BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota columnist Marilyn Hagerty, known for her sincere critique of a local Olive Garden that went viral online, passed away on Tuesday at 99 years old.
According to her daughter, Gail Hagerty, she died in a hospital in Grand Forks due to complications from a stroke. Gail recalled her mother as a dedicated journalist who aimed to provide readers with genuine insights about restaurants rather than harsh criticism.
Her 2012 Olive Garden piece was “unique and authentic, coming from a grandmother in North Dakota,” Gail Hagerty said.
In the review, she famously wrote in praise of the chain’s chicken Alfredo as “warm and comforting on a cold day.”
In her review, she noted, “As I dined, I saw the vases and planters with permanent flower displays on the ledges,” adding, “There are several dining sections with arched doorways. And there is a fireplace that adds a cozy touch to the decor.”
It spread on social media and drew national media attention to Hagerty.
“She was always out and about, thoroughly enjoying it, though she had to ask my brother what ‘going viral’ meant. She had no idea,” Gail recounted. “She used to joke that if you’re going to have your 15 minutes of fame at the age of 86, you better do it soon. No time to waste.”
The wave of media interest even captured the attention of renowned chef and TV personality Anthony Bourdain, who supported Hagerty on Twitter amidst criticism of her appreciation for Olive Garden’s offerings. He later met her and published a collection of her columns, authoring its foreword.
In a 2014 chat with oral historian Teri Finneman, Hagerty shared that the reaction to her review was astounding, leading to many emails, phone calls, TV appearances, and even a visit to New York City.
“But most of all, it was people feeling in defense and people praising me for the way I write the Eatbeat. And — I wrote that Eatbeat column so fast one day that I never expected it to be repeated all over the country, but that’s what happened,” she said in the interview.
Hagerty was born May 30, 1926, in Pierre, South Dakota. Her newspaper career began while she was in high school, when she assisted the editor of the Pierre Capital Journal and wrote city briefs, according to her oral history.
She earned a journalism degree from the University of South Dakota, of which she was quite proud, her daughter said. She added that Hagerty was a journalist at heart who took the effort to get to know people and the community and was actively writing for more than 70 years.
Hagerty was beloved in Grand Forks due to her long career and community involvement, and in 2002 a lift station was dedicated and named in her honor. Hagerty arrived at the ceremony on a restaurant owner’s motorcycle, her daughter said.
“I’m going to leave some flowers there this evening,” Gail Hagerty said.
Hagerty was writing at least occasionally for the Grand Forks Herald until last year.
