No, We're Not That Family (Italian-Americans mad at Olive Garden)

Opnionjournal ^ | July 26, 2002 | Victorino Matus

[stands2reason]

Italian-Americans have a problem, and it's not "The Sopranos."

Italian-Americans are speaking out. They are complaining about a stereotype they just can't stand. One that they find inaccurate and misleading. One that is constantly shown on television, much to their disgust. They are unhappy. They are at their wit's end. They are fed up.

[Polonius]

... whiny dagos (and for the record, I am part Italian).

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

My mother likes Olive Garden so I get to go once in a while. I like it, as far as chain restaurants go, and so does my wife, but they seem to be too popular for their own good - overly long waits due to postage stamp sized restaurants and panicked wait staff. One time, as they are wont to do for some reason, they used linguine instead of spaghetti for my mom's to-go order (spaghetti & meatballs...how can you screw this up?) and she took it back the next day and asked for a replacement, because she doesn't like linguine. Should be a no brainer but the typical hostess-wenches they employ there couldn't even do this right without the manager finally telling them to shut up and make things right.

If you complain, they get defensive and adopt an 'its not MY fault' attitude. To be fair, our waiters are usually pretty good, but the hostess-wench never fails to try to seat us at the worst part of the restaurant that gets the brunt of the AC, summer or winter. I like the food but I am getting tired of them, especially with Macaroni Grill being so much closer.

[timydnuc]

When I was living in Indianapolis I found a gem. The name of the place was, simply "Gino's". The atmosphere was wonderful, small and intimate. The fireplace room had 6 or 7 tables (small) around the big fireplace. French doors led to a bigger room with booths in the walls and 12 or 15 tables closely packed into the center of the room. It had a bar to die for, just warm and compfy.

It was a family operation with Gino as it's commander. The food was to die for. I made it a point to eat there at least once a week (usually more than that). The pasta was made fresh, the sauces were wonderful, the food was served with pride, and rightfully so. There were no reservations and the family didn't hurry you through the meal, yet the place was always packed. Gino and his wife would come through the place regularly. If they recognized you they would stop and talk and you'd always get a free glass of wine. I was a regular, so I got to know the family well, and it was a pleasure to go there, if for nothing more than a drink. I took everybody there that I had contact with, and they fell in love with the place. I hope it's still in business. It used to be on the west side.

[uglybiker]

An Italian On Vacation One day ima gonna New York to bigga hotel. Ina morning I go to eat breakfast. I tella waitress I wanna two pissis toast. She brings me only one piss. I tella her I want to piss. She says go to the toilet. I say you no understand. I wanna to piss onna my plate. She say you better not piss onna plate, you sonna ma bitch. I don't even know the lady and she call me sonna ma bitch.

Later I go to eat at the bigga restaurant. The waitress brings me a spoon and a knife but no fock. I tella her I wanna fock. She tella me everyone wanna fock. I tella her you no understand. I wanna fock on the table. She say better not fock on the table, you sonna ma bitch. I don't know this lady either and she calla me sonna ma bitch.

So I go to my room inna hotel and there is no shits onna my bed. I calla the manager and tella him I wanna shit. He tella me to go to the toilet. I say you no understand. I wanna shit on my bed. He say you better not shit onna bed, you sonna ma bitch. I don't even know the man and he calla me a sonna ma bitch.

I go to the checkout and the man at the desk say: "Peace on you." I say piss on you too, you sonna ma bitch. I gonna back to Italy!

[Rebelbase]

The guy who owns an Italian Market in my town taught me how to make honest to God Italian spagetti sauce using whole Italian Pomodori tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil...thats all, there is no oregano, basil or other "secret" spices. Its amazing how simplicity can taste so good.

Afterwards I asked the guy why bottled sauces and "traditional" recipes call for oregano, basil and "Italian spices"? He says to me "because that is the only way you can make a 99 cent tomato have any taste, You have to use the whole Italian tomatoes. When you crush a tomato and liberate the seeds, it loses its sweetness".

[fineright]

If I want real Italian food, I just cook it.

Of course I work at a good Italian restaurant).

"Olive Garden" has much more in common with "Applebee`s" than any good Italian restaurant.

[StarFan]

....while someone, in that thick, unmistakable New York Italian accent, says that the food tastes as good as mamma's. (In real life, mamma would drop dead at such a comparison).

That says it all nutmeg. I've always lived by my mother's rule which was to eat everything on my plate UNTIL I once ate at the Olive Garden. In a word DISGUSTING!

[Rebelbase]

Bad Haggis makes a good band name though.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

I think that's a very good point. Another thing, though, is that small mom&pop places are a crapshoot...you can get the best food there or you could get pure overpriced crap. With the chains, you know what you're getting. In LA, I had my restaurants down and they weren't chains but now that I've moved I don't know where the great stuff is. If I could find Chinese food as good as Frontier Wok of Burbank, that'd be good. So far, mom&pop or not, it has sucked.

[Citizen of the Savage Nation]

Hmmm, I think you made the exact points I was trying to make. All true. When you're in Two Sticks, NM, do you stop in at Denny's or Joe's Bucket O'Sludge?

[Redcloak]

The food is HORRID! Calling The Olive Garden the "McDonalds of Italian cuisine" is an insult to burger-flippers everywhere. It's a vile restaurant. I'd pick a Big Mac over their slop any day of the week.

[JimSEA]

You make much sense!

[condolinda]

...honest to God Italian spagetti sauce using whole Italian Pomodori tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil...thats all, there is no oregano, basil or other "secret" spices. Its amazing how simplicity can taste so good

I totally agree! Right now I'm looking at a very good Italian cookbook, and their basic sauce recipe is almost identical to yours. Only they add finely chopped onions. It sounds great and I will make it when my tomatoes are ready.

[Sir_Ed]

My girlfriend is Sicilian, (although she's from Bayridge, B'klyn, not Sicily!) and whenever we're back in NY we go to Little Italy, or Gino's in Bk'lyn, and we LOVE Italian food!

BUT! We've been living out here in Oregon for (she lives in Grants Pass, I live in Eagle Point) 17 years, and believe me...when Olive Garden FINALLY comes to Medford, we're gonna go check it out!

BTW, the commercials DO seem like the Italian parties I've seen in B'klyn. We went to one party at The Rex, my goodness, I thought I was on the set of an Italian movie!! I was the only non-Italian there!

quite the change of pace for a WASP from Newport Beach!

Ed

[Mannaggia l'America]

Italians know Olive Garden isn't Italian - it's "medagon"!

I don't know if this is true of most Italian families, but in my family, the older Italians rarely even go to restaurants. I can't remember my grandmother and grandfather ever going to a restaurant of any kind. Eating was a family affair, to be done at home.

[jmax]

I don't care if they call it Italian, Morrocan, Mexican or Brazilian, their salad and bread sticks are F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C.

[Bella_Bru]

Olive Garden has some of the worst food. Anyone with half a brain knows that people who know what real Italian food should taste like wouldn't set foot in an Olive garden.

[Rebelbase]

My guy called the recipe above "The gravy" its the basic from where you can add whatever you like. I found that adding a 1/2 cup of dry white wine works well. Oh, I forgot, for a really rich sauce add one can of the same brand of tomato paste per two 24 oz cans of whole tomatoes. BTW, I crush the tomatoes by hand. I seems to give a better texture to the sauce than if you use a food processor or blender.

[Bella_Bru]

My rule has always been: Follow the old people. They know where you can get hardy food, at a decent price, and a good sized portion of it.

[Bella_Bru]

Depends on which part of Italy you are tlaking about. Much of the food imported here came with folks from the Campagna region, specifically, Naples.

I hate Northern italian style cuisine....too much French influence.