'I Still Bear The Scars' — Stanley Tucci Slams This Iconic Italian Restaurant Chain

Acclaimed actor Stanley Tucci is recognized for the iconic roles he's played in countless movies and television programs, but he is perhaps equally well-known for his unabashed passion for Italian cuisine. On a recent episode of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast hosted by Josh Horowitz, Tucci was jokingly asked if he had ever eaten at Italian food's fast-casual knockoff, Olive Garden. A look of discontent washed over his face as he contemplated how to answer. He couldn't bear to utter the restaurant's name, as if saying "Olive Garden" would suddenly make Lord Voldemort appear. He eventually said, "I went to that place," followed by, "I still bear the scars."

Under normal circumstances, Tucci doesn't go out of his way to bash restaurants he didn't enjoy. But Olive Garden, with its staggering number of endless breadsticks on hand, received a rare exception. He said, "Look, in the books I've written, if I go to a restaurant, I don't like it, I never name it, I never anything, but come on, really?"

Tucci's take on Olive Garden is unsurprising given how it often smothers dishes in cheese, unlike traditional Italian restaurants. And if anyone knows about traditional Italian fare, it's Stanley Tucci.

Although the spotlight right now is on "The Devil Wears Prada 2," Stanley Tucci's "Tucci in Italy" television series has also been met with widespread recognition. The Emmy-nominated program showcases Tucci sampling authentic local Italian cuisine and diving into regional traditions. Suffice to say, the actor knows his Italian food. With Olive Garden being an obvious hard pass, Josh Horowitz of the "Happy Sad Confused" podcast pressed the actor to describe what impresses him about an Italian restaurant and what's required "to pass the Stanley Tucci test." Tucci put it as simply and succinctly as possible, saying, "Every dish."

That's a pretty high bar, but Tucci quickly refined his answer by stating that he thought a creamy risotto was the ultimate test of an Italian restaurant's competence. He said, "I think one of the most difficult dishes to make is a risotto, right, in any form. If a restaurant can make a good risotto, it means that they can usually make everything else pretty well."

You could safely say that Tucci is somewhat of a romantic when it comes to Italian cuisine. During his interview with Horowitz he divulged that his love for the Old Country began when he lived there at age 12, and that adoration only strengthened the more time he spent in Italy later in life. "In Italy, food is never just food. It's memory, identity, and sometimes, a full-blown argument," he said. Folks who want to witness Tucci's passion for Italian fare for themselves don't have to wait long, as season 2 of "Tucci in Italy" begins streaming on May 11 on National Geographic, then May 12 on Hulu and Disney+.