I have no problem with Olive Garden in itself. I also like more authentic Italian food, but I just go elsewhere for that. At one point, just out of college, I had a boyfriend who made lasagna using his Italian grandmother's recipe. Oh, so good. He's a chef in an Italian restaurant somewhere in NM or AZ now.

Last weekend a friend took me to a Chinese restaurant in her neighborhood. The menu has things like "salad with cold jellyfish" and sea cucumbers on it. I wasn't feeling quite that adventurous, but I may try the former next time I go. Said friend is a regular. When we ordered sweet and sour shrimp the waitress said that wasn't very good, and she'd brought out a prawn dish instead that was amazing.

And Buca di Beppo has all kinds of tacky crap on the walls and tables.

They're like the "Italian" version of T.G.I.Friday's.

There's even a table in the kitchen, which, to me, would mean FREE MEAL. It's not a treat to be put in the kitchen, folks. It's punishment.

I imagine that, to real Italians (or just Catholics in general), they're vaguely offensive.

It's not a treat to be put in the kitchen, folks. It's punishment.

Once I ate in a restaurant kitchen, and it was absolutely marvellous. Best meal I ever had, and it cost about $150 a head. Such an experience.

Not at Buca Di Beppo's, but still. The premise is one of which I'm fond.

My old department had a post-retreat meal in the Pope Room at BdB, which was actually pretty entertaining. All the Frat Pack music was getting to me, though. My sister once had dinner in the kitchen at the BdB near her, and she said that it was pretty fun--the cooks would bring over free stuff for them to try.

I found this in the Buca di Beppo image search: [link]

You gotta hate knowing that a picture of you grabbing your boobs in a tacky faux-Italian restaurant posing under a kitschy boob-related picture exists somewhere on the interbunny.

Eggs? In lasagna? Why?

You mix in it with the ricotta. In many authentic italian versions though, they put in whole hard boiled eggs along with the other fillings. Shudder.

I like real Chinese food, but we also go to PF Chang's, which is a chain that has California Chinese--fresher ingredients and lighter sauces. [link] It's pretty good, especially for taking parents who are in town out for a meal.

There's even a table in the kitchen, which, to me, would mean FREE MEAL. It's not a treat to be put in the kitchen, folks. It's punishment.

At a chain place, definitely, but I can imagine several of the nicer Boston establishments where it could be fun (provided they had the space in the kitchen). Might end up with TMI about the food prep, though.

Or what ita said.

P.F. Chang's is pretty good, and is one of the few chain restaurants I actively like.

Best lasagne I've ever had is from the Marcella Hazan cookbook. It has bechamel sause instead of the ricotta mixture.

I imagine that, to real Italians (or just Catholics in general), they're vaguely offensive.

My family is Irish Catholic, and I think they'd be a wee bit put off by having a bust of the Pope on the lazy susan in the middle of the table.

It was the Chef's Table here. Before each course the person who'd prepared it would come over and talk to you about it -- then they'd riff on what they were overhearing of our conversations and alter what they were serving us to reflect it.

Most interactive restaurant meal ever. Mmm.