Marisa Olsen

Hailing from New York City and then Northern New Jersey, Marisa spent a significant amount of time in the Tri-State area. After graduating from college, Marisa worked at Sotheby’s and then the nonprofit arts organization Lower Manhattan Cultural Council (LMCC), where she was the marketing and communications manager for six years. During her time in the arts, she launched and maintained a food blog called Girl Loves Food, which explored her passion for cooking, restaurant reviews, and other culinary endeavors.

In 2014, she switched gears and became the marketing and communications manager for the Harvest Restaurant Group, a midsize, family-run restaurant group in Northern New Jersey specializing in farm-to-table and seasonal cuisine. At Harvest Restaurant Group, Marisa created and managed the marketing department from the ground up and managed all social media channels, emails, customer reviews and relationships, food photography, and restaurant websites and blogs. She worked closely with chefs and front-of-the-house staff for professional development and education advancement opportunities as well as managing the media and other culinary contacts.

After the birth of her daughter, Marisa began consulting for LMCC and the parenting platform Well & Ready, and started her freelance food writing career. She was a frequent contributor to Chowhound and is now a contributor to The Spruce Eats.

She currently lives south of Boston with her two young children and husband. When she’s not cooking or planning meals, she tries to learn about gardening, wine, and fixing up an older house.

Marisa graduated from Connecticut College with honors with a bachelor’s degree in art history and psychology in 2006. She spent a semester abroad in London and studied at University College London in 2004.