Spectre’s Sayings

Truck buyer uses $8,000 in coins.

Sounds like something my dad would do….

Today is my mother’s birthday. To celebrate, we went out to dinner last night. The restaurant she requested we go to was The Olive Garden. I hadn’t been to one of these restaurants since 2001 or 2002 (on a rather disappointing blind date), and didn’t remember being particularly impressed with the food. Last night, however, changed my impressions of the chain of Italian restaurants.

The staff was competent and seemed to have friendlier dispositions than other restaurants. The decor was nice - I didn’t feel like I was crowded in with a bunch of strangers. I ordered the Mixed Grill - steak and chicken skewered with vegetables, and served with roasted potatoes and a brown sauce. It was excellent. Both meats were very tender and tasty, and the brown sauce had good flavor, albeit a bit salty. Our meals came with all-you-can-eat bread sticks and salads, both of which were very good.

The Olive Garden puts a lot of emphasis on wines. Had money been no object, I might have tried a Reisling with my dinner, but I had already ordered a beer at the bar while we were waiting to be seated. In my opinion, the chain could be improved if they took advantage of the microbrew revolution, and put some emphasis on beer. There were only 6 beers available on draft - 4 typical mega-swills, Blue Moon, and Sam Adams Summer Ale. Needless to say, I had the Summer Ale, although if I had had my druthers, I would definitely have paired some other beer with my supper. An Irish Red to complement the flavor of the steak, or a Märzen to act as a contrast, perhaps.

Bella Trattoria, which had closed due to damage from a nearby fire, has reopened.