Two beloved California food critics on a trip to Missouri were killed Saturday when a semi-truck barreled head-on into their car, officials said.
“Let’s Dine Out” stars Allan Borgen and Isabel “Izzy” Busse, who were also longtime romantic partners, were driving on Interstate 44 east of Lebanon around 6:45 p.m. when the tractor-trailer going in the opposite direction swerved into oncoming traffic.
Borgen, 75, who was behind the wheel of their minivan, was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Busse, 54, died at a local hospital.
KVCR Public Media, the Southern California media outlet Borgen worked for for 32 years, confirmed his death Monday, saying the personality and food critic’s “easy smile and friendly demeanor will be remembered fondly.”
Borgen, a retired social worker, began working as a food critic in the early 1990s, writing columns for local newspapers and appearing on television.
“He was very personable, and a very lively presence,” former Sun features editor John Weeks told Redlands Daily Facts.
“Had a great sense of humor. He wrote enthusiastically about food. I discovered many restaurants through his reviews, and thousands of readers did, too.”
Borgen was known for his boisterous Hawaiian shirts and bold personality — because he was so popular in the Inland Empire area, he could not go incognito to conduct his reviews.
“His reviewing style was to have a great party, measure the temperature of the room, and get lots of opinions about the food – including from people at the tables around him. It was a democratic approach to reviews. He was very much a personality,” Weeks remembered.
Borgen also hosted a dining club called the “Grub Club” — which is how he met Busse.
The two started off as friends after bonding over food, but the relationship blossomed into something both romantic and professional.
Busse served as Borgen’s co-host for his “Let’s Dine Out” program, which focused on promoting mom-and-pop shops.
“She always had a really fun laugh; she was always up for anything,” Busse’s friend of more than 20 years, Jeanette Rodriguez, told Redland Daily Facts.
“Allan was just a sweet man, he always adored her. He liked to spoil her,” she continued.
“There’s nobody who can say anything bad about either one of them, at all.”
It’s not clear whether the driver of the semi-truck is facing any charges for the crash.
