Marilyn Hagerty, longtime Grand Forks Herald columnist and food critic known for her viral Olive Garden review, has died. She was 99.
The journalist died Tuesday, Sept. 16, of complications from a recent stroke, her son James “Bob” Hagerty confirmed to TODAY.com.
Funeral arrangements have been set for Oct. 6, the Grand Forks Herald reported.
She is survived by son James “Bob” Hagerty, daughter Gail Hagerty and eight grandchildren. She also had daughter, Carol Werner, who died in 2011.
Hagerty made an appearance on TODAY back in 2012 when she first went viral.NBC NewsWire
Back in 2012, Marilyn Hagerty went viral after the Grand Forks Herald published her earnest review of Olive Garden.
She ordered the chicken Alfredo, which she described as “warm and comforting on a cold day.”
Overall, she noted, “All in all, it is the largest and most beautiful restaurant now operating in Grand Forks.”
Marilyn Hagerty wrote for the Grand Forks Herald up until October 2024.The Grand Forks Herald
Hagerty, who wrote for the Grand Forks Herald for nearly 70 years, kicked off her Eatbeat column at a time when her small town only had five fine restaurants.
Committed to covering new establishments and chain restaurants, including Ruby Tuesday, Taco Bell and McDonald’s, her critiques caught the attention of many, including TODAY and the late Anthony Bourdain.
She returned to Olive Garden eight years later for another review, ordering the same chicken Alfredo meal.
Shortly after her second Olive Garden visit, she made a 2020 appearance on TODAY to reflect on her virality and success.
Hagerty told TODAY that after her first review of the Italian restaurant, she received a mix of negative and kind messages.
“It was fun and it was kind of funny and yet after all the bombasting I got from sophisticated people around the country, I started getting messages from people in places like Waterloo, Iowa, and little towns in Colorado and they’d tell me they had an Olive Garden and they liked it too,” she said.
Bourdain, however, was a fan and edited her 2013 book “Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews.” The late chef also wrote the foreword.
“She is never mean — even when circumstances would clearly excuse a sharp elbow, a cruel remark. In fact, watching Marilyn struggle to find something nice to say about a place she clearly loathes is part of the fun,” Bourdain wrote. “She is, unfailingly, a good neighbor and good citizen first — and entertainer second.”
Additionally, in her obit written by her son, he wrote that his mother “did not consider herself an authority on cuisine — despite travels to Europe and Asia, where she eagerly sampled novel dishes — and chose not to pass judgment in print on restaurants’ food. Instead, she tried to give readers a clear idea of the choices, prices and atmosphere at places they might like to try.”
Hagerty’s interest in writing came during high school when she would write city briefs for the Pierre Capital Journal, according to a Legacy obituary. She later earned her journalism degree from the University of South Dakota.
In August 2021, the University of North Dakota awarded her an honorary Doctor of Letters degree.
According to her Grand Forks Herald author page, she last published articles in October 2024.
When on TODAY, Hagerty got a kick out of how her writing led her to make national news.
“It seemed quite ridiculous for somebody in Grand Forks, North Dakota, to be writing about a restaurant and ended up on the TODAY show and stuff like that,” she said with a laugh, adding, “… I think it was in the fact that small-town restaurants have a role to play.”
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