American Restaurants in the UK??

The thing is with Olive Garden, is that they actually send all their trainee chefs over to Italy for a 6 week course to learn how to cook authentic Italian cuisine!!!

Fuddruckers is good; the rest I don't miss (I don't hate them, just don't particularly miss them.)

The Olive Garden always makes me laugh.  My grandparents moved to the US from Italy in the early 1900s and settled in Brooklyn, but my dad left New York for university and never went back, so I don't have a strong connection to my Italian heritage.

When I moved to NYC in 2004, I became good friends with a guy named Mike, whose heritage was similar to mine except that his family stayed in New York, so he has a strong sense of being Italian, and when he talks he sounds like a character from The Sopranos.  He hates The Olive Garden.

One day I was walking through Times Square with Emma (UKC who eventually became my wife) and she said, "What's The Olive Garden?"  I told her it was a chain Italian place, and not considered very good.  Undeterred, she decided she wanted to have lunch there, so in we went.

I called Mike, and this is the conversation that took place:

Me: Guess where I am?
Mike: Where?
Me: The Olive Garden.
Mike: If you eat at the f***in' Olive Garden, take the vowel off the end of your name because you're not Italian anymore!
Me: Emma wanted to see what it was like!
Mike: What's she having?  Baloney alfredo?

 

The thing is with Olive Garden, is that they actually send all their trainee chefs over to Italy for a 6 week course to learn how to cook authentic Italian cuisine!!!

If that's true, then it makes it even more inexplicable that what they serve bears no resemblance to authentic Italian cuisine. 

Baloney alfredo?

 

I am proud to be American but I do not think there's much to be proud of re: American chain restaurants. The food is mediocre at most of them. And to make up for lack of quality, they just increase portion size. And most for most Americans (particularly those that like gravitate toward chains) quality does not come down to freshness of food, but size of the plate.

With that being said, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a Panera or Dunkin Donut...but the rest? I can certainly live without.

I would love a Panera.  I hate, hate, hate butter on my sandwiches.  I want someone to make it how I like it.

I read an interview with the owner of Pret and he said they really had to readjust when they opened in the US and it almost cost them the business. 

Apparently, Americans want filter coffee- they go to a coffee shop for a latte

And way less mayo/spreads in general.

The article was interesting, but in the Times so pay access only.

Bah!  I don't want to see *any* of those places.  It's bad enough as it is with KFCs and Dominoes and American-style strip malls everywhere you turn (hubby says that's only been in the last 15 or so years).  I would hate to see the UK become even more American-ized.

That *doesn't* mean I wouldn't want to see more good Mexican restaurants (not chains!) or even nice steak-houses for the carnivores among us (no me!), etc.

I agree completely.

I'd hate to see the bland, not very good quality food chains imported over to here.

I would love a Panera.  I hate, hate, hate butter on my sandwiches.  I want someone to make it how I like it.

I read an interview with the owner of Pret and he said they really had to readjust when they opened in the US and it almost cost them the business. 

Apparently, Americans want filter coffee- they go to a coffee shop for a latte

And way less mayo/spreads in general.

The article was interesting, but in the Times so pay access only.

I do agree on sandwiches -- although it's not a particular American chain that I miss.  I just don't like pre-made sandwiches and would prefer a deli sort of arrangement.  A not-gross Subway, if you will.  I know they're around, but there are so many pre-fab sandwich places. 

This is the same for most of my longings.  I'm not looking for something that's specifically American, just a similarity in food type/experience/concept.  I'm still probably saying what I mean in the wrong way. 

I'm not wholly anti-chain, although I think a lot of the big national ones are really awful.  Red Lobster is a crime against fish and humanity, and I'll eat just about anywhere else first (or not eat).

I've posted before about my general dissatisfaction about eating out in the UK. For the average or lower earning customer, I found it a pretty mediocre experience. There were a few high points, but overall, I was rarely impressed. I lived throughout England, too, so got to try city, country and market town options.

That said, I've been back in the US now for 2 years and I find that many of the chains that I did like (and there weren't a lot) have gone down hill and prices have increased substantially. Like in the UK, the independent places are the best... but I'll still argue that in the US you'll get more for your money when you do dine out be it at a chain or independent place.

Frankie and Benny's has the worst service ever.

DH and I have walked out of Frankie and Benny's due to their horrible service.

Maybe its just your location    The 2 Frankie & Benny's Dh & I always frequent we have never had bad service at either one an they are in separate towns as well.  

I agree with the original poster of this topic I would love   to see several of the restaurants she posted in the UK especially in my area lol.    I always say to each there own!!    

The thing is with Olive Garden, is that they actually send all their trainee chefs over to Italy for a 6 week course to learn how to cook authentic Italian cuisine!!!

I've just been to Italy for 5 nights...Venice in fact and I wouldn't be so happy about it!!! The food there was over priced and sucky to be honest!  and we ate in authentic Italian restaurants!!!

I've just been to Italy for 5 nights...Venice in fact and I wouldn't be so happy about it!!! The food there was over priced and sucky to be honest!  and we ate in authentic Italian restaurants!!!

Touristy places will always be overpriced, unfortunately. 

In the US, I lived in a city with a huge Italian population and AMAZING authentic Italian restaurants. I can't imagine choosing the Olive Garden over any of them.

Touristy places will always be overpriced, unfortunately. 

In the US, I lived in a city with a huge Italian population and AMAZING authentic Italian restaurants. I can't imagine choosing the Olive Garden over any of them.

I researched this trip alot...and made sure we didn't go to touristy restaurants and only went to  places that were off the beaten track and they still disappointed.... When I go on holiday I want the true colour of the place we are in....I don't want to go to the normal "chain"  restaurants...

In the US, I lived in a city with a huge Italian population and AMAZING authentic Italian restaurants. I can't imagine choosing the Olive Garden over any of them.

I know!  I mean why would anyone living in, say Philadelphia go to an Olive Garden when they had a bazillion and one authentic Italian restaurants all over South Philly and beyond?  Not to mention Little Italy in NYC, etc. etc.

I've just been to Italy for 5 nights...Venice in fact and I wouldn't be so happy about it!!! The food there was over priced and sucky to be honest!   and we ate in authentic Italian restaurants!!!

Yeah, Venice is tricky. When I went I did tons of homework on where to eat and we still got screwed at a couple places. My Italian friend would tell you that Venice is no more than theater now and that all the true Venetians have left. He may have a point. :-/