilla]

Wow, if I'd know that I'd've dropped 'em sooner....

Darden Restaurants gets break on health-care reform law

[mewzilla]

Note to DRI’s shareholders: You need your ever lovin’ heads examined, too....

[Eagle of Liberty]

Someone may need to confirm but didn’t I hear Rush say that Darden got a Golden Ticket Exemption from ObamaCare?

Obama's Lunch Buddy's Company Given Obamacare Waiver

President Obama had lunch today with "four business leaders to discuss ideas to grow the economy and create jobs," according to the White House. The participants met to "discuss the importance of working with the private sector to promote job training efforts, including ways that companies have been partnering with higher educational institutions to develop curriculum and programs that ensure graduates will have the appropriate background and skills to succeed and get hired within the companies."

Curiously, one of the participants, businessman Clarence Otis, could have used today's affair to provide President Obama a "teachable moment" (a favorite phrase of the president himself). Otis might have explained to the president the negative effects of Obamacare, and why his business, Darden Restaurants, sought and received an Obamacare waiver.

As the Orlando Sentinel reported in November 2010, "Orlando-based Darden Restaurants is getting a break on part of the health-care reform law requiring companies to raise significantly annual coverage limits for low-cost insurance plans starting next year." The Sentinel pointed out that "Darden's waiver would apply to 34,000 employees, or about 20 percent of its 174,000-person workforce. Most of Darden's employees work in its restaurants such as Olive Garden, Red Lobster and LongHorn Steakhouse."

Darden has a health insurance plan for its employees. And, according to the company's statement to the paper, "the waiver allows [the company] to continue to do that as the various phases of the health care law are implemented."

[Noob1999]

....................I could make a killer chicken marsala for four, costing the price of 1 Olive Garden entree..............

That’s about right. Restaurant’s set the menu price so that the food ingredients equal 25% of the price.

[Buckeye McFrog]

I am going to Olive Garden on Friday to use up a gift card. I intend to make a rather big scene about it being the last time I intend to set foot in one of their restaurants so long as management is in bed with Moochelle and the Food Nazis. Let’s see if they hand me a form letter.

[LadyBuck]

And yet we are bombarded with Olive Garden commercials touting their “neverending pasta”....

Wonder which is worse, a serving of kiddie fries, or endless servings of “pasta” (I’m Italian, I use that term loosely when referencing the OG).

Don’t get me started on their sauces.

Super healthy, I’m sure.

[petitfour]

You’re right about fries being a staple for kids. When we travel, what foods do our children order at restaurants? French fries. Or rather, what foods do we order for our little children? French fries. Why? Because that’s what they will eat. And because we won’t have to change their clothes afterward. I could feed them carrots or celery, but then they would want to eat again within a very short time frame.

I confess to having very little imagination when travelling. I always pick Cracker Barrel because the children’s menu has a variety of choices, AND there are some semi-nutritious and tasty options. (please don’t disillusion me and say that chicken n dumplins are bad for you. haha)

[Genflag]

Sorry, forgot to add...

At my Olive Garden, french fries were one of the most popular sides to come from the apps & grill end of the line, they were always dropping fries to go out, not just for themselves to snack on.

[EDINVA]

Well, their reply was canned, but your letter insisted they were taking away your right as a parent when what they are doing is insisting that you as the parent make the choice for your child, thus using your parental power veiled as a right. So, basically, they are taking away your child(ren)’s right(s,) not yours.

[Politicalmom]

I am so jealous. My kids and I went to Texas Roadhouse regularly when we lived in GA. It’s still our favorite. Now the closest one is in San Francisco. There is NO way I’m driving an hour to eat in San Francisco on a regular basis. :)

[trisham]

What a blatant lie.

[tobyhill]

http://www.linkedin.com/in/sherribruen

Looks like Sherri could use a little less fries.

[BipolarBob]

Darden (DRI) is a stand alone stock, so no it is not part of YUM.