Since its arrival in Grand Forks seven years ago, the Olive Garden has become a well-known destination. With seating for 298, it is one of the largest restaurants.
And people around the Forks have their favorite dishes at the Olive Garden:
• The endless pasta is a draw for Dean Opp.
• Soup and salad combinations are the choice of Rob Johnson.
• Fettucine Alfredo is the first choice of Nikki Nelson. She usually ends up taking half of it home.
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• "Anything. I love pasta!" That was the response of Sheila Stevenson.
The menu lists antipasti appetizers for sharing. Soup and salad choices are also popular with customers. Classic favorites include cheese ravioli and classic lasagna. And there are choices lighter in calories listed under a section of "Tastes of the Mediterranean."
Rickey Ward, general manager, says customers tend to eat lighter with the coming of spring. They order more salads.
For those who keep track of calories, the menu includes them. Still, the calorie count does not burden down the menu.
There is an effort on the part of staff to extend a warm welcome to customers. And the restaurant itself is fashioned in the Tuscan farmhouse style with a welcoming entryway and a fireplace in the dining area.
For a limited time, the Olive Garden is offering a dessert not listed on diet plans. The chocolate brownie lasagna is $6.99. And it has 910 calories.
My suggestion would be sharing the dessert with at least three friends.
My original review of the Olive Garden in Grand Forks was on March 7 of 2012. For reasons I never understood, it went viral. And that led to three appearances on the Anderson Cooper Show. The late Anthony Bourdain published a book of my area restaurant reviews in the Grand Forks Herald. There were invitations to national television shows, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal. There was dinner at fine restaurants in New York including Dovetail and LeBernadin.
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And the beat goes on.
The Olive Garden
3160 32nd Ave. S.
Telephone: 746-2038
General Manager: Rickey Ward
Hours: Daily opening at 11 a.m. closing at 10 p.m. weeknights and 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Seating: 298
Report card: One of the largest restaurants in Grand Forks, the Olive Garden has in seven years established itself as a popular choice for lunch or dinner. Menu is easy to read. Parking is convenient.
