Some restaurants are not only witty in what they serve, but the cause of wit in others, and Olive Garden has not only made one celebrity but inspired commenters all over the internet:
Gimme that deep-fried chicken finger fettuccine cheddar alfredo - MOAR BREDDSTIX PLEEZ - and a glass of that Shahblee (can I get an ice cube?) - “honey, don’t forget that jumbo-pak of Flamin’ Hotz on the K-mart list…”
That was at Chicagoist, upon the news (in Crain’s) that an Olive Garden was coming to the large, and largely unused given the state of things, Kmart parking lot at Addison right next to the Kennedy Expressway. Admittedly, this is not satisfying a hunger that was too difficult to answer before, since there are 10 Olive Gardens in the suburbs, including one at McCormack and Touhy in Lincolnwood. (There is also lame Italian within city limits, or so we have heard.) But at last the city can claim the dining experience that the great Hagerty raved about:
The chicken Alfredo ($10.95) was warm and comforting on a cold day. The portion was generous. My server was ready with Parmesan cheese.
No date is set for opening, but somehow, we bet they can throw those things up pretty quickly.
