I'll go to Olive Garden if I have to as a last resort. For the most part the food is passable. I have had better Italian including at another but smaller chain: Bertucci's. Service is good (the one in Jersey City Newport is very good and rarely crowded) and I like the seasonal specials.

I have also had great Italian at little restaurants around the world including Astoria Queens, Simply Pasta in Manhattan, NYC and in London (one was a small hole in the wall place I can't remember... the other was this local chain which had great garlic butter spagetti... can't think of the name.)

There's also the Old Spagetti Factory... where a few years ago a number of Flyertalkers had a great opening weekend dinner in Toronto.

The service at Olive Garden would sour tomato sauce. My WORST experience was at the Oliver Garden in Times Square about ten years ago.

Went there and after being seated waited 20 minutes for service. The waiter gave no smile or greeting and just said "Ready to order?"

I placed my order which included a COke (ok, the place doesn't serve Pepsi and I was working so no alcohol.) I got a water with no ice. Waited another 20 mintues for the food which was served cold with the salad and the breadsticks which were stale.

I never got my Coke. I asked THREE Times and ended up being charged for it.

When the bill came we argued over the Coke and I refused to pay until it was taken off. The waiter said he would bring the Coke then. I said i was done and didn't want it. Fifteen minutes later it was taken off and the waiter threw the bill cover on the table and walked off. Signing the bill I rounded out the amount to an even number so the tip ended up being seven cents (yes, 7 cents.) I gave the guy something for basically showing up.

As I walked out the waiter came running after me screaming "You insult me with seven cents! I have three children and my wife is pregnant and I work hard."

I said "next time when someone orders a Coke bring a COke." He cursed me in a foreign language and called me selfish.

I wrote to Olive Garden corporate and got a free gift certificate (remember no gift cards 10 years ago.) I used it at an Olive Garden in Secaucus which was a little better than NYC.