Is it permissible to eat meat in Western restaurants given that it is permissible to eat meat from People of the Book?

I always have eaten halal meat and nothing else. I am now in the USA and some places have no halal places at all so it can be difficult at times to eat meat. I was informed that Allah SWT has given us permission for eating meat which has been permissible to "the people of the book". - Is this correct? - If so, does this mean I can go to a restaurant, say Olive Garden (Italian) or Pizza Hut or something like that and can have chicken? Thank you for clarifications. It makes it difficult when you are in an area that does not have halal places or at least very difficult to access therefore I stick to vegetarian meals.