Tweets chef and amusingly snarky international foodie Anthony Bourdain:
"Very much enjoying watching Internet sensation Marilyn Hagerty triumph over the snarkologists (myself included)"
Eighty-five-year-old Marilyn Hagerty, a 65-year news veteran, wrote a review of the new Olive Garden in Grand Forks as a part of her "Eatbeat" column. When told by her son that her article had gone viral, Hagerty noted she "didn’t know what that meant." It soon became apparent that the tragically hip found a review on a chain restaurant to be ironic, but the story grew beyond the boundaries of snark, and launched the North Dakota journalist into the national spotlight.
Marilyn Hagerty’s review of Olive Garden
Hagarty, who has always insisted upon paying for her own meals, could teach some higher paid restaurant critics something about integrity and tact. Long time readers of her ‘Eatbeat’ column know that reading between the lines is extremely important. Hagarty is not cheerfully mean to restaurants which fall short like many critics who are employed for urban newspapers, the key is to read between the lines. For instance, if the column dwells more on the decor or location than on the food, the wise will take the hint.