It’s been a week since elderly North Dakota-based food reviewer Marilyn Hagerty took the internet by storm with her polite review of the new Olive Garden in Grand Forks. Time sure flies, doesn’t it? We’ve all gotten so much older since then.
Naturally, because Marilyn “went viral,” the traditional media folk have been clamoring for access to Marilyn so they can explain her to her fellow old people who still get all their news from the evening news and newspapers. So our sweet princess has been flown to New York, where she’s been able to expand her culinary horizons beyond the Olive Garden. For instance, she had a hot dog from a cart outside the New York Times building.
Ms. Hagerty approached the vendor, Abdelalim Abdelbaky. Her first question caught him off guard.
“What do you recommend for a hot dog?”
“Two hot dogs,” came the reply.
Ms. Hagerty held her ground. “I’ll have one hot dog.”
Then began the age-old negotiation.
“You want mustard ketchup?”
“No ketchup, just mustard.”
“Onions?”
“Yes, please, nice little tiny fresh ones.”
Mr. Abdelbaky spooned out a run of onions simmered in sweet tomato sauce.
“Oh, he gave me these soggy ones. But I know I’ll like it.”
She took a bite and pronounced her verdict.
“I think the hot dog could be a little hotter,” she said. “But I like this combination of mustard and onions.”
The Times notes that Hagerty was planning to pay a visit to the Olive Garden in Times Square during her visit. Old habits die hard, apparently.