the OG

so i know that the olive garden is nothing to rave about, but i'm a pretty savvy commercial watcher. and i've gotta say that their commercials have been pretty damn good the last few months. every time i see a "limited time special" from them, i just start drooling. and considering that i don't even like italian food, i'd say their advertising/marketing department deserves a medal -- and a serious bonus.

after failing miserably to convince eri to join me for an olive garden adventure, i must thank lucy for a delightful lunch at the oh-so-fabulous OG. (thanks lucy!)

for the first time in a long time, i had BREAD. and yes, i'll admit to being a low-carber for a loooooooooong time. and no, i won't be made to feel bad about it! to be quite honest, i've just never been a big fan of carbs. it just takes up all this space in your tummy -- space that could be filled with way more yummy things. but i digress.... what i'm trying to say is this: if i'm taking in any sort of carbs, they better be damn good carbs!

for the most part, bread usually falls short of this damn good threshold. other than challah and cheese bread, not much else does it for me. however, today's breadsticks were warm and yummy, and just substantial enough to soak up the absolutely DELICIOUS sauce left over from my perfectly done venetian apricot chicken dish. it was chicken breast, and i was seriously worried that it'd be over done and therefore ruin my OG escapade. but guess what? it was perfect! perfectly cooked, perfectly flavored, with just a little broccoli on the side. mmm...

the funniest part of the whole meal was when i asked for my salad with no dressing. the waittress stopped short and looked stunned. as if i'd slapped her across the face. or started speaking in tongues. she even offered oil and vinegar, and i had to give her this "ewww..." face and tell her no once again. i mean, really? seriously? as it was only the start of the meal, i let it go, but it was TRES odd. she obviously didn't get that the customer is always right. looking shocked by my order won't get you good tips, missy!

nevertheless, the meal ended splendidly with the most delicious lemon cream cake. as lucy described it: "angel food with cheesecake in the middle." which is TRES accurate. well, perhaps the middle wasn't quite as dense as cheesecake, but otherwise it's a perfect description. unfortunately, i found out that lucy loves sweets after i'd already eaten 3/4 of the cake in less than 5 minutes, which means i definitely owe her dessert next time. this thing was CRAZY yummy. the epitome of "good carbs" as i define them.

i'll admit to loving my fine dining, but when it comes down to it, food's food. if it's good, it's good.

find the OG nearest you:

http://www.olivegarden.com/default_f.asp

p.s. as if you didn't already know that westwood is the home of star sightings, we passed mrs. 90210 (wife of dr. 90210), her kids, and their grandmother on the way out! i guess *they're* not above the OG. hmph.