What’s Pasta Without Wine?

A meal of pasta, salad, bread sticks and a soft drink sounds pretty good to me right now.

But what if that meal were priced at $99?

Not so good.

But wait! What if that $99 brought me all the pasta I could eat, all the salad I could eat, all the bread sticks I could eat and all the Diet Coke I could drink?

Well, not being an “all-you-can-eat” kind of diner, that wouldn’t make it much more enticing for me. And $99 still sounds like a pretty high price to pay.

But wait (again)! What if that $99 brought me all the pasta I could eat, all the salad I could eat, all the bread sticks I could eat and all the Diet Coke I could drink… every day of the week for seven weeks?

Okay, now we’re talking. After nine meals or so, all of the rest of them would, essentially, be free.

Well, that’s exactly what 1,000 people have available to themselves beginning today and running through November 9. The “Never-Ending Pasta Pass” was offered on the website of the Olive Garden restaurant chain, and the thousand passes were gobbled up in 45 minutes.

For one who enjoys eating at Olive Garden, the Never-Ending Pasta Pass is akin to a child receiving a Golden Ticket in a Willy Wonka chocolate bar.

Assuming one can handle the massive caloric intake, it’s a great deal. And though this may sound counter-intuitive, it also could be a great way to lose weight.

Lose weight?!? Yes. Holding the pass does not require one to eat pasta or bread sticks. Stick with salad (with a low-calorie dressing) and Diet Coke, and one could actually lose weight with the Never-Ending Pasta Pass — while dining for around $2 per meal.

So much for the Dollar Menu at McDonald’s…

Olive Garden has received a ton of traditional media and social media exposure as a result of this deal — which, of course, was the whole idea. So, don’t be surprised if the chain does it again sometime in the future.

If they do, I’d like to offer an idea that would make the deal even more enticing: Include a glass of wine with each visit.

Not all-you-can-drink — just a glass. Perhaps a nice Chianti Classico or a spicy California Zinfandel. And for those opting for just the salad, a refreshing, herbal Sauvignon Blanc would be nice.

Do that, Olive Garden, and this pasta, salad, bread stick and wine lover just might join you.