After a 30-minute drive to Olive Garden, we had lunch. Of course, we have to enjoy ourselves together separately. Hubby and I enjoyed a private lunch together while my parents and three siblings sat it on another table on the other end of the restaurant.
Appetizer
To start our lunch date, we ordered A Sampler Italiano with Calamari, Fried Mozzarella, and Lasagna Fritta. A choice between soup and salad came with our main course, so we both ordered their creamy soup.
A Sampler Italiano
For the appetizer sampler, we picked calamari, fried mozzarella, and lasagna Fritta. My favourite of the tree was calamari. The mozzarella was not the best one I've tried, and it wasn't hot when it arrived at our table. The lasagna Fritta, I just didn't know what to expect.
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| A Sampler Italiano |
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| Lasagna Fritta and Mozzarella Sticks |
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| Calamari - lightly breaded and fried squid served with marinara and spicy ranch. |
Soup
Chicken and Gnocchi
For soup, I picked the Chicken & Gnocchi, which was still as delicious as I remembered.
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| Chicken and Gnocchi Soup is a creamy soup made with roasted chicken, Italian dumplings, and spinach. |
Zuppa Toscana
Meanwhile, hubby ordered the Zuppa Toscana, and I liked it better than the Chicken and Gnocchi. I'm making a mental note to get that next time.
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| Zuppa Tuscana includes spicy Italian sausage, kale, and potatoes in a creamy broth. |
Main Course
I have been craving pasta all week. I just didn't know it's carbonara I am thinking about until I thought about Domino's Pizza.
Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
By the time my carbonara arrived, I was nearly full, and the first bite was delicious. The chicken was a bit sweet, while the shrimp was cooked perfectly. However, the sauce itself felt heavy, and there was nothing to cut through all the cream and oil. I kinda wished the chicken was grilled instead of fried.
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| Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce with bacon and roasted peppers. |
Steak Alfredo
Hubby ordered from the "Amazing Alfredos" section of the menu. I just took a small bite of the steak and the pasta, and both were good. We took some home, so I'll enjoy it tomorrow.
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| Steak Alfredo includes grilled 6 oz sirloin topped with garlic herb butter and fettuccine alfredo. |
Dessert
Olive Garden has some really great dessert options.
Chocolate Brownie Lasagna
We settled with Chocolate Brownie Lasagna. It was sweet and decadent. Surprisingly, we didn't finish it even with the hot tea, so yay for having dessert tomorrow.
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| Chocolate Brownie Lasagna |
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| Chocolate Brownie Lasagna is eight layers of rich, fudgy brownie and sweet vanilla cream cheese frosting with chocolate drizzle. Yum! |
Drinks
For drinks, I had an unlimited iced tea while hubby enjoyed the Blackberry-Pineapple Iced Tea. After the meal, while enjoying dessert, I ordered a hot tea because I felt too full to finish dessert.
I can't wait to go back here and try their other kinds of pasta dishes.
