At Bon Appetit, Kristen Arnett wrote a very funny appreciation of Olive Garden as the perfect place for her to take first dates. From Bon Appetit:
The right kind of woman for me is someone who won't give me a hard time about the things I like. The kind of woman who will let me pocket all the leftover breadsticks and doesn't care if we only discuss our favorite sexual positions and what kind of appetizers look best off the limited-time-only menu. We're at Olive Garden because it's kitschy and cute. Nothing that happens needs to be a serious thing. It's no big deal…Two people eating means you get three sticks total. I like to think Olive Garden did that on purpose, so that you're forced to break bread with your date. You must share with each other, touch hands. It's all very romantic, if romance is deciding who gets to take the bigger share of the carbs.
