I am offended by any of these fried slop houses being here, let alone in another country. We don't even allow smoking in restaurants now, why do we allow them to serve even more deadly food. I noticed on my last trip, that even French people are starting to go porky. The death wish has become a controlling part of our new global economy.

"The horse is dead and the stick is broke."
i love this line and i love the fact that you write like you speak, with piss, vinegar and passion.
i have only been to Olive Garden once with friends. i ate garlic bread only and drank beer.

carrabbas > olive garden

Just last night, for some reason, I was watching that playboy reality show and the dumbest blonde said "Olive Garden is my favorite resturant!" and suddenly I found her completely unattractive.

As a white girl with a California accent I find it almost impossible to get good recommendations from cab drivers.

I ask cab drivers in San Francisco and get directed to crummy Chinese on the most touristy outskirts of China Town. I ask cab drivers in Memphis and get directed to Bourbon street. I know that's not where they eat themselves. I don't care if it's a bad neighborhood, I just want it to be authentic.

"%u201CYou can%u2019t eat filet mignon every night, sometimes you have to eat McDonald%u2019s.%u201D

Maybe with women Gene, but not with food."

Fucking brilliant!

I was watching that too, and thinking, "no wonder the rest of the world hates us."

Cabbies and drivers are great for information on eats. Concierges suck.

although I agree with you on Olive Garden and that the statement requires no further justification than "Because it's Olive Garden" I would have enjoyed an anecdote about Olive Garden poisoning an entire Tuscan village to cover up them stealing their recipes or something like that.

Eating at a chain restaurant when traveling is the closest thing to wearing a flashing neon sign that says "TOURIST" in thirty languages. But you have to be wary...America isn't the only one producing chain restaurants. There are Italian restaurant chains (mostly within Italy) that are just as shitty. True, the food you find in them is a lot closer to authentic Italian than the garbage you get at Olive Garden, but you're still flipping on that neon sign.

The advice about asking a local is the best advice for any traveler and extends beyond just food. I found some great live music in Dublin just by hanging out with some guys who bought Polaroids from me.

but ironically, the rest of the world also loves us for producing people like Kendra.

Not to mention we slap the term "authentic" on so many types of ethic food that aren't even close to the real deal. It's like going to the bait shop and seeing the little red salmon eggs labeled as caviar simply because it's fish eggs.

I know a guy who drove up to take his daughter out for her birthday. It's her freshman year of college. She's in Austin. She can choose any restaurant in the city, and he'll take her there. She chooses Olive Garden! I actually find that offensive.

I know this makes me old, but...fucking kids today.

I'd love to be snobby about it, because for the most part I totally totally agree. But you know, sometimes when I'm on the go, as I often am when I'm travelling, and I see a McDonalds, I know I can go in and buy a burger and not be hungry for a little while longer. I mean, most of the time I like to try new things and stuff, but I'd be lying if I said I've never been to a McDonalds in another country. Oh, and when I visit the states I always try out the different fast food because it's a lot of fun to do. Not the same stuff I can get here, but White Castle? Jack in the Box? I can't get it at home, and while I know there are probably some nicer resturants around... I think I'd prefer the fast food.

And you know what? I really really like Pizza Hut. I enjoy their pizza sometimes. I sometimes feel like eating at Pizza Hut.

Olive Garden, I don't personally understand, just because it's shitty Italian food... and you can just go to a real Italian resturant and get the same thing but better. Of course, someone could say the same thing to me about Pizza Hut, so I can't really judge.

It astonishes me to see Western tourists coming to Singapore - one of the great food-lovers' paradises - and immediately rushing to the nearest McDonald's or KFC.

It astonishes me even more to see Singaporeans flocking to such places. There are thousands of hawker stalls that serve better food; what the fuck are you going to a fast-food chain for?

Mystifying.