I’ll be honest, I had NEVER EVER EVER EVER served in a restaurant in my life before this job. For those who lack patience and dislike children, please do not even attempt to apply. And if I could be brutally honest, you will quickly learn that many adults behave far worse than the children in the restaurant.

Nonetheless, Olive Garden is actually pretty dope to work in. It is fast paced and you action see Erickson’s Stage of Development theory at work as you interact with guests.

From the 200+ Never Ending Pasta Bowl combinations to the Black Tie Chocolate Moose cake, or me, the server who strives to get you wasted before your salad and breadsticks arrive, Olive Garden has a plethora of amazing dishes, desserts, drinks and wines. Just know that most of the Olive Gardens you go to have a little secret…
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None of the people that make your food are Italian.

My favorite dish from Olive Garden is a dish that proves the old American expression that “everything tastes better with bacon.”

The Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is spaghetti, sauteéd shrimp and chicken strips cooked in alfredo sauce mixed with…bacon bits. They call it pancetta sauce but I like to think of it as the things dreams are made of. The flavor is something so lovely.

The ingredients include:

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

According to genius kitchen, the directions are:

  1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
  2. Whisk extra virgin olive oil together with hot water, seasoning and chopped garlic. Add the chicken strips (or shrimp). Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  3. Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon bits. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
  4. Add flour, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, milk, pepper and salt to your bacon/butter base. Use a wire whisk to whip all ingredients together. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer.
  5. Combine Romano, Parmesan, mozzarella, panko, chopped garlic, melted butter and chopped parsley in a mixing bowl. Stir until well blended. Set aside.
  6. Preheat large skillet. Add chicken (or shrimp) to pan. Add red peppers and bacon bits. Cook for 3 more minutes or until cooked on both sides and internal temperatures reach 165ºF for chicken and 155ºF for shrimp.
  7. Add sauce. Stir until well blended.
  8. Place hot, precooked pasta on a lager serving platter. Top with chicken (or shrimp) and sauce. Evenly distribute topping over top of chicken (or shrimp). Place in oven until top is golden brown.
  9. Serve immediately and enjoy.

I’m actually thinking about heading to Olive Garden right now to pick up some.

– W.I.B.