i don't get why this is a thing but that kevin hoffman dude is a dick and i am gonna follow this story vaguely in the hope that he gets his comeuppance
I completely agree, he was so obnoxious and condescending.
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 22:43 (twelve years ago) link
His condescension strikes me a as narcissism of small differences kinda thing, tbh.
― ryan, Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:01 (twelve years ago) link
What I like about Marilyn: She appears to have managed to sustain a successful career in journalism without either being laid off or getting burned out, something which I gather is really at the heart of alt press's contempt. She also seems like she would be a lot of fun to eat with, provided the food doesn't get in the way.
What I don't like about her: The sense that a meal with her could turn out to be a live reenactment of this. In an article about the News Room (in Mpls.), she referred to some of the clientele as "swishy." Just like everyone else, I only tolerate homophobia in my own grandparents and no one else from their generation.
What I don't like about this thread: "Why is that it's always people from the midwest who seem most intent on making fun of rubes? It's like, dude, you're in Minneapolis." (Oh hey, check out the dateline on that Onion article!)
― Eric H., Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:24 (twelve years ago) link
Also, playing attack dog on all other local media is sort of KH's beat.
― Eric H., Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:26 (twelve years ago) link
(Not defending at all. Just explaining.)
he also seems like she would be a lot of fun to eat with, provided the dining room has a fireplace.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 13 March 2012 23:28 (twelve years ago) link
She appears to have managed to sustain a successful career in journalism without either being laid off or getting burned out, something which I gather is really at the heart of alt press's contempt.
??? huh ???
― max, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 00:32 (twelve years ago) link
ya when i read that article and contemplated her long, persistent career, it just made me so fucking mad
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 01:12 (twelve years ago) link
Here's the thing about that: When you write steadily for 40-plus years, you get good at it.
there's a local writer around here who definitely proves that isn't true. i've read some pretty terrible 40+ year writers
― Mordy, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 01:43 (twelve years ago) link
places like Columbus, Ohio where chain establishments filled the year-end best-of lists without fail.
Just FYI, I've lived in Columbus for most of my life, and I don't think that this has ever been true. Maybe it doesn't matter, but it's not accurate.
― J, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 01:48 (twelve years ago) link
alt press = little job security and rarely paid well
Marilyn = I get to write about Taco Bell and keep this job for my whole life
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 02:14 (twelve years ago) link
(But that may admittedly be projecting my own bad faith from my limited experience with the local alt.)
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 02:24 (twelve years ago) link
Xxp http://www.columbusalive.com/content/topic/best-of-columbus/2011.html
― butvi wouls (Phil D.), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 02:27 (twelve years ago) link
ime (worked at an alt-weekly for a long time) there's almost TOO MUCH job security there... people get kind of old in those jobs all of the sudden
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:14 (twelve years ago) link
lol @ being jealous of someone who reviews the olive garden for a newspaper in north dakota
― 3hunn O))) (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:26 (twelve years ago) link
I'm insanely jealous of people of all shapes, sizes, ages and levels of stupidity.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:30 (twelve years ago) link
TROOF
― Alan Hale's Corn Casserole Recipe (Family Circle, June 1976) (Deric W. Haircare), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:34 (twelve years ago) link
i don't think this is so much about jealousy.
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:37 (twelve years ago) link
i was talking about eric, or what eric posted, if that's a c/p, i couldn't totally tell
― 3hunn O))) (J0rdan S.), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:40 (twelve years ago) link
yes i am agreeing with you.
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 04:44 (twelve years ago) link
has anyone here eaten at an Olive Garden recently
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:32 (twelve years ago) link
I thought this was funny when Best Music Writing tweeted the link and said that every year they had to read a lot of music reviews with that kind of flat, affectless prose, but the idea of it becoming a viral and something that some snarky prick would phone up and patronise her about just makes me feel bad about being amused in the first place. Yet again, I find myself hating the internet.
I like the idea of Ernest Hemingway, restaurant critic though.
― Suede - the fabric, not the band (DL), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:39 (twelve years ago) link
this conversation covers the response AND the quality of olive garden food pretty well
http://www.theawl.com/2012/03/our-week-with-marilyn
― max, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:42 (twelve years ago) link
The Venetian Apricot Chicken is just a fascinating idea. It sounds like a name for a high-risk sexual practice more than a viable entrée idea
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:50 (twelve years ago) link
Macaroni Grill > Maggianos > Chef Boyardee > Olive Garden
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:51 (twelve years ago) link
this is otm:
To me, the fact that the food is not good—and it's a fact, and that's fine as far as it goes—is less jarring than the actual experience of being at one of these tablecloth-grade macro restaurants. The whole thing is just enough like being in an actual restaurant that the ways in which it deviates from that stand out as especially baffling. The weirdly formalized weirdnesses that we're supposed to take as normal. The rituals that make regulars feel at home—oh good, I was hoping you'd ask if I needed more breadsticks—but that just make outsiders feel weird.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:52 (twelve years ago) link
David: Also, once you get past the LOL Old Lady thing, the review reveals itself as a miniature masterpiece of Upper Midwest Minimalist Underminining.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 11:54 (twelve years ago) link
i don't think i've ever been to one of these "restaurant grade" chains like olive garden, chilis, houlihan's, etc.
― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:24 (twelve years ago) link
but lord knows i've seen a lot of their ads.
Ruby Tuesday's?
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:26 (twelve years ago) link
Underminining?
― Mark G, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:29 (twelve years ago) link
For me it's almost one of those situations that's inevitable, unless you want to get peevish about where to go to eat when going out with coworkers or relatives. xp
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:29 (twelve years ago) link
i'm surprised Olive Garden is getting so much shit. i mean, they're okay, I like the salad a lot, not sure why they are the "worst thing in the history of the world" rather than a dozen other chains
― frogbs, Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:33 (twelve years ago) link
The Awl conversation about this max linked to is great.
― TracerHandVEVO (Tracer Hand), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:36 (twelve years ago) link
Macaroni Grill is by far the best of these Italian chains but, yeah, my last visit was a few years ago for a coworker's birthday lunch.
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:37 (twelve years ago) link
Applebee's is a much better candidate for "worst thing in the history of the world."
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:38 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2PkGMq7cb8
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:39 (twelve years ago) link
But it's got a bar!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:40 (twelve years ago) link
I was going to say.
― Respectfully, Tyrese Gibson (Nicole), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:41 (twelve years ago) link
holy shit that awl article (or "conversation" or whatever) goes on forever
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:42 (twelve years ago) link
some good stuff in there but the way they keep digging at j gold and his so-called snobby appreciation of "chinese restaurants with no menus that are in BASEMENTS" is pretty lame
Kind of want to see what jala-maple-peno sauce tastes like.
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:44 (twelve years ago) link
the 20 worst restaurants foods in america
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:44 (twelve years ago) link
Olive Garden has wine.
http://eatthis.menshealth.com/files/book_pasta%20bowl.jpg
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:45 (twelve years ago) link
god, the idea of pasta in a bread bowl is just...
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:46 (twelve years ago) link
it doesnt like even make sense as a delightfully sinful indulgence... who would want that??
MarKuS J.is Hungry
San Dimas, CA
4 star rating12/17/2008
Nothin' says better than getting drunk at 5pm til 8p at Applebee's with your boss!!
― Exile in lolville (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:47 (twelve years ago) link
nothin' says WHAT better
― A Little Princess btw (s1ocki), Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:48 (twelve years ago) link
lovin'
― Eric H., Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:56 (twelve years ago) link