Factory Restaurants

Ok, I'm annoyed shading to amused by the idea of restaurants with the word "factory" in the name.  Who would eat at a factory?  Even one where they make cheesecake?  And if I wouldn't eat at a dessert factory, I certainly wouldn't eat at one where they make spaghetti.

Friday night, I found myself talking Zenaida, who was feeling under the weather, into eating at The Old Spaghetti Factory.

I should mention that I have a terrible association with the place, having had a sports award banquet there as a kid, over twenty (!) years ago.  I seem to remember my choice being red or white sauce, and getting s terrible marinara place-holder of a sauce.  But my memory isn't reliable, and it's really just receded into negative association.  I actually flinched when Z told me about her work holiday party being held there.  But I'm a gamer.

Clearly my memory wasn't reliable, the banquet was cheap, or the restaurant has changed.  For the better.  The cheese bread was nice, the marinara dip was really nice.  Z ordered a combo platter with a clam sauce and a browned butter and cheese sauce.  I tasted a bit of the second which was really yummy.  I had the red, meat sauce with meatballs and sausage (the meat lover's trio, or something like that).  The meat sauce was terrific, as were the sausage and the meatballs.  The spumoni was ok, but was a nice, simple contrast to the heavy pasta.

For a chain pasta place, I'd say it's a good choice.

Z's boss seems like a charming rogue with really interesting ideas about filling the gaps created by schools cutting out the arts.

I chat with William who's a professional salsa and ballroom instructor.  We talk dance for hours.

Good food, good conversation.