Popular Anti-Olive Garden YouTube Video |
American Fork, UT—In a move that he announced on Facebook,
Gene Dyer let his family, friends, and acquaintances know that he is “no longer
attending, patronizing, or affiliated with Olive Garden.” Making it clear that his
decision “has not come quickly,” Dyer explained that after years of enjoying
the “all-you-can eat soups and those tangy summer pastas,” he had “discovered deeply disturbing culinary errors.” Dyer went on to explain that he was “shocked
to find out that what he had relied upon to be crunchy and fresh every time”
was destroyed when he found “those four or five unexpected raisins in his all-you-can
eat house salad.”
Dyer, who also happens to have recently left the Mormon Church,
went on to clarify that he wasn’t renouncing the popular Italian chain “because
he was offended” or because “he wanted to go off on some wild Republican and
NRA-fueled meat orgy at Texas Roadhouse.” Instead he insisted that he had only
sought what is truthful and lovely in every meal, but that finding “ugly, shriveled
raisins where one expects lettuce, parmesan cheese, and maybe an onion” had led
him first to question, then doubt, then “bravely move on” from a restaurant
that had been his emotional and culinary home for his entire life.
Over 150 people responded to Dyer’s Facebook announcement. Some
expressed shock and bewilderment. Others expressed support, adding their
experiences with “squishy gnocchi,” “tilapia and shrimp that had clearly at
one time been frozen,” as well as the shock and disillusionment of finding “three
completely different preparations of the Citrus Chicken Sorrento at different
yet supposedly participating restaurants.” In a similar vein were comments that
featured YouTube videos of “Olive Garden Exposed,” “Top 10 Olive Garden
Problems Explained!,” and “The Real Truth about Fake Italian.” Dyer himself mentioned
how internet research had helped him see the truth about Olive Garden.
Other people responded differently to Dyer’s announcement.
Some talked about warm, loving family trips to Olive Garden that Dyer would now
be missing. Others tried to counter comments and videos with personal
experiences, with accounts of people finding joy and satisfaction while dining
and even working at the popular eatery, and with information to refute
anti-Olive Garden claims, information taken from websites like FairGarden.
Dyer mentioned that “at one time it all fit together, the
breadsticks and pasta, the chicken, the beef, and the tiramisu,” but that all
started to crumble “with those shocking raisins right there in the salad, and
now the more that I look, the more I find it is all at best a quaint but deluded
place if not a terrible dining fabrication.” This sense that Olive Garden must
be complete, whole, and perfect, with no mistakes, flawless presentation and
service, or be the restaurant that is “true and living” seems to have
prevented Dyer from just forking the raisins out of the salad and enjoying his
meal.
I have heard people say that raisins that look like chocolate chip cookies are why they have trust issues. As for me, you know I love Oatmeal Raisin Cookies.
ReplyDeleteRecently I have been arguing a lot with Patron Dyer on about three "Dining Out" message boards. Another example of a guy who can leave the Garden but just cant leave the Garden alone...
ReplyDeleteDid anybody else see the parallels and wonder what "raisins" he found in the church?
ReplyDeleteI don't see how people can love Olive Garden. The breadstick has a bitter taste.
ReplyDelete