Gluten-free lunch at the Olive Garden

[Guest guest]

My girlfriend and I had lunch at the Olive Garden yesterday. We are both

celiacs and wanted to try the Pennine Rigate with Marinara pasta dish listed on

their g-f menu.

After talking with the waitress and being assured that the kitchen knows to make

the g-f pasta in clean water, we ordered the pasta dish, along with the ceasar

salad listed on their g-f menu, to split between us. Both were absolutely

delicious! The pasta dish was light and tangy with tomatoes. The cesar salad

was so creamy and delectable that I would even go back and just order the salad

it was so good! I also brought along some of my homemade bread to dip into

their oil and vinegar. In fact, we were talking with the manager while dipping

our bread and he said he was relieved that it was our bread and not the Olive

Garden's! For a second he thought we were eating their bread and wanted to stop

us! We told him how great it was that the Olive Garden was now offering g-f

pasta and that their business will increase because a celiac's family and

friends will only eat where the celiac can eat. I even mentioned to him that

maybe they could expand to another pasta dish or two and even pizza (like Willow

Street Pizza) in the future. He said he would bring all of these ideas to the

next manager's meeting.

So, if you are in the mood for pasta and are inclined to try eating out

sometimes, we should give our business to restaurants that are really trying

their best to accommodate us!

Sue

[Guest guest]

Found gluten-free menus on their website:

http://www.olivegarden.com/menus/garden_fare/nutrition_alternatives.asp

- click the Gluten-Free tab

http://www.olivegarden.com/menus/printable/Garden_Fare_Base_0809.pdf - page 3

Looks great!

-Joe

On Tue, Sep 1, 2009 at 6:54 AM, calicosue<susan.hersom@...> wrote:

> My girlfriend and I had lunch at the Olive Garden yesterday.  We are both

celiacs and wanted to try the Pennine Rigate with Marinara pasta dish listed on

their g-f menu.

>

> After talking with the waitress and being assured that the kitchen knows to

make the g-f pasta in clean water, we ordered the pasta dish, along with the

ceasar salad listed on their g-f menu, to split between us.  Both were

absolutely delicious!  The pasta dish was light and tangy with tomatoes.  The

cesar salad was so creamy and delectable that I would even go back and just

order the salad it was so good!  I also brought along some of my homemade bread

to dip into their oil and vinegar.  In fact, we were talking with the manager

while dipping our bread and he said he was relieved that it was our bread and

not the Olive Garden's!  For a second he thought we were eating their bread and

wanted to stop us!  We told him how great it was that the Olive Garden was now

offering g-f pasta and that their business will increase because a celiac's

family and friends will only eat where the celiac can eat.  I even mentioned to

him that maybe they could expand to another pasta dish or two and even pizza

(like Willow Street Pizza) in the future.  He said he would bring all of these

ideas to the next manager's meeting.

>

> So, if you are in the mood for pasta and are inclined to try eating out

sometimes, we should give our business to restaurants that are really trying

their best to accommodate us!

>

> Sue

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