Puester wrote:

> Allen Prunty wrote:
>
> > The olive garden here in Louisville, KY has gotten a lot better through the
> > years. *At one time they had an awesome grilled italian sausage that was served
> > with an assortment of grilled veggies on a bed of wonderfully marinated
> > capellini. *They don't have that on the menu anymore.
>
> The first time we went to Olive Garden they had real veal and
> shrimp on the menu. *The third time we went they had neither.
> Their place had been usurped by chicken dishes. *It's the
> last time we were there, quite a few years ago.


The shrimp at those chain joints tends to be more along the line of
processed shrimp *bits* or tiny brine shrimp. A few years back the
most awful meal I ever had was at a Joe's Crab Shack here in Chicawgo
(now mercifully gone); ordered a fried shrimp thingie, it was a few
breaded bits 'o shrimp on top of a HUGE bed of greasy french
fries...it got sent back in disgust (I had them make me a hamburger,
lol).

If I have a fried shrimp jones I go to a cheap Chinese BBQ place near
me (Sun Wah BBQ in Chicago's Uptown nabe) and order the fried shrimp
appetizer for $5.25. you get eight nicely done shrimp in a light
batter, I'll often add the fried scallop app too, $5.25 gets you a
nice serving, add an order of stir - fried Chinese veg in oyster sauce
for $3.75 and with a coupla beers and tip two can gorge for just over
$20.00. By myself the shrimp along with a big bowl of $4.00 wonton or
noodle soup or lo mein noodles is less than $10.00. They have all
kinds of cheap and delish seafood and fish. Puts any chain place to
shame...


IIRC a year or so ago someone on a food board mentioned that Red
Lobster was now using surimi in some of it's "lobster" dishes, it
figures...


--
Best
Greg