# Is Oliver Garden BAD? Why the loathing? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 21, 2009, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967 "2009-09-21T18:12:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/141 "2009-09-24T14:44:30Z")
I disliked it because the food is bland and salty. My wife ordered a fish dish and it was undercooked. If I want Italian food, I’ll either make it myself or go somewhere better. DC is a hard market for reasonably priced good Italian food, but even then there are a few places that are pretty good as well as a few chains that are much better than OG. It takes a certain level of skill to botch Italian food but they managed it. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/142 "2009-09-24T15:31:19Z")
Where are you in the DC area? I know of a few good places. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/143 "2009-09-24T16:57:29Z")
> [@devilsknew](#): > > The only reason you didn’t get pasta is because that Restaurant didn’t serve authentic Italian, either… It’s American-Italian . Everyone knows that when you eat a full course Italian dinner there is inavariably a pasta course- “Primo”. Primi include pastas, of course, but also risotto, polenta, and soup. My favorite primi I’ve eaten in Tuscany, Piedmont and Liguria were not, in fact, pasta dishes. Pappa al pomodoro, squid ink risotto, gnocchi, etc. There are many “authentic Italian” meals that see nary a whisper of pasta. ---
**Author:** ![Caffeine.addict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f475e1/32.png) [@Caffeine.addict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caffeine.addict)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/144 "2009-09-24T17:07:57Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > Where are you in the DC area? I know of a few good places. We live near Capitol Hill. I’ve found a few places that I like. Pasta Mia in Adams Morgan is great but the line can be a royal pain in the ass. We gave up going there after the baby was born. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/145 "2009-09-24T17:25:03Z")
In that neck of the woods I’d go to Trattoria Alberto - a relatively undiscovered gem on 8th Street SE near the Marine Barracks. They’ve been around for years, helped pin down the area’s redevelopment, and they have very nice food. The nice thing, too, is that after dinner there are more things to do in that area than there used to be - Banana Cafe has a good bar with live entertainment and Finn MacCools is a decent Irish/sports bar. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/146 "2009-09-24T17:33:40Z")
> [@Motorgirl](#): > > Primi include pastas, of course, but also risotto, polenta, and soup. My favorite primi I’ve eaten in Tuscany, Piedmont and Liguria were not, in fact, pasta dishes. Pappa al pomodoro, squid ink risotto, gnocchi, etc. There are many “authentic Italian” meals that see nary a whisper of pasta. My favorite was always baccala. My family served it cold with a vinaigrette with celery and other vegetables (they cooked it other ways, but this was the first course recipe). In Sicily I would see it with potatoes, olives, raisins and capers. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967/147 "2009-09-24T17:36:05Z")
> [@Mr.Moto](#): > > My favorite was always baccala. My family served it cold with a vinaigrette with celery and other vegetables (they cooked it other ways, but this was the first course recipe). In Sicily I would see it with potatoes, olives, raisins and capers. Oh yum - I always forget about baccala! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-oliver-garden-bad-why-the-loathing/510967.md?page=7)