Last night Mr. Clougherty and I got together for our monthly dinner (aka The Dinner Series). We usually meet the last Thursday of every month but with Kevin going to the beach next week, we moved it up a week. Thus, I have the opportunity to attend Greensburg Night Market next week. Hopefully, the heat won’t be an issue.
It was also my birthday dinner. Last year, amidst the haze from the wildfire smoke, I decided on Burgatory. We’ve always had success there and have never been disappointed. This year, I decided on the Olive Garden for where I wanted to eat.
The Olive Garden has a history for me. The Greensburg location is one we’ve eaten at many times when we celebrated Great Grandma’s birthday. We always had a big group and we always had to wait for a table. It was usually on a Sunday that we met but the days varied. Years later, I came here again for my birthday.
2020 during COVID my aunt and cousins treated me to a nice birthday meal as I celebrated the last year of my thirties. We had to order off of paper menus but we still had a good time. The next year, my fashionable sister and I got together and she helped me celebrate 40. I was blessed with a gift bag and good times talking to Sara. My “journey” was just beginning, changes were coming soon in my life other than turning 40, and it was the icing on the cake to a great holiday and birthday weekend.
Let’s go over last night’s experience and see if it matched up.
Food: There were definitely some amazing options on the menu. We reminded our server that it was my birthday so that I could get dessert. We got salad and breadsticks to start. Kevin ordered the spaghetti and I ordered the shrimp carbonara. Both were good but very filling. I probably would have benefitted more from taking some home and eating the rest at work. To cap off the meal, I got a slice of cheesecake. Overall: 4.5 (more on me, not the restaurant)
Service: As I walked in the door, I was greeted kindly by the hostess. I waited for Kevin as he arrived a few minutes after me. Our server was young and asked us how we were doing. He gave us time to decide what to order and was very professional. This establishment is pretty well-run and I was happy with the service I got last night. Overall: 5
Atmosphere: It was most certainly a fine dining experience, to say the least. I felt very relaxed and we were able to enjoy our dinner without a lot of noise or riffraff. We were seated in a nice section of the restaurant. The lighting was just right and not too hot. Overall: 5
Parking is plentiful but it fills up during the busy times. If you’re coming from the east, it’s not as hard to get there. Coming from my direction, you have to make a U-Turn on US 30 or turn around in Barnes and Noble or Eastgate so that does add a little bit of work in your arrival. But this won’t take away from my experience.
I recommend the Fettuccine Alfredo (or Chicken or Shrimp), Tour of Italy, and the Soup and Salad.
Overall Grade: 4.7
Stylish š 