Chain or Local

How can you hate Olive Garden? That’s just mind-boggling to me. 

I mean sure there are better options, but Olive Garden is still good. 

Their pasta fagioli rules, man.

I simply don’t like any Italian place that isn’t “homemade”. So many family run places with homemade sauce, meats and pastas. 

• Olive Garden
• Fazolis
• Carrabas
•  Maggiano’s 

They just do nothing for me. Every neighborhood in Chicago has a better place. Raleigh had a few few. On the road, I’ll just get pizza if I want Italian and only chains are available. I just think it’s a style of food that isn’t translated well to chains. The good cheeses, sauces and noodles are too expensive for them to justify importing.

Years and years and years ago I ate at a place called Spaghetti house is right across from Jacobs Field it's an Italian joint and I had spaghetti with a brown sauce it was so good does anybody know if the Spaghetti house is still located there. Do you know if they still serve spaghetti with a brown sauce

After thought, I'd put Carrabas as one of the better chains along with:

PF Changs, Bonefish, Longhorn, Cheesecake