Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Olive Garden

16405 SE Mill Plain Blvd 

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number: (360) 256-4051

olivegarden.com

Prices $$$$

We came for the all-you-can-eat soup, salad, and breadsticks — the Holy Trinity of corporate Italian cuisine — and yeah, they come free with a lunch special. The catch? Lunch specials are only Monday through Friday until 3pm. We showed up on a Saturday. Oops. Missed it by that much.

My wife ordered the Fettuccine Alfredo — $12.49 on the lunch menu, $17.49 for dinner. I went with the Chicken Parmigiana, which jumped from a manageable $13.49 at lunch to an eyebrow-raising $21.49. So when the bill came out to damn near $55, I nearly spit out my overpriced Diet Coke.

To his credit, the server offered to grab the manager and maybe knock the prices back down to lunch levels. But I declined. I missed the fine print. My bad. That’s called integrity, folks — look it up.

The salad? Fresh, sure. But whoever’s in the back manning the vinegar bottle went full Molotov cocktail. I like tang, but this was a salt-and-acid bomb. The Zuppa Toscana was watery, with a sausage-to-potato ratio so low it might’ve qualified as vegetarian. Not awful, just … meh. Breadsticks? Still the MVP — soft, salty, and piping hot.

The wife liked her Alfredo. My chicken parm and limp spaghetti? It was food. That’s about as glowing as I can get. But hey, it’s Olive Garden — it’s not like we walked in expecting Nonna to come out of the kitchen.

And for the love of God and every Italian who’s ever lived, how in the hell are there so few decent Italian restaurants in Portland? And don’t even get me started on the complete disappearance of veal. No veal marsala, veal parmigiana, or saltimbocca alla romana? What in the Fettuccine Alfredo is going on here folks? Somebody kill me a baby cow already — I need my veal fix, dammit!

CombatCritic Gives Olive Garden 5 Bombs Out Of 10 💣💣💣💣💣 More Bombs Are Better … Unless You’re On The Receiving End … HOOAH!

Five Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Continue Mission"

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Title: Vancouver, WA: No Veal, No Deal – Olive Garden Delivers Mediocrity with a Side of Sticker Shock

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, veal, pasta, breadsticks, Olive Garden, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2025 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Glendale, CA: Great, Family-Style Italian, Red Checkered Tablecloths And All

Scarantino’s Italian Inn
1524 E. Colorado Street
Glendale, CA 91205
Phone number (818) 247-9777
Website: scarantinos.com
Prices: $$$$

With a name very similar to my own, Scarantino's cannot help but be wonderful! I have been coming here for 40 years and the food is always top notch, the service friendly and impeccable, the ambiance casual and cozy (red checkered tablecloths and all), and the prices very reasonable ... HOOAH!

I do not get back to Glendale as often as I would like, but when I do, you can find me at Scarantino's at least once. Their minestrone soup is the best I have ever had and the accompanying bread is always hot and fresh.

Their pizzas and pastas are all very good, but it's the veal dishes that bring me back over and over and over again. The Veal Parmigiana ($17) is delish, but I usually end up ordering the Veal Rolletini alla Sorrento ($21.00), thinly sliced veal rolled and stuffed with Italian ham and mozzarella cheese, then simmered in a wine and mushroom sauce ... YUMMM! 

Paying $17-$21 for a veal dish along with minestrone soup, salad, bread and butter, and pasta is a terrific value, especially when the quality is as good as you get here. Scarantino's is THE BOMB!

CombatCritic Gives Scarantino's 9 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Nine Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "U.S. Marine Response To A Verbal Greeting Or As An Expression Of Enthusiasm"

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Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 

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Title: Glendale, CA: Great, Family-Style Italian, Red Checkered Tablecloths And All

Key Words: Scarantino's Italian Inn, Scarantino's, Italian, Italy, pasta, pizza, veal, Glendale, CA, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Portland, OR: Second verse NOT same as the first ... I'm NOT Henry the 8th I am NOT.

Mama Mia Trattoria
439 SW 2nd Avenue
Portland, OR 97204
Downtown Portland
Phone number (503) 295-6464
Website: mamamiatrattoria.com
Prices: $$$$

Second visit, not same as the first and I was not nearly as impressed as when I took my youngest son to Mama Mia (see review dated 7/18/2017). Here are the reasons why:

1. When I heard our server was "Kelly", I was quite pleased because of the wonderful service "blonde" Kelly gave us. This Kelly had dark hair and was not nearly as friendly or customer oriented ...

   a. I asked if it was still Happy Hour when she first arrived at our table (5:45PM on Tuesday), but was told that we had to move to the bar five feet away and sit on uncomfortable stools if we wanted to order from the Happy Hour menu. I told her "no thanks". Absurd.

   b. As a member of their VIP Club, we were entitled to "free garlic bread". This Kelly brought one small loaf (between three of us), then told us we would only be getting "regular" bread from that point on (beside the complimentary calamari, Kelly #1 kept bringing garlic bread throughout the meal).

2. The water is still room temperature.

3. They still do not validate parking, so you have to pay outrageous downtown Portland parking rates if you want to dine there.

4. They raised their prices by $2 a pop on the veal dishes - $25.95 for an ala carte dish is pushing it, but $27.95 (the new prices) is NOT a good value.

5. My wife ordered the Penne with Pancetta and Mushrooms ($18 - no soup or salad) and, being Italian born, was not at all impressed. The pasta was obviously not made in-house, was lukewarm, and they had added red bell peppers. She is allergic to tomatoes and does not like anything that resembles tomato in her food. The dish was bland, she did not like it.

6. My son (my oldest this time) ordered the Fettucine Alfredo ($18.95 - no soup or salad), but by the time he added a little (very little) crumbled sausage ($4) and a house salad ($7), the total was close to $30. He liked the flavor, but was not impressed by the serving size for the price.

7. The side of pasta I got with my Veal Marsala was tiny. The veal was flavorful, but, like the pasta, not very hot and not a very good value at $28 ($26 was pushing it).

Bread (no garlic)

Even though Barry, the owner, sent me a very nice note after my first review, he obviously did not take my comments and suggestions to heart because nothing had changed except the prices and the service, both a disappointment.

Fettucine Alfredo with Sausage ($22.95)

Penne Pancetta and Mushrooms ($18)

I found a place in Beaverton (Aloha actually) where the Veal Parmigiana is as good, if not better, than Mama Mia (it is actually spelled "Mamma" Mia by the way Barry) and for $1 less than Mama Mia's old prices ($24.95) you get antipasto, soup AND salad, generous portions of veal and pasta, and spumoni ... now that is a great value!

Veal Scaloppine alla Marsala - $27.95

I do not think we will be going through the hassle of navigating downtown traffic and parking to eat here again any time soon. If they make some changes (Happy Hour is Happy Hour, wherever you sit, lower prices and/or include soup/salad, put ice in the water or at least cool it before serving, etc.), I may consider going back, but I seriously doubt they will. In the interim, we will be driving 37 miles (past Vancouver and Portland) to Aloha to get a decent Italian meal. 

For such a great food town, Portland (and surrounds) is sadly lacking a decent selection of homestyle Italian restaurants, something I hope changes very soon because if someone can figure this out, they will be extremely successful.

CombatCritic Downgrades Mam(m)a Mia To 5 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Five Bombs Equates To:

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Read Chris S.'s review of Mama Mia Trattoria on Yelp

Title:  Portland, OR: Second verse NOT same as the first ... I'm NOT Henry the 8th I am NOT

Key Words: Mama Mia Trattoria, mama mia, mama, mia, trattoria, Portland, downtown, Italian, veal, Italy, Oregon, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: Charlie-Mike = "Continue Mission"

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group, LLC and CombatCritic - All Rights Reserved

Portland, OR: Mama Mia - Best Italian West Of The Willamette!

Mama Mia Trattoria

439 SW 2nd Avenue

Portland, OR 97204

Southwest Portland, Downtown

Phone number (503) 295-6464

Website: mamamiatrattoria.com

Prices: $$$$

Mama Mia, that's one spicy meatball! Actually, it was the tomato sauce accompanying the complimentary Calamari (normally $12.95) that was spicy, having added a sprinkling of chili flakes on top before serving. As a new member of their "VIP Club", we got the royal treatment, including the free appetizer and free garlic bread (on every visit). I also received a $15 off coupon for our first visit.

The corner restaurant hits you in the face as you cross the SE Morrison Bridge into downtown from the east. There is no free parking or validation here, so pay $2/hour on the street, more in a lot, or arrive after 7pm as we did to park on the street for free. The old corner building (early 1900s) has high ceilings and an open feeling. The decor is tasteful, but not "obviously" Italian in any way, shape or form, more like a high end steak house than a trattoria.

Our server, Kelly, was prompt, efficient and courteous from the get-go. She dropped off the surprise calamari, then the garlic bread, and after bringing my son the Veal Parmigiana instead of the Veal Scallopine all Marsala ($25.95) he had ordered, told him to taste it and take it home while they prepared his marsala. The calamari was good, although the breading could have been crispier and it was a tad greasy, but we barely made a dent because my son is not a seafood lover and I did not want to fill up before my entree arrived.

I had the Veal Parmesan ($25.95), two decent size cutlets breaded, fried and topped with marinara and their "house made" mozzarella accompanied by a small bowl of linguini with marinara sauce (soup or vegetable can be substituted for pasta). The veal was the best I have had in a while and the portion size reasonable considering the price. A dinner salad and some bread would be inexpensive additions to the entrees, making them seem like a better value although $26 for a nice veal dish is not unreasonable. I tasted my son's Veal Marsala which was also a decent size portion as well as being one of the best marsalas I have tasted in recent memory, thick and rich ... HOOAH!

In the end, we had the calamari ($12.95), an order of garlic bread ($4.95) two veal parmesans ($51.90), a veal marsala ($25.95), nearly $100 worth of food for $36.90 (after the $15 coupon was deducted) plus a healthy $15 tip for Kelly, bringing the total to a whopping $52 ... what a bahgain!

We will not get free calamari, an extra meal, or $15 off every time we come, but members of their VIP Club do get free garlic bread every visit as well as other discounts and offers throughout the year. So far, this is the best Italian restaurant I have tried (out of three) and expect to be back soon, bringing my Italian born better half next time. If she gives them her seal of approval, a massive compliment, I will note it here first.

You may ask why I do not give my top rating, so let me briefly clarify. My ratings are based on value, bang-for-the-buck, taking price, quality, preparation, ambience, service and other key factors into account. To receive 10 Bombs Out Of 10, the meal, service, decor, and price must be impeccable, flawless, and the best value money can buy. To get 9 Bombs, one or two minor flaws are normally noted, but otherwise the experience is top-notch. Unlike many so called critics, I do not throw around 9s and 10s (5 Stars on Yelp) like candy, so when you see a rating that high, you can bet your booty that you will be pleased as punch. In order to improve their rating, I would recommend the following:

1. Validate parking

2. Increase the temperature on the deep fryer (or do not let it sit too long before serving) for crispier calamari

3. Include a small dinner salad and bread with every entree

4. Make the side of pasta accompanying entrees a little bit larger

5. Put ice in the water or cool it before serving - room temperature water is a bummer

CombatCritic Gives Mama Mia Trattoria 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Mama Mia Trattoria on Yelp

Title: Portland, OR: Mama Mia - Best Italian West Of The Willamette!

Key Words: Mama Mia Trattoria, mama mia, mama, mia, trattoria, Portland, downtown, Italian, veal, Italy, Oregon, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

San Antonio, TX: "Louie, Louie, Oh No, I Said" You "Gotta Go ... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

Louie Italian Restaurant

4979 NW Loop 410

San Antonio, TX 78229

Phone number: (210) 481-4360

Website: louieitalianrestaurant.com

Prices: $$$$

This place was at the top of Yelp's list when I searched for "Best Italian Restaurants" in San Antonio, Texas with 4.5 stars out of 207 reviews ... pretty impressive. We joined their e-newsletter list (promising coupons and 1/2 price bottles of wine to "members") and made a reservation for that evening.

The exterior is strange, looking more like a 22nd Century burger joint than an Italian restaurant, but the interior was much nicer. Not "Italian", but a bit on the "classy" side. We were quickly greeted and seated and our server, Adelina, promptly took our drink order. I asked about the 1/2 price bottles of wine, but she told me (pointing to a placard on the table) that they are only offered on Tuesday and Wednesday, apparently available to the general public, not just members of their e-newsletter club as advertised. We ordered two glasses of house cabernet ($5.50 each), but Adelina quickly returned telling us that they were "out of the house cabernet" and only had Chianti. Chianti it was.

Our dinners would come with a salad, so we ordered the garlic bread ($3.99 - bread does not come with your meal oddly enough). The salads were small, but fresh, with a spring mix, tomato and cucumber slice, and exactly four croutons along with dressing of choice. The garlic bread was a good size loaf cut in two and tasty.

My wife had the Tortellini Michelangelo ($10.99) with cheese filled pasta in a mushrooms cream sauce. The pasta and sauce were both good, but the sauce had a unique taste we could not quite put our fingers on and definitely not Italian

I ordered the Veal Marsala ($15.99), sautéed with fresh mushrooms in a sweet marsala wine sauce and served over spaghetti. The sauce was actually quite rich and good with just the right number of button mushrooms, but the veal was not very plentiful with just two small scallops sitting atop the pasta. For the price, the veal was not a bad value at all and I went away satiated, not hungry.

The 1/2 price bottle promotion to lure people into signing up for their newsletter was misleading and the lack of bread accompanying the meal was odd for an Italian restaurant. The service was excellent and Adelina, an MBA student from Kosovo (where I served at the NATO HQ during the war in late 1998 and early 1999), was as charming and efficient as could be. Not the best Italian I have had by far, but good food and portions at a reasonable price.

CombatCritic Gives Louie Italian Restaurant 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Louie Italian Restaurant on Yelp

Title: San Antonio, TX: "Louie, Louie, Oh No, I Said" You "Gotta Go ... Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah"

Key Words: Louie Italian Restaurant, Louie, Italian, pasta, veal, Italy, Loop 410, San Antonio, Texas, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, Tabelog

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"