Grand Forks was a fascinating look at food in the heartland over the course of 128 restaurant reviews spanning Oct. 7, 1987 until April 4, 2012.

Author Marilyn Hagerty thinks of herself more as a reporter than a reviewer. She also has noticeable quirks. She is very particular about her coleslaw and really likes vegetable soup. She will often take notice of the decor, service and restrooms. She doesn't like to be asked more than once if her meal is okay and she doesn't want the waitperson to clear plates off the table until everyone has finished eating.

Because she lives in Grand Forks, ND, population 55,000, she often visits the same restaurant more than once either to eat an old favorite or to try some new menu item. What I noted as I read through the reviews was the uncertainty of the restaurant business as restaurants and restaurateurs come and go over the 25 years. I also noted that some menu items that were popular, like levosh and duck, are unknown in my part of Minnesota just a couple hundred miles away.

It was also interesting to watch as mom and pop diners gave way to chain restaurants and to see how the Red River Flood in 1997 changed the food landscape in Grand Forks. ( )

With more than 100 different reviews of restaurants in North Dakota, this sounds like a snooze, but it's really a beautiful representation of how small towns have changed over the years. When she talks about blue plate specials, and Norwegian dishes, there's a wonderful love of community in her writing. I originally picked this one up as a nonfiction read for North Dakota for my Reading the States project, and I'm glad I did. Since my goal with the project is to get a better feel for each state, I think this book does just that. Hagerty paints a picture of this area of the country through their stomachs.

Yes, they are reviews of restaurants you will probably never go to. That's not really what the book is about, it's a chronicle of how small-town America and the food they eat has changed over the years. Once upon a time a new Arby's opening in town was big news and sushi was a foreign concept that most Midwesterners were wary of. You can also see how the styles of food are reflected in the area, there’s lots of Norwegian food because were North Dakota. I love that there's pieces of the town’s history sprinkled throughout the reviews as well. There was a huge flood in 1997 that caused many of Grand Fork’s restaurants to close. A new restaurant that opened after the tragedy included a note on its menus that said, “Time will pass, our city will heal, but the strength encourage of its residents will never be forgotten.”

BOTTOM LINE: I wouldn’t recommend this unless you really want a taste of small town American restaurants. It absolutely provides that, but it’s also exactly what it sounds like, a collection of reviews of restaurants in Grand Forks, North Dakota. ( )

I'll be honest, I skimmed this more than reading it. I heard the online snark about her Olive Garden review when it hit twitter, but this book provided interesting background. I like her theory on how and why she does what she does, but I just didn't find the reviews of restaurants I haven't been to in a city I've never visited to be worth my limited reading time.