85-year-old’s earnest review of Olive Garden becomes Internet sensation

[steve2470]

http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/85-year-old-earnest-review-olive-garden-internet-sensation-article-1.1036629


FARGO, N.D. -- A North Dakota newspaper columnist sat down to review her town's hot new Italian restaurant, rhapsodizing about the chicken Alfredo, crisp greens and "two long, warm breadsticks."

But because the restaurant was the Olive Garden, Marilyn Hagerty's earnest assessment swiftly became an Internet sensation, drawing comments both sincere and sarcastic from food bloggers and others. For the 85-year-old Hagerty, the response was bewildering - and it threatened to make her late for a bridge game.

Hagerty's column in the Grand Forks Herald focuses on local food, and in North Dakota that means chain restaurants that are shunned by big-city food critics. She's reviewed Ruby Tuesday, Pizza Ranch, Applebee's and Country Kitchen. Even fast-food joints such as KFC, Qdoba and Subway have undergone scrutiny.

But it was her unfailingly polite prose about the Olive Garden - complete with a detailed description of the bustling waiters - that catapulted her to online stardom, at least briefly.

[pinboy3niner]

1. Rut-roh

[lonestarnot]

46. Snort.

ROFLMAO

[Uncle Joe]

2. I like the Olive Garden but I noticed Leno makes many jokes about it.

Thanks for the thread, steve.

[MrScorpio]

3. When being nice and polite makes the news...

I have a feeling that Marilyn Hagerty is a really nice lady in person

[xmas74]

6. She probably is a very nice lady.

I think some just don't get how this can be a big deal in smaller towns and cities. I know if my town ever had an Olive Garden move in (and there's been talk) it would make local news. The surrounding blocks would be on lock down and there'd be no parking in site. It would take weeks to get a table.

Sometimes people just don't get how things everyone else takes for granted can be big news for others. She did her job and reported the news.

[Aerows]

7. The same would happen here

A Pizza Hut opening in the local "town center" was an attraction for weeks.

[xmas74]

9. We're ready to go into a frenzy over a

Little Caesar's opening tomorrow. And there are rumors of a possible Panera and Starbucks opening on the university campus. The town is in a froth over that possibility.

[Aerows]

36. If a Panera opened

I think there would be people speaking in tongues, handling snakes and praising the Lord. Half the population would probably need oxygen.

[xmas74]

62. And ours would be on a college campus,

meaning it'd be a limited menu, an "express" menu of sorts.

Still, if it happens it will be sheer anarchy. The local police department will have to call for an agency assist, canisters of pepper spray will be launched into the crowds for control, people will name their children after the restaurant in hopes of free food, etc.

Such is small town life.

[MrScorpio]

8. Oh, exactly...

This is a culture clash, pure and simple.

[xmas74]

12. And that's viewed as more than ok

by some, including some of the posters here on DU.

I remember the original Olive Garden thread. I wasn't amused. She could say a few awful things but she didn't deserve it over the darn Olive Garden, for pete's sake.

[Hippo_Tron]

44. I really don't understand why people were so critical of her review

It's not as though the woman conveyed that she was under the impression that the Olive Garden serves fine authentic Italian cuisine. She merely wrote a nice review about it in a paper that covers news in a town of 55,000 people. Not like she tried to review it for the New York Times or the Wall Street Journal.

In a town of that size, I can see plenty of reason to review the Olive Garden. For all we know maybe it could've had shitty service and she would've done some good by suggesting people go elsewhere.

Maybe I can see people getting a chuckle at the "Tuscan farmhouse style" comment. But fuck if I know what Tuscan farmhouse actually looks like. I bet most of the people making fun of her probably don't either.

[CTyankee]

55. Here in New Haven we glory in fantastic real Italian food restaurants, yet I must say that

I went to an Olive Garden in nearby Orange, CT, for an early evening meeting and had a lovely appetizer. It was nicely turned out, ingredients were fresh and it was delicious! I don't know whether OG has to "up its game" in an area where Italian food is authentic and generally high quality or it was just a special high note, but I enjoyed it a great deal!

Of course, I wouldn't have chosen to go there myself if it weren't for the meeting being held there, but I have to give credit where credit is due...

[Hippo_Tron]

61. It's been over a decade since I've been to an Olive Garden, but...

I have been to similar chain restaurants and I admit I enjoy them just fine. Sometimes you don't want fancy authentic food, just a good filling meal.

I can see knocking someone for going to the Olive Garden during a visit to Manhattan (as was the case with the infamous Olive Garden thread). But I don't see why people knock it so much in general.

[CTyankee]

64. Well, for one thing a lot of people don't want a salad with iceburg lettuce. It seems cheap.

And it really isn't as good as a darker leafed lettuce. And I generally don't like uniformly produced food in the context of a massive chain restaurant.

Not everything that is really good has to be "gourmet" items. In my neighborhood we have a Greek diner that stays open all night and serves good quality meals (not dirt cheap but not expensive either). Every Wednesday their Turkish cook makes what the menu lists as "Yankee Bean soup" but what is really Greek navy bean soup (called Fasolada). It is a humble soup but so delicious people come on the day it is featured just to get the soup!

And if you venture down the road to West Haven, you can find two excellent Turkish restaurants with such delicious fresh food that is also so beautiful that you are overwhelmed!

[Jennicut]

66. When I have been to New Haven, the one thing I think of is pizza.

Now that I live up in Terryville (near Bristol) there is just a shortage of good pizza places.

[CTyankee]

73. A shortage of good pizza places in CT???

Wow.

We have an excellent place (hole in the wall) in my neighborhood. So good (they have good fresh made soup too) I don't go downtown to Modern any more...

[Jennicut]

74. Good Italian pizza.

Not a huge fan of Greek pizza, which there is a lot of in Bristol. I like the apizza (Pepe's, Sally's) or the New York style.

[CTyankee]

75. You might want to try Modern (if you haven't already) on State Street, not far from the

connector to 95. It has become the insider New Haven pizza place...try their sliced tomato pizza in the summer, simple but astonishingly good!

[drbtg1]

77. Sorry, but it's true. Most CT pizza places are horrible.

One can go to the City (NY), or Jersey, or out on the Island (Long) and just throw a stone and have a damn good chance of hitting a pizzeria serving good pizza. But after being in CT for 18 years, I've seen its a barren wasteland for pizza. Of course, lifelong CT residents, will always hold up New Haven as a shining example for pizza (they also insist pizza requires all sorts of toppings, from pineapple to clams, not just a simple cheese pizza). Sorry but one shouldn't have to make a hajj to Wooster Street for decent pizza.

Plus, the last time I was at Pepe's on Wooster, they had a picture on the wall of Reagan visiting the place.

Plenty of wonderful things about CT, but pizza isn't one of them.

[CTyankee]

78. clams yes but pineapple?

I think as pizza became popularized more pizza places opened up and you now have the bad with the good. I think it is wonderful that my little pizza place in Westville, 5 miles away from downtown or Wooster St., can offer such great pizza. BTW, if you are near the Wilbur Cross, you can reach it by taking Exit 59 and going to Dayton St. (it's called dayton st. pizza).

[drbtg1]

79. Clams. pineapple, chicken (regular and Buffalo), all sorts of items that simply do one thing...

...mask the taste of the original pizza. My son has even taken up the habit of requesting bacon on his pizza. As we all know, bacon will make anything taste good, even CT pizza (for the holidays, I'll make Brussel sprouts wrapped in bacon ).

I don't see Westville much, but thanks for the recommendation. If you get to Newington, "Tom's Pizza at The Bar" is better than most for the area, although its too far for me to get take-out there.

[arely staircase]

16. + a brazilian

when i lived in austin i would never have darkened the door of an olive garden or a starbucks. if either one opened here in the sticks, i would be the first one there and a repeat customer.

[xmas74]

18. Same here.

I'd find every coupon, every punch card program, etc. Heck, I'd probably have a personalized parking space as often as I'd use their business!

[Octafish]

69. +1

What one writes says lots about the writer.

[GodlessBiker]

4. Too funny!!! Keep em coming, Ms. Hagerty!

[renate]

5. having grown up in the Midwest, I can see why she liked the Olive Garden

Because I do too.

There probably is something to the cliche about our untrained Midwestern palates. But the positive review also probably has more to do with North Dakota nice.

The food at Olive Garden does tend to be perfectly acceptable--nothing that would send you into "When Harry Met Sally" raptures, but it's just fine.

And now I will prepare to be mocked for liking the Olive Garden.

[YellowRubberDuckie]

10. I unabashedly love the Olive Garden.

I actually have the recipes and make that stuff at home. It's very good. The alfredo sauce is essentially cream, Parmesian Cheese, Cream cheese, Garlic Powder and salted butter. I do everything to taste and it is amazing. It's all over the internet. Their breadsticks are out of a bag from Pepperidge Farm. Heat, brush with butter and garlic sauce.
I worked there during college. It was a good experience. Except the GM was a douche.
Duckie

[dflprincess]

27. I like Olive Garden (but then, I'm in the midwest as well)

Yes, I know it isn't the best Italian - maybe it shouldn't even be called Italian - but I find it tasty.

[Odin2005]

31. Here in Fargo Jonny Carino's is much better than Olive Garden, IMO.

Both times I've ate at our local Valentino's I got food poisoning.

The closest we come here to "authentic" Italian is Santa Lucia's, and they are a bit spendy.

[Speck Tater]

11. I told a bunch of people I like Taco Bell, but they didn't make me famous.

I feel cheated.

[demosincebirth]

14. Hey, I'm Mexican, I grew up eating mexican food and for a quick lunch, Taco Bell is fine with me.

[arely staircase]

23. soy mexicana tambien y

it horrified my mother; strangely at some point in my 20s i really stopped liking taco bell. and the last time i went it was aweful. i think my taste buds just changed or something.

[Speck Tater]

26. Soy estadounidense, pero me encanta la comida mexicana. nt

[arely staircase]

28. right on. what part of the country do you live in, if i may ask?

i had some mexican food in minnesota that was dreadful. it was run by a real mexican family, but i think they took all the heat out so the locals could handle it.

[bmbmd]

30. When I lived in northeastern Montana

Taco John's became a welcome respite from the ice and cold. A taste of home, no matter how homogenized and unappealing it would seem now. In fact, you couldn't force me to eat that swill.

[Odin2005]

32. Fargo has a quite good authentic Mexican joint called Acapulco's.

It's owned by an immigrant family and the food is delicious, and not too expensive, either.

We also have a lot of good immigrant-owned Chinese/Asian places, I live right across the street from one

[Speck Tater]

50. Oregon, but I grew up in San Diego.

So I wait until I'm 66 years old and a thousand miles from Mexico to start learning Spanish. Go figure the logic in that!

[arely staircase]

52. one is never too old to learn - and 66 isn't old anyway

southern cali has good mexican cuisine, certainly some mexicali (that's californian for tex-mex, i'm told)


'rely

[demosincebirth]

48. soy de California, y lo que no hago es comer (for non spanish speakers) mexican food in any

"mexican" restarant outside of CA. and the Southwestern U.S. I travel all over the U.S. and have eaten in many so-called mexican restaurants, owned and operated by Mexican people that were (terrible) nothing compared to real mexican food. The worst one was in the Florida panhandle. Any Mexican restaurants east of San Antonio, I tend to stay out of. Great Tex-Mex food in SA.

Don't flame me, I'm generalizing.

[pinboy3niner]

49. Mexican restaurants in CA usually are pretty good

But yesterday I had the worst chile relleno I've ever had--on Olvera Street in L.A.! I make much better chiles rellenos at home--and I'm Irish/Welsh, lol!

[demosincebirth]

58. There is an art at making chiles rellenos. I never order one unless I see it first. The key is the

egg whites. They have to be aerated...that's a must. I've had some not-too-good Mexican food at Olvera St., also. They cater to tourists.

The worst Chain Mexican restaurant that I know of is called Chevy's. I don't know if you've heard of it, but by Mexican standards it's bad. I gone there a few times (I had no choice) and they were packed with people. Didn't see one Mexican in there but me.

[pinboy3niner]

60. Thanks for the info on Chevys

We have them all over, but I've never been there--and now I'll be sure not to make that mistake. You're probably better off with the enchiritos at Taco Bell, or with anything from one of the taco trucks.

That relleno I had had a bad batter, inferior cheese and a very poor red sauce. Yuck! I'd eaten breakfast that morning at another Olvera St. restaurant that was pretty good (and they served good Mexican home fries cooked with bell pepper, onion and chorizo).

You're right about the egg whites. The key is soft peaks--and the yolks need to be beaten separately and folded into the beaten whites. I make a batter that comes out crispier than the soft, puffy one served in restaurants. But with your heritage I'll defer to you on the subject of Mexican cuisine.

Thanks again for the info.

[arely staircase]

53. you can extend your eastward range to the sabine river (tx-la border)

for the real deal these days. and those san antonio tex mex places are good. tex mex is just nortena food with a bunch of sour cream - though much different that what they eat in veracruz (de donde vino mi mama) they wrap their enchiladas in banana leaves instead of corn husks, for example - and the they are square.

'rely

[demosincebirth]

56. You mean tamales in banana leaves, right? Tamales in banana leaves are the very best I've ever

eaten. Very moist. Here in cali I never order tamales in a restaurant...never had a good one. The maza is always too dry.

[newspeak]

71. I spent my childhood in phoenix arizona

across the street from my house we had a small mexican food take out owned by a family. Mmmm, homemade tortillas and great food. When moving to california, my step-dad asked if I was hungry and if I wanted some mexican food. It was my first taste of taco bell. I took a couple of bites of a taco and that was it. I told him "this isn't mexican food."

[Solly Mack]

13. She sounds like a nice woman.

When a KFC came to the Rhine-Neckar Zentrum (mall) in Mannheim, Germany people were in line a good 4 hours before the mall opened. For the first month or so the place was packed, with crowds still waiting in line to get in and order. People loved it! Couldn't get enough of the Colonel.

Months later the place was still doing did a brisk business. Always packed - inside and out. (outside dining)

We sat outside drinking beer and watched the crowds on opening day. Huge crowd. Just huge.

[arely staircase]

24. i had kfc in lisbon portugal at the world's fair

when we visit family in mexico we can even get it delivered to the house by a guy on a moped. as horrifying as eating kfc in mexico might sound to some, its no big deal to us since we eat good home cooked mexican food all the time, so we don't feel like we are missing anything.

[Solly Mack]

45. KFC is everywhere...and people everywhere enjoy it.

People like what they like.

Home cooked Mexican food sounds wonderful!

[Locrian]

54. KFC = "The Dirty Bird" - nt

[Tommy_Carcetti]

68. In my one visit to the State of Kentucky, I made it a mission to eat at a KFC.

I--a Catholic--even went as far as to violate my own Lenten vows by partaking on a Friday during Lent. Because who knows the next time I'd be in Kentucky?

I'm not obsessed with KFC, and there are plenty of KFCs locally that I can enjoy. It was totally a matter of irony and situational humor.

[K8-EEE]

15. Am I the only person who hasn't been to Olive Garden or WalMart?

Two places I will probably never go to that always seem to be mentioned in cyber-space!

[pinboy3niner]

17. When Wal-Mart opens an in-store Olive Garden, you can kill 2 birds...

And the internets will go nuts!

[arely staircase]

19. never say never

you owe yourself a walmart trip just for the anthropological experience.

[Gemini Cat]

34. Nope, you're not the only one. I haven't either. nt

[Zanzoobar]

20. Can't we all just get along?

Foodies and non-foodies are all people!

[Zanzoobar]

25. I'd like to take this back...

...and refer you to my stepson's response.

"First World Problems".

[DeschutesRiver]

41. +1000 to your stepson. nt

[NNN0LHI]

21. The Olive Garden about to open around here has been big news for months

http://www.daily-journal.com/archives/dj/display.php?id=488158

Bourbonnais: Olive Garden to open March 26
March 12, 2012, 10:47 am
By Dennis Yohnka
[e-mail]
815-937-3384


The area's new Olive Garden Italian Restaurant -- now nearing completion at 2048 N. Illinois Route 50, in Bourbonnais -- is preparing for a March 26 opening, according to a release from corporate representative Dan Kiernan.

[foreigncorrespondent]

22. ROFL... we need more...

...like Miss Hagerty. It makes for better reading than the news today.

[Odin2005]

29. That's called "Minnesota Nice".

[cherokeeprogressive]

33. I love the comment... "snobbers gonna snob".

I guess that about says it all for me.

And as the poster stated upthread, when they open an in-store Olive Garden at Walmart, I'll kill two birds with one trip.

[FLAprogressive]

35. "In the lobby, I noticed three young mothers simultaneously breastfeeding and circumcising their

young boys."

[DBoon]

37. Were there any pitbulls nearby?

nt

[jmowreader]

63. Probably

They were also smoking and breading chicken with cornflakes.

[arely staircase]

39. would you please explain

the olive garden, pitbull, breastfeeding, circumcision meme to me? i've seen it here before and i feel like the nerd who isn't let in on the joke. things that get people worked up at du? but that doesn't make sense because i've seen people get worked upover the last three, but not olive garden.

[steve2470]

42. All of those topics you mentioned have been highly controversial on DU

If you do a search using the "site search" you can find the threads. I think Olive Garden and breastfeeding together was one very long thread.

[arely staircase]

43. ah, thanks. nt

[David__77]

38. I'm not a fan these days, but I'm sure it's an appealing option there.

I don't look down on North Dakota at all. I haven't been there, but I've spend a lot of time in western South Dakota, which was metropolitan by comparison. There simply aren't a lot of restaurants to choose from as compared with the big city. Nothing wrong with that. They've got plenty to offer.

[2ndAmForComputers]

40. Gimme Sbarro over Olive Garden any day.

[lonestarnot]

47. North Dakota, bridge, olive garden, stardom

[orleans]

51. i think it's great she's going out and writiing. good for her. n/t

[lapislzi]

57. Here's my take away.

The woman was doing her job and doing it well. Her prose is actually delightful to read, with the charming austerity of a Sherwood Anderson. It's good writing, and it's a public service. Which is all anyone really needs from a restaurant review.

And, as I said to an older writer friend who was bemoaning her own writing, saying, "nobody wants to read what this old lady has to say," you never know when your moment's going to happen.

[fishwax]

59. I wouldn't call "the chicken alfredo was warm" *rhapsodizing*

"The chicken Alfredo ($10.95) was warm and comforting on a cold day. The portion was generous. My server was ready with Parmesan cheese."

Not exactly rhapsodizing

I've enjoyed this story a great deal over the last week, though.

[yellowcanine]

65. Must be a slow news day. She liked the restaurant. So what if

it is the Olive Garden? She sounds like a nice lady. I thought the funniest part was that if she doesn't like a restaurant she just skips writing a review rather than say something bad about it. If we had more people like Marilyn Hagerty the world would be a better place.

[chrisa]

67. The food there is absolutely terrible.

It's the same price as small Italian businesses, has a huge following, and is totally mediocre. I don't get it. The bread sticks are way too salty and not fresh. The service is terrible, and the food is also mediocre.

[LanternWaste]

70. Different people like and dislike different things...

"I don't get it..."

Different people like and dislike different things...

[Renew Deal]

72. Olive Garden is fantastic!

[onethatcares]

80. didn't read her review but

my mom used to like going to OG. She enjoyed it and rather than take away any of that, I'd go with her.

Hey, if we all liked the same thing, it would be a pretty boring wprld.

Peace.

[miyazaki]

81. Aren't your taste buds pretty much shot at that age?