A Cheer for the Old Spaghetti Factory

Al,
While we're confessing. Although I've never been to the Old Spaghetti Factory in Indianapolis, why is it that I get the distinct impression that I was there that evening? In fact, I wouldn't have missed it for the world.
The Bear

quote:

Originally posted by mr chips

My deep dark secret is that I truly hate franchised restaurants. Applebee's, Red Robin , Red Lobster and most especially, The Olive Garden are the places I will not eat. I think they give people a false impression of fine dining and what good food should be.
Yet I like The Old Spaghetti Factory. One of the Portland locations is right on the Willamette River and has a wonderful view of the boats and wildlife. I also(gulp) even like the spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese and brown butter, a dish I have not found in any other restaurant. I wonder if any others will admit to such a dark secret.

I am with you all the way on this one, especially the spaghetti with Mizithra cheese,but save it for special ocassions, because it is high in fat and sodium, but oh so yummy.

I live around the corner from an OSF and I think it is a great value, and if you hit it right, there may not be a wait, and you're in and out in a flash. Perfect for busy families.

quote:

Originally posted by sugarlander

I'm curious to know about that mizithra cheese--is it like parmesan?

It's a hard cheese like parmesan, but I like it even better..

http://www.hormel.com/kitchen/glossary.asp?id=35143&catitemid=

We have an OSF here in St Louis. Personally, I find it quite bland but do take visitors there simply for the atmosphere.

I'm sorry but OSF is Olive Garden in an old factory or warehouse. Food for twelve year olds and the like.

quote:

You ever try Buca di Beppo catracks?

Yeah Enginecapt I did just recently. I really, honestly was looking forward to it. I was disappointed. I ordered chianti and the waiter just dropped it off with glasses on the table. Didn't pour. Didn't ask if I liked it.

We had a large party. The Garlic bread was good as was the lemon chicken. I think it should have come on a bed of angelhair though. The pasta dishes were just okay. The baked pasta was not topped with cheese and baked. It looked like they ran a regular order under the broiler. I've had better frozen alfredo. The hot Italian sausage was good, but cooked until it dried out. Perhaps we ordered wrong, but these were basics.

It's just too hard to serve good food in such large quantities, but I would blame cooking technique equally with odd recipes.

Not that we all didn't eat a good amount. I just wouldn't go back. There are just so many superior Italian places that when you taste the food, your eyes roll back in pleasure. One place I like has authentic Sicilian dishes.

It beats the hell out of OSF though. ;-)

Help! does anyone know why the OSF Gaslamp District in San Diego and the OSF in Henderson(Las Vegas) closed down. We LOVED that place to go as a family - great prices for a family of five! We are afraid they are all closing down. Both these locations were always busy whenever we went!

Hey eatoutwithkids enjoy them while you can, Mine is going to a baby shower this weekend and it seemed like it was last week there was a baby shower for her birth. check out www.osf.com It looks like they are still in bis. I know the one up here in Concord,Ca is still there and there is one in San Marcos Orange County

stevencarry beat me to the confirmation on San Marcos (northern San Diego County) still being there (at least as of Tuesday evening when I drove by.)
The San Diego Gaslamp location has become Dussini Mediterranean Bistro (www.dussini.com) A friend was speculating that with all the upgrading going on in downtown lately that OSF lost out to the new guys with a higher bid for the lease?

You guys need to do the family dinners while you can. We stopped taking the whole family OUT for dinner when the tab hit over $500. The group was too large to really enjoy talking to EVERYONE.(10 kids, spouses and 21 Grandkids)
So now we do 'Total'family dinners on the Holidays and Summer Cookout/BBQs. Dining out is reserved for US and smaller groups (individual kids and their immediate families).
Due to my previous experience with OSF we don't go there!(my fault, not theirs)

quote:

I'm sorry but OSF is Olive Garden in an old factory or warehouse. Food for twelve year olds and the like

My 12 year-old loathes the place.

Thanks for the info! We do eat out a lot with the younger kids - and have big Sunday dinners with the big (grown) kids and grandkids! We all like Sweet Tomatoes as well - and Chevy's! 2 still order off the kids menu - but the highschooler eats anything (and everything) now! I saw on the website that there is one in Phoenix - so we may try that one or the Riverside one next time we travel!

There is an older Old Spaghetti Factory in Newport Beach, CA. There's a newer one in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Those are the only two I've ever been to. I liked the one in NP when I was a kid but more recently I went to the one in RC and thought it tasted like crap. The ambience was cool and everything, but I'll never go again. I just got the spaghetti and meatballs and thought it was very bland.

The only time I ever ate at an OSF was in Calgary, AB last year on the Sunday before Labor Day (the place we wanted to go to was closed and we were starving). I was pleasantly surprised--I got the spaghetti with spicy meat sauce, and the pasta was perfectly al dente and the sauce was great.

old spaghetti factory is still going strong in seattle down by the waterfront. ambiance is cool with old brass bed headboards separating the booths :) there are normal tables as well, for larger groups. i've never had a bad meal there.

Al - We have some thing in common......

"Forgive me Father for I have sinned....."

I to have been escorted out of an OSF, the old one on Pete Rose Way in Cincinnati.
My family used to love the place and one event we were having there the beer was flowing toooooo freely and one thing led to another and then a meat ball went bouncing off my cousin's head and things went down hill from there.

Being asked to leave by a snivveling "man" and accusing us of creating such a distrubance he should call the police....

If he did I was not there to find out.

It has been 13 years since that happened, I took my mother out for a dinner at the new OSF, a few weeks ago, and dinner was delicious.

I like OSF. Sorry to hear they moved out of Henderson. I am a picky eater and my tastes and choices are slim. OSF has been a favorite of mine for years. It's not gourmet and thats fine by me. I like the mizthra, soup, garlic cheese bread, spumoni, and the italiam cream sodas.

I loved OSF. There was/ still is one near O'Hare airport but not exactly sure because I wasn't driving. Went there for a birthday party and it was really good. I have to google it and see if it is still there.

Although I am responding to a year old post by Mashagar, I do recall when they were hiring for the Rancho Cuc OSF. It is/was on Foothill fairly close to the 15 freeway. The line of applicants snaked around the building and into the fields beside the location. Major development along that stretch of road since has filled the open spaces, but I still recall at least a thousand folks waiting to get a shot at the jobs coming open. That would have been in the mid-90's if I recall correctly.

Fresno has/had one that was on the fringe of being downtown. More of a commercial/warehouse side of town. People came from all over to eat there. The food was good as was the service. I have no idea if it is still there or not. Maybe Jenn4 will chime in and let me know?

Anyways if I were to come across another I'd stop in.

MikeS.

Minneapolis has an Old Spaghetti Factory on the fringe of downtown in an old building not too far from the Metrodome where the Twins and Vikings play. Prices are reasonable and a good place to take kids.

We used to have family dinners at the one in downtown cincy, it had AWESOME ambience. With the trolley car dining room and the beds/tables

The new one in Forest Park is nice, but has that "NEW" feeling even with the trolley car in the center of the main room.

My mom likes to go there, so we try and get her out there once and a while

You have to keep in mind what you are paying at the SF. It's cheap! Ate numerous times at the one in San Diego's Gaslamp District and at the one in San Marcos numerous times, and no one was ever disappointed. I suppose every joint will have a bad night or not have the chef show up and the busboy get instantly promoted.

"....also(gulp) even like the spaghetti with Mizithra Cheese and brown butter, a dish I have not found in any other restaurant."

As far as the Mizithra cheese, it is Greek and it's very hard and has to be powder-grated to be eaten on anything. My wife was born and raised in Greece and she eats only that dish at SF. She says it's authentic and delicious and has probably eaten it 40 times. Unfortunately, we now live in Charlotte and there are none. Was told there was one years back, but that it's gone. I think it's a great place for the money.

quote:

Originally posted by MikeS.

Fresno has/had one that was on the fringe of being downtown. More of a commercial/warehouse side of town. People came from all over to eat there. The food was good as was the service. I have no idea if it is still there or not. Maybe Jenn4 will chime in and let me know?

Anyways if I were to come across another I'd stop in.

MikeS.

Last time I was in the Fresno area (last month), OSF was still alive and well on Shaw. They moved out of the downtown area a while back.