Your favorite upscale chain restaurant?
 

This may be antithetical to a travel forum, but what is your favorite fine/casual dining chain restaurant?

My favorite is Olive Garden, but I'm wondering what are some chains that are not as widespread, but nice enough to seem local.

Maggiano's and Houston's Restaurants.
Steve R
Maryland

I seem to enjoy Johnny Carino's. It's like an olive garden, but it seems more authentic.
My fav. dish is not on the menu, but at most locations they will whip it up usually to perfection. Chicken Fetucinne Florentine (the roma tomatoes in the dish bring out the flavors!)
Olive Garden I must admit has the BEST Alfredo Sauce for dipping. My husband orders that with our drinks so that it comes w/ our first round of breadsticks. :)

Il Fornaiao. It's not a big chain, which may be the reason why it's so good. Wonderful bread, and our local Orange County, Ca. location is very pretty as well!
It feels very European!

I'm sorry, but Olive Garden is a culinary horror, pure and simple. As is Buca di Beppo. They're both an insult to Italian food.

Il Fornaio, on the other hand, is actually quite good. I'm a sucker for PF Chang as well, even though it's about as authentically Asian as Ultrasuede. California Pizza Kitchen and Cheesecake Factory are fine in a pinch. Wolfgang Puck Cafés will do for lunch when shopping (I'm burnt out on Wolfie's food, having a WP Express by my office).

Lucille's is a southern California mini-chain of Memphis-style BBQ, and the 'Q is actually authentically wonderful.

But I have nightmares of being forced to have a dinner at Olive Garden. I'm not a food snob, but yuccch!!

I like PF Chang and Il Fornaiao as well but I also enjoy Piatti and Carvers (steaks & chops).

Olive Garden has never struck me as upscale but to each his own.

If you want a real "insult to Italian food" try GOING to Italy and eating some of their not so great food...and some of it isn't so great.

I was very reluctant to try a chain like Cheesecake Factory, but I have to admit I have never had a bad meal there. Great value for salads!

I also like Bucca di Beppo. It's a great place for carbo loading.

Pasta Pomodoro

P F Changs, Carrabas, Roy's (if you get a good one, menu is uneven between them)

I'd have to put PF Changs at number one. They have created a new cuisine. Nouvelle Chinese American, specifically tailored to American tastes. To argue that it is not authentic it to miss its point. They have a fabulous wine list that is reflects attention to the food being served. I've been in fine restaurants where the wine list was just a bunch of expensive wine with no seeming thought about pairing.

I don't think Olive Garden would consider themselves upscale. They are considered a casual dining restaurant, like the Applebees chain. I'm not crazy about O. G. but you can't argue with the success of Darden.

LMF

I will have to try PF Changs if LMF and others recommend it. I don't know who will be insulted by this one, but we like the Italian chain, Macoroni Grill. The food is good and fresh. It isn't Tuscany I'm sure, but our local one plays Italian opera in the background and it has a nice ambience too. (Plus the waiter we regularly get looks like Antonio Banderas, but that's another story.)
Also, I thought Pappadeux's was only in the south, but I went to one in Phoneix recently and I also like them.

My number one pick would be PF Chang's. After that I would have to go with Pappadeaux's and Pappasito's (sister restaurants). From there Bahama Breeze and Cheesecake Factory.

I do not mind Olive Garden. I think their Minestrone soup is wonderful and very fresh. I think their alfredo (although alfredo is not my favorite) is pretty decent. I think Macaroni Grill has better pasta dishes though. As for Carrabas, blech. I have eaten there in three different cities and did not like it either time. For Italian restaurants, I tend to prefer the local mom and pop joints.

Dear Melissa
I like Cheesecake Factories, too.
For Italian chains, my favorite is Macaroni Grill.

I agree with PF Chnag's being very good. I also like Big Bowl.

imho, I must also concur that Olive Garden is utterly horrifying. The only thing there that is remotely edible is their soup, salad and breadsticks.

At my previous job, my boss always wanted to have our business lunches there, and I was guaranteed to be ill if I ate any of their pasta.

I think anyone whose absolute favorite food is Italian would be less likely to find it good.

My husband and I always joke about the Olive Garden commercial that shows the Italian family taking out of town family there for dinner.

We laugh and say "Uncle Vinnie would whack anyone who took them to OG for 'authentic' Italian food!" :)

If you like steak you will love Ruth's Chris or the Palm. Cheesecake Factory is good but the no reservations policy and the wait is not worth waiting for.

Maggianos (do a search and read my story about them in the thread about that restaurant suing a patron inre not paying a man. gratuity)
Cheesecake factory
Roys
Big Bowl
However none of these are that big as chains go really.

Maggiano's just might be my favorite restaurant, regardless of the fact that it is a chain. I also love:
Austin Grill (DC/VA chain)
Cheesecake Factory
Red, Hot & Blue

Isn't upscale chain restaurant an oxymoron?

Sweet Tomatoes -- we've been watching our calories (down 25 lbs. and still falling), and S.T.'s enormous selection of salad and makings is just right for us. Just stay away from the super soups and pastas. Hardly "fine dining" -- but who cares?

NYT, you took the words right out of my mouth! I was scrolling down the write the exact same thing.

Sorry to agree with the Olive Garden haters, but I have to say, that place is more for quantity lovers, not quality. I did, however, enjoy my experiences with Maggiano's and Macaroni Grill. As a family, we always seem to leave happy from Cheesecake Factory, if only for their incredible variety and consistent good service. I've never tried a PF Chang's, but will be open to it in the future. Thanks for the tip!

Interesting thread.