Tue, February 17, 2026 at 9:16 PM UTC
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Key Points
U.S. Olympian Ben Richardson shares honest reviews of dishes from the Olympic Village.
Viral TikToks highlight hits like potato gnocchi and misses like waffles with syrup.
The Olympic Village showcases comforting Italian classics like ravioli and tiramisu.
If you’re tuning in to the 2026 Winter Olympics, chances are you’ve caught a curling match or two. And if so, you’re familiar with U.S. men’s curling Olympian Ben Richardson. But what you may not know is that Richardson has been taking fans along on a food tour of the Olympic Village, revealing what’s being served in Milano Cortina.
From spaghetti Bolognese to tiramisu, Richardson is tasting an array of food in the village. There have been some hits (like a “really smooth” cappuccino) and misses (a waffle that sounds like a rock when tapped against the plate). His most viral review has been him tasting ravioli with tomato sauce and pesto, which has collected over 2.8 million views and over a quarter of a million likes.
“It’s fine,” Richardson says after tasting the ravioli. “I would prefer there to be a little more cheese, personally, but the flavor is OK.” He ends up rating the pasta a 6.7 out of 10. This may seem like the Olympian is a harsh critic, but Richardson tried the potato gnocchi the next day, which he said was “really good” and had “no complaints” about.
Richardson isn’t the only food connoisseur at the Games this year. Team USA women’s ice hockey goalie Aerin Frankel has an Instagram account dedicated to Caesar salads—that means we’re hoping for a Caesar salad day at the Olympic Village. We might just get a crossover episode featuring our two new favorite foodies.
Naturally, the Olympic Village’s food selection features plenty of Italian cuisine options. Eat like an Olympian with some of our takes on the classic, comforting dishes shown in Richardson’s TikToks.
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