Most people probably don’t associate the Olive Garden was authentic Italian cuisine. Yet according to this article in this month’s Fast Company, the company actually puts quite a bit of effort into trying to recreate an authentic Italian dining experience.
Eleven times a year, the company sends 14 top employees, many of whom have never set foot in Italy, to spend a week in an 11th-century village in Tuscany and learn from Sergio and Daniela Zingarelli, a husband and wife who operate a restaurant, winery, and inn. The couple and other local experts expose the Americans to everything from how olive oil gets pressed to how to layer flavors in a Bolognese sauce. The Olive Garden employees buy fresh vegetables at a market in Florence and prepare a multicourse Italian meal.
Tags: Olive Garden
