Marisa Olsen

Experience

Originally from New York City, Marisa spent her formative years in the Tri-State area. After graduating from college, Marisa worked at Sotheby’s and 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 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-house staff for professional development and education advancement opportunities while managing the media and culinary contacts. A longtime oenophile, Marisa trained and studied with the Harvest Restaurant Group’s beverage department. There she learned about wine, composite tastings, food and wine pairings, and craft cocktail mixology. Marisa has traveled to Napa and Bordeaux and frequently attends wine events to continue to hone her wine knowledge. 

Marisa’s freelance food and beverage writing career began after the birth of her daughter, when she began consulting for LMCC and the parenting platform Well & Ready. She was a frequent contributor to Chowhound and now writes for a range of brands including Southern Living, The Spruce Eats, Food & Wine, Byrdie, and Liquor.com.