The Marilyn Hagerty NYC Meta Media Circus Begins

Whatever your take on the "viral" fame of North Dakota restaurant critic Marilyn Hagerty, you can't deny this swirling meta spectacle that's just getting started. You can be a grump about it like the Village Voice's Robert Sietsema who's "so over Marilyn." (Haters gonna hate?) Or you can just revel in the absurdity of it all. So far, she's been on CBS Sunday Morning and the Today Show, and her son got a cover story in the Wall Street Journal (don't miss the requisite stipple drawing that is the true indicator that you've made it). She apparently also "fielded calls from the Wendy Williams show and the Ellen Degeneres show."

And now she's in New York City, and a dedicated blog was set up to document the trip. Somebody named Ryan is traveling with Hagerty and livetweeting her journey. First stop after checking in at the hotel? Street cart hot dogs and the offices of the New York Times. And yes, NYT staffers provided her macarons.

Also on the docket: visiting Eric Ripert's restaurant Le Bernardin for a review — of course Anthony Bourdain "secured" the reservation — as well as another "five-star restaurant." And then she'll visit a NYC Olive Garden with Anderson Cooper. Oh, and people are trying to set up lunch for Marilyn and First Lady Michelle Obama.

A visit to Letterman and the International Space Station can't be far behind.

· All Marilyn Hagerty Coverage on Eater [-E-]