Guilty Eats
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Valentine’s Day: 25 restaurants where love will be in the air

By Kareem Gantt

WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA - JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, 'they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.' The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) /
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Valentine's Day
WILTON MANORS, FLORIDA – JANUARY 29: Sweetheart candy hearts are seen on the shelf at the To The Moon Marketplace on January 29, 2019 in Wilton Manors, Florida. William Newcomb who works at the store said, ‘they stocked up early on the heart shape candy after learning that the Necco company had filed for bankruptcy protection and went out of business.’ The Sweetheart candy was being made by Necco since 1886 and is in short supply after the company went out of business as Valentine’s Day approaches. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images) /

19. Olive Garden

Yes, I know there are some people out there who have a beef with Olive Garden and will be screaming out of their windows knowing that this chain made it on the list.

So, before you trash your house in anger, let me explain why Olive Garden made the list.

It’s chain Italian, yes, but it’s pretty darn good Italian cuisine (at most locations), and the atmosphere that Olive Garden provides does make it a romantic way to spend Valentine’s Day with your loved one, especially if the budget is a little tight.

At first, there wasn’t a lot of Olive Garden where one could visit. Founded in 1982 in Orlando, Olive Garden was slow to grow; but by the time the ’90s rolled around, it was becoming the place to get Italian cuisine, even though there were a number of copycats springing up around them.

Today, there are 892 Olive Garden restaurants in both big cities and small, suburban towns, and it has cultivated a number of followers, and a fair amount of haters. I understand some of the hate surrounding Olive Garden, but one can’t really knock the chain for being Valentine’s Date night spot, especially when it has become a yearly tradition for some couples.

Their menu is largely good for a chain Italian restaurant, and one really can never get enough of their pasta and breadsticks, both of which are pretty darn good. So, don’t knock on Olive Garden, and, instead, embrace this chain for what it is — a great Italian chain where love will be in the air.

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