GO! MAGAZINE •
THE BULLETIN • FRIDAY, MAY 21, 2010
PAGE 11
restaurants From previous page The restaurant’s house salad, which is offered with all entrees, is generous, to say the least. Not only is it served in a very large bowl; unlimited refills are available on request. That’s great for the fan of iceberg lettuce, the dominant element in this salad. There are also slices of red onion and Roma tomatoes, shavings of carrot and red cabbage, a few black olives and an ample number of seasoned croutons. Each salad is tossed, before serving, with Olive Garden’s own recipe for Italian dressing. But what of the person, such as myself, who doesn’t like iceberg lettuce, who prefers romaine or another green? What of the person who doesn’t care for Italian dressing, such as my dining companion? Aren’t there options? Our luncheon server hedged on the question, then replied cautiously: “You can ask for romaine, but don’t say I told you that.” The only alternative to Italian dressing, we were told, was ranch.
The good, the bad I considered the food satisfactory at best, mediocre at worst. For dinner, I ordered a dish called shrimp Caprese. By themselves, the grilled, marinated shrimp, 10 in all, were very good. But the angel-hair pasta upon which they were served was not. With all respect to the cook, angel hair is a very thin noodle and is easily overcooked. But it should not be served as nearmush. Even in a garlic-butter sauce — with melted mozzarella cheese, freshly chopped basil leaves, chunks of tomato and a sprinkle of parsley — I did not enjoy the texture. I explained to my server why I didn’t like it. When the night manager came over to apologize, he generously removed the charge from my bill. “If you like the pasta more al dente, it would be good if you’ll tell the server when you place the order,” he said. Knowing that Olive Garden is popular with families, I placed a takeout order for a friend’s teenage son. He thoroughly enjoyed the spaghetti and meatballs that I brought for him. Topped with a mildly spicy herb-and-garlic sauce, the meatballs, made with pan-seared beef and Italian sausage, were a hit. And the spaghetti was cooked to his liking. But he didn’t care for the accompanying minestrone soup. Served in a broth so light as to be watery, the soup was chockfull of vegetables. I’m sure its chunks of zucchini and tomato, white cabbage, carrots, onions,
celery and three beans, as well as fresh basil and seashell pasta, would please most vegetarians.
Far from memorable I tried a different soup at lunchtime, a Zuppa Toscana. I enjoyed it. Light and creamy, it contained spicy sausage, sliced russet potatoes, onions and cavolo (Italian cabbage) greens. My braised beef-and-tortelloni entrée was far from memorable, but its basil-marsala sauce lent it a pleasantly rich flavor. The folded pasta were filled with asiago cheese and topped with sliced portobello mushrooms and a few (too few) bites of short ribs. After her romaine-and-ranch salad, my companion had an order of chicken and gnocchi Veronese. She is a big fan of the traditional potato dumplings, and while I didn’t really care for them, she found them quite agreeable. A sauteed but unsliced chicken breast was served with the gnocchi, presented in a rich white Alfredo sauce with zucchini, onions and roasted red peppers. At both of my Olive Garden meals, servers were enthusiastic and professional. From offering and grinding fresh Romano cheese or black pepper on our meals, to making recommendations and putting the customer first, they did a fine job.
Training staff Staff training, Michaelson told me, is “probably the most important thing in all of our restaurants. We obviously hire the best people we can possibly staff our restaurants with. And we want to give them the tools to succeed.” That clearly did not apply to the hostess who waved toward the lounge when I arrived alone for dinner one night. “It’s firstcome, first-served at the bar,”
Next week: 10 Below Visit www. bendbulletin.com /restaurants for readers’ ratings of more than 150 Central Oregon restaurants. she said, pointing, “or there’s a empty booth in there, too.” I wound up seating myself at the booth. So, too, did a couple who arrived shortly after me. It took nearly 10 minutes for us to be noticed and provided with menus. About the same time, a second hostess — who until now had been demonstrating stretching exercises to the first hostess, who mostly looked bored — showed a newly arrived family to their seats and gave them menus as they sat. I hope the first hostess took notice. Olive Garden is one of six restaurant chains owned by Darden Restaurants Inc., which calls itself “the world’s largest fullservice restaurant company.” Based in Orlando, Fla., Darden was spun off from General Mills in 1995. In addition to Olive Garden, its restaurants include Red Lobster, the LongHorn Steakhouse, The Capital Grille, Bahama Breeze and Seasons 52. The company says it owns more than 1,800 restaurants, employs 180,000 people and serves more than 400 million meals a year. When I’m in the mood for Italian food, it’s unlikely that Olive Garden will be the first place to spring into my mind. There are at least four other Mediterranean restaurants in Bend alone that I would choose first. But I can offer this bit of advice to Olive Garden aficionados, of whom there are many: Even though the corporation
may say “no” to something you want, the staff at this Bend restaurant may say “yes.” Romaine instead of iceberg lettuce? Pasta cooked al dente? Ranch dressing rather than Italian? Ask. You just might get it. John Gottberg Anderson can be reached at janderson@ bendbulletin.com
SMALL BITES Kayo’s Roadhouse, a Central Oregon favorite since 1982, has reopened with an updated look in a new location. Now called The Original Kayo’s Dinner House & Lounge, the restaurant moved into the former Rustic River location in Bend on May 1. Dinner entrees are priced between $10.75 and $22.95, including salad and potato; among the features are steaks, pastas, fresh seafood and huckleberry rack of lamb. Open 5:30 p.m. to close every day; lounge menu served from 3 p.m. 415 N.W. Third St., Bend; 541-323-2520. Maragas Winery plans a Memorial Day open house and barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. May 29. A cover charge of $10 includes music by two bands — upbeat jazz with Lino Alessio, bluegrass and gypsy swing with Big Pine and the Pitch Tones — and a complimentary logo wine glass. Another $10 provides a
barbecued burger plate or vegetarian option. Children ($5 admission) are welcome with adults. 15523 S.W. U.S. Highway 97, Culver; 541-546-5464, www .maragaswinery.com. (Owners Doug and Gina Maragas have closed their original winery and downtown Bend tasting room at Colorado Avenue and Bond Street and are offering the building for sale.)
RECENT REVIEWS Mother’s Juice Cafe (B+): A health-oriented cafe on Bend’s west side, Mother’s has an extensive selection of breakfast and lunch dishes, including sandwiches, salads and soups. Best of all are fresh-fruit smoothies, which offer a wide range of creative ingredients. Open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. 1255 N.W. Galveston Ave., Bend; 541-318-0989, www.mothers juicecafe.com. Cork (A-): It’s still a great place for a romantic evening, but after a major makeover, Cork is more relaxed and affordable than ever. The upscale menu has morphed to “global fusion” cuisine. The ambience is stylish and colorful, the service friendly and solidly professional. 5 p.m. to close Tuesday to Saturday. 150 N.W. Oregon St., Bend; 541-382-6881, www .corkbend.com.
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