Olive Garden vs. Red Lobster

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by iammatt

****, dude. One day I am too bitter, the next too inclusive. How can you not like Chicago style. Fat, bread, cheese, tomato = yum.

I know, I'm crotchety beyond my years.

I hate Chicago pizza. It's huge, way too *****/cheesy, and way too much sauce, IMO.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by NorCal

You do know that food can be Americanized with out being **** right? It's entirely possible to use quality ingredients, fresh produce, and real flavors and produce food that is unlike traditional Italian food and yet still tasty, even "better" in the palate of the beholder.
You do know that you misread what I wrote, right? Let's have a second look at this: "1) Or that you have non-functioning taste buds that have been ruined by garlic powder, fake flavors, horrible produce, and things no self respecting italian would ever, ever eat. This may not be true in your case, but for anyone who will definitively say that american "italian" food is better, I cannot come to any other conclusion but the above." At which point, ever, did I insinuate that contemporary american food is precluded from being good? At which point did I state that the "italian" food that I am quite clearly, brazenly and obviously referring to, should be included under the umbrella of what you are describing? Where does this (what you wrote) "It's entirely possible to use quality ingredients, fresh produce, and real flavors" match this (what I wrote) "garlic powder, fake flavors, horrible produce, and things no self respecting italian would ever, ever eat."? Thanks.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by kwilkinson

I know, I'm crotchety beyond my years.

I hate Chicago pizza. It's huge, way too *****/cheesy, and way too much sauce, IMO.

I've had chicago pizza at a few places now... Lou Molnottis and Giordannos...

The crust was like cardboard, the parts that weren't cooked to oblivion tasted like wonder bread... the sauce was watery, tasteless (and if it did have any taste, it was far too sweet), and the ingredients are always greasy, without any real flavor and overall just disgusting. I should note that pretty much everyone eating in these restaurants was obese. Disgusting food, honestly. Fine if other people want to eat it, but it isn't for me.

I'm open to someone suggesting some really good deep dish, because I'm sure it exists.

 

[otc]

Originally Posted by SField

I'm open to someone suggesting some really good deep dish, because I'm sure it exists.

First you have to realize the difference between deep dish and stuffed. Giordanos does stuffed (and they do it about like you would expect a mediocre chain to do). It has a layer of crust over the top of a bunch of cheese and ingredients. For stuffed, I would suggest a stuffed spinach from Edwardos.

I prefer a deep dish to a stuffed pizza though (thick crust, baked in a pan, kind of a soupy pile of ingredients)...this is really what a chicago style pizza is. You can see this kind of stuff at unos/due (due is essentially an extended dining room for uno but without the long waits) or ginos east....but not everybody is a fan of Unos and I personally think Gino's sweet corn meal crust is a nasty addition to a pizza. For a deep dish pizza I tend to prefer sausage (maybe add a veggie too) or spinach with the occasional supreme-type pizza.

Lately I have been enjoying Panino's quite a bit. They make a deep dish and a stuffed; I have never had their stuffed but the deep dish has been fantastic.

If you are ever in the minneapolis area, davanis deep dish sausage pizza is a godsend

 

[Bentley]

Red Lobster.

 

[SField]

Originally Posted by otc

First you have to realize the difference between deep dish and stuffed. Giordanos does stuffed (and they do it about like you would expect a mediocre chain to do). It has a layer of crust over the top of a bunch of cheese and ingredients. For stuffed, I would suggest a stuffed spinach from Edwardos.

I prefer a deep dish to a stuffed pizza though (thick crust, baked in a pan, kind of a soupy pile of ingredients)...this is really what a chicago style pizza is. You can see this kind of stuff at unos/due (due is essentially an extended dining room for uno but without the long waits) or ginos east....but not everybody is a fan of Unos and I personally think Gino's sweet corn meal crust is a nasty addition to a pizza. For a deep dish pizza I tend to prefer sausage (maybe add a veggie too) or spinach with the occasional supreme-type pizza.

Lately I have been enjoying Panino's quite a bit. They make a deep dish and a stuffed; I have never had their stuffed but the deep dish has been fantastic.

If you are ever in the minneapolis area, davanis deep dish sausage pizza is a godsend

I'll eat at Panninos tomorrow and get back to you.

 

[runner-guy]

Originally Posted by SField

I've had chicago pizza at a few places now... Lou Molnottis and Giordannos...

The crust was like cardboard, the parts that weren't cooked to oblivion tasted like wonder bread... the sauce was watery, tasteless (and if it did have any taste, it was far too sweet), and the ingredients are always greasy, without any real flavor and overall just disgusting. I should note that pretty much everyone eating in these restaurants was obese. Disgusting food, honestly. Fine if other people want to eat it, but it isn't for me.

I'm open to someone suggesting some really good deep dish, because I'm sure it exists.

Pequod's is awesome.

http://www.pequodspizza.com/

 

[vintagestyle]

This is a tough one. I actually think that this is not a good comparison because they are different kind of restaurants. With that in mind, red lobster is great but since I prefer italian food I must say Olive Garden. But again i do enjoy red lobster as well, I just frequent olive garden more since I like that type of food more. Make sense?