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The Milan–Cortina Winter Games are delivering headline moments on the ice — and unexpectedly viral ones in the dining hall. Athletes’ cafeteria critiques and Instagram side projects are turning into a surprising substory of the Games, offering a lighter, human glimpse into Olympic life and drawing large online audiences.
Food as fan content
Beyond podium finishes, some competitors have become informal food commentators, sharing quick reviews and reactions that resonate with followers. The Olympic dining spread — from novelty pasta shaped like the rings to tableside tiramisu and a cartoonishly large Nutella dispenser — has proven as talk-worthy as many events themselves.
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One notable example is Ben Richardson, a member of the U.S. curling squad, whose brief cafeteria reviews have developed a cult following. His posts are compact, deadpan and often funny, prompting reactions from fans and even the official Olympic social accounts. When he critiqued a plate of spaghetti, some Italian viewers pushed back, arguing the dish only needed better mixing with its sauce.
Social media users have also been quick to riff on Richardson’s style — a few comments have playfully teased him to take his reactions down a notch, while others have praised the simplicity of his judgments. The mix of athlete access, candidness and low-effort humor is what keeps the clips circulating.
A goalie’s long-running “research” into Caesar salad
Aerin Frankel, the U.S. women’s hockey starter, has pursued a much more curated culinary hobby. For nearly two years she has maintained an Instagram account devoted almost entirely to one item: the Caesar salad. Her posts catalog versions she discovers at restaurants and while traveling with teams, turning a singular preference into a persistent side project.
Her feed shows creative reinterpretations — everything from a corn-topped Caesar and a lobster-forward take to a wedge hybrid and a chicken-crusted base crowned with dressing. One particularly inventive entry came from a Rhode Island hot dog stand where the chef paired Caesar flavors with a frankfurter; Frankel docked a point only because ketchup wouldn’t work with the concept.
- Sugo (Toronto) — Classic presentation, scored highly for balance and crunchy croutons (noted in her post as a top-tier contender).
- Your Father’s Mustache (Halifax) — A fried-chicken–topped Caesar that Frankel rated above the usual scale, a crowd-pleasing outlier.
- Lugano, Switzerland — A recent stop produced a version so heavily garnished that the lettuce was nearly hidden under Parm, bacon and chicken.
Frankel’s posts are easy to follow and visually appetizing, which helps them perform well on social platforms while offering a relatable through-line amid the week’s high-stakes competition.
What this means for fans and athletes
These culinary side stories do a few things at once: they humanize elite competitors, give followers a playful reason to check feeds between events, and extend the Olympics’ cultural footprint beyond arenas and slopes. For athletes, lighthearted content like food reviews becomes an approachable way to engage fans without the pressure of commentary on results.
On the competition side, Frankel is not just sampling salads — she’s also delivering on ice. A key save she made this tournament contributed to a historic result against Canada, and she remains a central figure as Team USA advances to the semifinals.
Will a gold-medal victory lead to an epic celebratory Caesar? Given Frankel’s devotion, it’s a safe bet her next post will answer that question.
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