Olive Garden is a casual dining American restaurant chain specializing in Italian food. It bills itself as a traditional family restaurant with Old World-inspired dishes. Founded in 1982 in Orlando, Florida, there are presently 611 Olive Garden locations throughout the United States and Canada.
Olive Garden restaurants have an ersatz Italian-American atmosphere, utilizing wine bottles, bright colors, lots of foliage in their decor, stucco walls with facial cameo carvings, and background music consisting of Italian songs and American music by Italian composers and singers. The "rock walls" of the new farm houses are actually painted concrete.
In 1999, Olive Garden partnered with Sergio and Daniela Zingarelli, proprietors of the restored 11th century village of Riserva di Fizzano in Tuscany, to form a cooking school in Italy called the Culinary Institute of Tuscany. The Culinary Institute is located in Italy's Chianti Classico wine-growing region near the Rocca delle Macie Winery, also owned by the Zingarelli family.The curriculum for the Culinary Institute of Tuscany was originally developed in collaboration with the Culinary Institute of America and Joshua K. Westfall, of Versailles, KY. Mr. Westfall was since recruited by Ted's Montana Grill to oversee their beverage menu. Olive Garden sends chefs and general managers for training at the institute.
Classic Recipes
Lasagna Classico
Five Cheese Ziti al Forno
Spaghetti with Meat Sauce
Linguine alla Marinara
Chicken Parmigiana
Fettuccine Alfredo
Eggplant Parmigiana
Capellini Pomodoro
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Tour of Italy
Beef, Pork, Chicken, Seafood
Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese
Venetian Apricot Chicken
Grilled Shrimp Caprese
Pork Filettino
Chianti Braised Short Ribs
Tuscan T-Bone
Steak Gorgonzola-Alfredo
Mixed Grill
Chicken Giardino
Chicken Vino Bianco
Garlic-Herb Chicken con Broccoli
Stuffed Chicken Marsala
Chicken Marsala
Chicken Alfredo
Tuscan Garlic Chicken
Chicken Scampi
Shrimp Primavera
Mediterranean Shrimp Scampi
Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
Herb-Grilled Salmon
Seafood Alfredo
Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto
Seafood Portofino
Braised Beef & Tortelloni
Cheese Ravioli
Ravioli di Portobello
Manicotti Formaggio
