Mangia at The Olive Garden

I’ve come to almost the year mark in this blog, and have yet to do Italian.  Amazing.  So, it’s time for a little Tuscan comfort food, and where do I end up?  Well…..

While I usually prefer to give my restaurant business to the Mom and Pop establishments, there comes a time in every vegan’s eating-out journey when they find themselves at a national chain restaurant.

I chose Olive Garden.  The restaurant itself was clean and atmosphere was good, what with big band American song book music crooning to me, helping me to forget I was surrounded by giant flat-screen TVs (but then, they did seat me in the bar, and one doesn’t want to lose track of the score, right?)

My server, Leah, was as helpful and understanding as a busy waitress at the start of the lunch rush could be, but the ingredients for bread and the ravioli stuffing remained a mystery that only corporate could solve.

Their Minestrone -
Mmm mmm vegan!

There’s not a vegan restaurant chain out there (yet), but I was pleased to discover Olive Garden actually touts a “vegan classic” with their minestrone soup.  I explored the bowl with my little soup spoon and discovered quite a vegetable family among the broth – tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, green beans, and zucchini, as well as fava and kidney beans and cute little pasta shells.  The bowl also contained enough sodium for a week, but hey, let’s remember, it’s a “vegan classic”, although I’m not sure the concept of veganism has been around long enough to have anything connected with it be considered a classic.

I eschewed the breadsticks but later learned, online, that they too are vegan. 

I decided to try the portabello mushroom ravioli. Ravioli is the perfect example of an item I’ll order in a restaurant because I’m not industrious enough to attempt it from scratch at home alone.  The cream–based sauce that would have normally come with them could be substituted by marinara, and it made a real pretty plate.

I felt a little foolish when I did my research online later that same day, and discovered the ravioli contained both egg and dairy (for heaven’s sake, Diana!).  But I was pleased to find Olive Garden had dietary charts on their website which answered just about any ingredient question I had.  Next time, I’ll do the angel hair or whole grain linguine with the aforementioned marinara sauce, along with all the breadsticks I can eat, and I’ll be back in the vegan community’s good graces.

Olive Garden at the Mall