Grand Forks Olive Garden Restaurant Review [View all]

[Pretzel_Warrior]

http://www.npr.org/2013/09/01/216866468/restaurant-critic-finds-meaning-at-the-olive-garden-in-grand-forks

You can either read or listen to audio of this NPR interview of Marilyn Hargerty, esteemed restaurant critic.

"Can a cholesterol-conscious matron from the west side find happiness at the East Side Dairy Queen?" So begins Marilyn Hagerty's review of the national creamery franchise for her local paper, The Grand Forks Herald, in Grand Forks, N.D.

The 87-year-old Hagerty has reported on food, events, and local profiles at the Herald for more than 25 years, but she earned 15 minutes of national fame last year with a positive review of her local Olive Garden restaurant.

Thousands of people took to the Internet to ridicule Hagerty for her lowbrow tastes. But there followed a powerful backlash of people who came to her defense, tired of elitism among food and restaurant critics.

Now, Marilyn Hagerty has written a book, with a foreword by Anthony Bourdain. It's called Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews.