Finally! I was getting tired of the typical American food here in Houston. It is an endless stream of BBQ, burgers, ribs, pizzas & chips. I was craving for more wholesome food. My prayer was answered in the form of an Italian restaurant called Olive Garden. There are branches all over USA.
Olive Garden was only a 5 minutes walk from my hotel. Can't believe I did not come here sooner. I have seen this place before but there is always a queue in front so I never bothered. But I'm glad I did persist this time. Twice. In one day!
For lunch, I saddled up to the bar. The service staff was really attentive and nice. Ambience was comfortable. Every order comes with either a soup or salad & baked garlic bread sticks on the side. I really, really love the croutons! They have an infusion of taste from the cheese & herbs. It really reminded me of cheesels! Only more intense. Yummy.
I ordered the "Shrimp & Asparagus Risotto". The description in the menu said "large sauteed shrimp served over creamy parmesan risotto with asparagus". I found it was a bit too cheesy but it was really delicious. The shrimps were huge. It costs around USD13.
For dinner, I had the minestrone soup and "Braised beef & Tortelloni" (tender sliced short ribs and portobello mushrooms tossed with asiago-filled tortelloni in a basil-marsala sauce). Another winner dish! The beef was really soft & tender. So much flavour. The mushroom added to the explosion of taste. The pasta was really filling due to the cheese filling. Asiago is a type of cheese that is produced in the Italian Alps.
To accompany the meal, I had their house red which you can only get from their restaurant. It is specially imported by Olive Garden only. Principato Rosso 2001. It is very smooth and reminds me of the Chianti wines I tasted in Florence.
The bill came to be under USD20 which is really affordable. The tiramisu in the menu looked really tempting but there was no more room in the stomach. Maybe next time I will order a smaller portion for mains & tackle the dessert after. Overall it was a enjoyable dining experience. I'm sure I'll be visiting Olive Garden again very soon.
