re: Will Olive Garden ever come to Alexandria?

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It's why people eat at Joes Crab shack when vacationing at the beach rather than great local seafood options they aren't familiar with.

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In 2012, Marilyn Hagerty was loudly mocked online for her review of the Olive Garden, which had recently opened in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Bourdain, who spent his life traveling the world in search of food and culture, was among the few professionals in the food industry who completely embraced Hagerty rather than crucifying her. "Very much enjoying watching Internet sensation Marilyn Hagerty triumph over the snarkologists (myself included)," Bourdain tweeted after Hagerty's review went viral.

But Bourdain didn't just defend her, somehow he became her biggest supporter and helped her nab a book deal with his own book line at Ecco Press. "She's been writing a food column in Grand Forks for 30 years. As we saw a little bit of her during her blow up on the internet and how she handled herself, what we have is a sincere, genuine reportage of food that people don't really see or talk about," Bourdain told reporters during a conference call in April 2012. "I see her life's work as a history of American dining. What's happened to them? Are they still around after 25 years?"

When Hagerty published her book, "Grand Forks: A History of American Dining in 128 Reviews," Bourdain wrote the foreword and continued to laud her work as "a fascinating picture of dining in America, a gradual, cumulative overview of how we got from there ... to here."

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every time i pass an Olive Garden and Red Lobster, the parking lots are always packed.

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The average American just isn't adventurous with food and want to eat what they are familiar with /have seen on tv.

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Usually, any restaurant that opens in Alexandria is only good for about a month or two. The staff that are initially brought in are there to train the locals on how to run the business. Once the locals take over, it all goes to shite. Walk-On's is already going downhill.

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The thing is people that eat almost exclusively at chains aren't all trash like this what is trashy obcessed site implies. The majority of the middle class eats mainly at chains when eating out.

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