Sqwertz wrote:

> On Sat, 16 Feb 2008 17:22:42 GMT, hahabogus wrote:
> > I don't dislike the olive garden...for a chain it's not that bad. *Some
> > folks ain't as food crazy as us and don't know it's bad and therefore
> > enjoy it. When I dine out with my son it is one of the regular choices he
> > makes.
>
> OG isn't bad the three times I've eaten there. *I think most
> people here just like to jump on the bandwagon and agree with
> everyone else that thinks it's bad just because it has a bad
> reputation - perpetuated by the band wagon.
>
> I suspect many of the people here can't cook as good as good as
> food they get at OG. *Side by side taste tests of their cooking
> next to a plate of OG, the OG plates would probably win the
> majority of the time.


Yup...in large areas of the country (like downstate Illannoy where I
grew up) OG and their elk would be a gourmet *treat*. And the chain
places would be superior to most of what's available locally. Believe
me, the dining "scene" in such areas is really dire...

I read the nooze from Iowa at times and there was a big hullabaloo
when Des Moines landed the first Cheesecake Factory in the state, also
when the first Starbucks opened in the state. This was only a coupla
years ago. There is some good food in Iowa, but having those two
national chains finally open in Iowa was a sign for many that Iowa had
"arrived"...something that civic boosters could point to with pride.


--
Best
Greg