Before I say anything, I have to first admit that I hate Eggplant. I've only had it a couple of times but something about that vegetable just grosses me out, so much so that to this day I have never eaten Baigan ka Bharta simply because I have it in my head that Baigan is bad. For those of you who can't keep up, Baigan is hindi for Eggplant. Anyways so imagine my surprise that one of my favorite dishes from America was "The Eggplant Parmesan". I have to thank my cousin sister for that one as she took me to this delightful Italian joint named Olive Garden, pretty well known actually in New Jersey, I saw quite a few of their outlets. Olive Garden is famous for gourmet Italian cuisine and everything about this restaurant is authentic Italy. Right from the setting and the alarmingly large winery, to the spot on accent of the waiters, Olive Garden is so the place you have to visit for a big family get together. You can always woo your woman by taking her out to a nice fancy dinner here but I must warn you, its gonna cost you a fair chunk of your wallet. That being said, the service is impeccable and this place is definitely worth spending about 30 dollars per head on.
They start you off with drinks and salads accompanied by their traditional garlic bread. Now I'm no fan of salad, but the Caesar's salad was divine, although my only complaint was the quantity, 4 of us had to struggle to finish the Caesar's salad but in all fairness, three of them were women and I'm no fan of lettuce. The wine menu was too tempting but they don't come cheap so we didn't venture into the Bourgogne's and Vino's from France. The pick of the starters had to be the traditional Bruschetta - Garlic bread seasoned with Tomato and Basil. A must have really, its very easy to keep nibbling on during conversation and before you now, you've completed 2 whole plates of Bruschetta. Still its worth every penny. Now the best part about these Italian restaurants is not just the ambiance but its their "Presentation". Its makes dining a thoroughly enjoyable experience and it keeps you wanting more, each time you visit. Take for example the Pizza's and the Pasta. They basically give you these tiny pamphlets where you can tick you're favorite topping and voila, in something like 45 minutes they will serve it to you piping hot, at your table. Now 45 minutes might seem like an eternity waiting for you're food, but they have unlimited refills on the Garlic bread and the Caesar's salad for you to munch on. I've learnt from experience that you should NOT much during these 45 minutes, otherwise you would be doggy bagging your pasta home. I think 45 minutes is a reasonable time to wait for your food, considering this is a pretty fancy place, where you would spend atleast a good 2 hours eating with your friends/family.
Now since all my gals (Mother, Sister and Aunt) were vegetarians, I was grossly outnumbered and had to settle for their Veg food. Since I didn't know the difference between Fettuccine and Fusilli, and I could care less even if did, I told them to "Surprise Me". And surprise me they did. Enter the "Eggplant Parmesan". Served with spaghetti and basil sauce along with a dollop of melted cheese, this was probably one of the best Pasta's I have ever had in my life. Halfway through the dish I found out that I was eating Eggplant, still I didn't care, it was so wonderfully made. The cutlets seemed the perfect size and thickness, perfectly done and the spaghetti was just like a match made in heaven. We did try some other dishes but they were really no match compared to the eggplant parmesan. I later found out that this is pretty easy to make at home, a U.S home that, what with all their frozen foods and appliances and all. But I must say this was one such occasion where I was pleasantly surprised to eat Eggplant and I never really that I would enjoy it this much. Mind you the cheese is complimentary, so you can top it up as many times as you want, and so are the refills for your drinks, thats if you have ordered for sodas and cocktails.
I think Olive Garden is a wonderful place to go eat at, specially if you have like 2 hours of your day reserved just for food. A wonderful Italian experience and totally worth the exuberant amount we had to shell out for dining there. A double thumbs up for Olive Garden and definitely try the Eggplant Parmesan, it is to KILL for. Lol, now that I'm starting to see Eggplant in a whole new light, maybe I should go ahead and try that Baigan ka Barta - well maybe a few hundred blog posts later.
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They start you off with drinks and salads accompanied by their traditional garlic bread. Now I'm no fan of salad, but the Caesar's salad was divine, although my only complaint was the quantity, 4 of us had to struggle to finish the Caesar's salad but in all fairness, three of them were women and I'm no fan of lettuce. The wine menu was too tempting but they don't come cheap so we didn't venture into the Bourgogne's and Vino's from France. The pick of the starters had to be the traditional Bruschetta - Garlic bread seasoned with Tomato and Basil. A must have really, its very easy to keep nibbling on during conversation and before you now, you've completed 2 whole plates of Bruschetta. Still its worth every penny. Now the best part about these Italian restaurants is not just the ambiance but its their "Presentation". Its makes dining a thoroughly enjoyable experience and it keeps you wanting more, each time you visit. Take for example the Pizza's and the Pasta. They basically give you these tiny pamphlets where you can tick you're favorite topping and voila, in something like 45 minutes they will serve it to you piping hot, at your table. Now 45 minutes might seem like an eternity waiting for you're food, but they have unlimited refills on the Garlic bread and the Caesar's salad for you to munch on. I've learnt from experience that you should NOT much during these 45 minutes, otherwise you would be doggy bagging your pasta home. I think 45 minutes is a reasonable time to wait for your food, considering this is a pretty fancy place, where you would spend atleast a good 2 hours eating with your friends/family.
Now since all my gals (Mother, Sister and Aunt) were vegetarians, I was grossly outnumbered and had to settle for their Veg food. Since I didn't know the difference between Fettuccine and Fusilli, and I could care less even if did, I told them to "Surprise Me". And surprise me they did. Enter the "Eggplant Parmesan". Served with spaghetti and basil sauce along with a dollop of melted cheese, this was probably one of the best Pasta's I have ever had in my life. Halfway through the dish I found out that I was eating Eggplant, still I didn't care, it was so wonderfully made. The cutlets seemed the perfect size and thickness, perfectly done and the spaghetti was just like a match made in heaven. We did try some other dishes but they were really no match compared to the eggplant parmesan. I later found out that this is pretty easy to make at home, a U.S home that, what with all their frozen foods and appliances and all. But I must say this was one such occasion where I was pleasantly surprised to eat Eggplant and I never really that I would enjoy it this much. Mind you the cheese is complimentary, so you can top it up as many times as you want, and so are the refills for your drinks, thats if you have ordered for sodas and cocktails.
haha! loved this post! I know how much you miss that eggplant parm! Glad you enjoyed it. Now come back for me! ;)
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