Olive Garden: South Slope Restaurant Rumor is BS

Another slanted Gabby 'rumor' that turns out not to be true. Journalism at is finest!

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 9:38 AM

"In fact, no neigborhood in our fair borough is likely to see unlimted pasta bowls any time soon."

Not true. There is an Olive Garden at a shopping center waaaayyyy out in eastern brooklyn just off the belt parkway near Starett City. I think its called the Gateway Center or something like that. Based on the crowd at the Olive Garden (and the Red Lobster next door), they are minting money. Same goes for the array of big box stores over there too.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 9:48 AM

Again, I hate how these rumors get publicity on blogs (here and Curbed) and then people start discussing on blog as fact and then repeating as fact. It really detracts from blogs' credibility and makes them more of a 'Page 6' sort of gossip mill.
This one made no sense to me at all. If had been said near the downtown Marriot I would have believed - but I never gave credence to this one.
I also find very questionable the McDonalds on Smith one.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 9:49 AM

ohmigod...this is great news! if it isn't an Olive Garden, it must be going to become an Apple store, a Trader Joe's or Nordstroms. Maybe all three!

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 9:55 AM

I cant wait for this condo to be completed - It is looking better and better every day.

I hope the 4th avenue gentrification train keeps on rolling along! Wont be long until my dingy neighborhood is upscale and desireable...

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:03 AM

Okay then someone call Tony D'Napoli - they are losing their upper easide location to the 2nd Ave subway and this location would work for them.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:04 AM

Olive Garden, is a lot better than some of the restaurants around here that call themselves Italian. I like it, would be good for Bklyn anyway, thier is one in Manhattan and its always crowded.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:05 AM

10:05 - name 2

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:13 AM

La Villa, Marco Pollo

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:23 AM

Marco Polo- What a ripp off thier I had the worst Italian Meal I ever had thier, I know Italians in the neighborhood who think they are giving italian a bad name.

Frankies also, all hype

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:26 AM

Olive Garden is nice. Consistently decent food. Well trained staff, and ample space. Also clean!

Gateway Center in Brooklyn has one and it is always busy.

Stop hating, you damn snobs!

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:27 AM

I heard that Wolfgang Puck and Mario Batali are currently embroiled in a bidding war over this location.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:38 AM

La Villa????? - you got to be kidding - while not Al Di La in terms of authenticity - it is very good and its extreme popularity seems to indicate that the public is not in agreement

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:39 AM

The Public are a bunch of shit talking, shit eating dolts. For the same reason Olive Garden would thrive with "The Public", so too does La Villa

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:49 AM

I grew up waiting tables at the Olive Garden in a medium-sized town. Say what you will about it - it was clean, the staff were treated well, and the food was decent and always freshly prepared. Also, lots of couples got engaged there, because it was the "fancy" restaurant in town. Funny, and sad.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 10:58 AM

Give me a break - La Villa is fresh made stuff and pretty good (I think it gets a 22-22 in Zagat);
Olive Garden is mass processed frozen food and tastes it.

To compare the 2 indicates that your taste is no more sophisticated then your description of the public's

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:05 AM

I have to say, of all the chain-restaurant nightmares, Olive Garden comes out on top

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:27 AM

I have to say, of all the chain-restaurant nightmares, Olive Garden comes out on top in terms of tastiness. I've eaten at Megu, le Bernadin, Essex House. All great stuff, but really, theres nothing bad about Olive Garden food. Its not like its godawful dry Applebees nastiness or tough-as-leather Red Lobster.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:30 AM

I'm a snob and not ashamed of it. If I liked generic chain food and stores, I'd move back to the midwest. For reasonable Italian, I like Ponte Vecchio and Red Rose on Smith.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:30 AM

I'd like to be able to get a vegetable at La Villa. Other than some crap salads and cheese and oil covered asparagas, they have no vegetables.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:33 AM

Can we STILL call it the Olive Garden Building?
Please!

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:53 AM

I'd like to get a BJ at La Villa also but they don't offer that - doesn't mean it is bad.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 12:08 PM

Hilarious 12:08 and on the money, just one thing u never see the 5 star restaurants as busy as the olive gardens, and thats a fact

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 12:17 PM

desireable, Asparagas - please learn to spell before you turn restaurant critic or neighborhood critic. This site is overrun with trolls.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 12:40 PM

La Villa: good pizza, terrible everything else.

And yes, we can and will still call it the Olive Garden Building.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 12:46 PM

Who cares where they put any chain restaurant? With all of the choice here in the city, no one is forced to eat where they don't want to.

Newsflash - most of the population of this city has never eaten in a Zagat rated, foodie-approved, restaurant. Like fine wine, opera and French antiques, a discriminating palate is an aquired taste of the nouveau riche. Taking the whole family out to eat, from Grammy to the toddler, is only affordable once in a while, and a place like Olive Garden fits the bill for most.

The OG and Red Lobster in Gateway Mall are ALWAYS packed. Only the steak place is less crowded (it's hokey as hell, but the food's not bad, either), ironically enough in our beef loving society. If I had the bucks, I'd buy a franchise in Brooklyn in a minute. Olive Garden, Red Lobster and IHOP - a money making trifecta.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 1:40 PM

Olive Garden/Red Lobster are not any more affordable then their non-chain equivalents here in NYC and in many case are less so.

Notwithstanding that chains often do very well here.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 1:44 PM

Finally someone else thinks La Villa is crap. It's as trashy as the Olive Garden. Totally tasteless, generic, OILY food. Can't for the life of me understand the crowds. Although, most of them look like they've driven in from Long Island or the far reaches of Mill Basin or something. Strange indeed.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 3:04 PM

Ever notice the wide-assed, rolling chairs at Olive Garden? Made for current and future fatties?

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 3:05 PM

That place Olive garden is Gross. I would never ev er go there unless i was in Florida and there is no good food to eat there so what choice would i have.

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 6:11 PM

Hey 10:03 AM,
How much does Katan pay you to clean his ass for him?

Posted by: guest at January 3, 2008 11:33 PM

11:33 - He dont pay me nothing - Just do it out of my gratitude for bringing a little gentrification in my direction.

Thanks Katan!

Posted by: guest at January 4, 2008 8:38 AM