The news yesterday mentioned Mario Batali, the chef-owner of Babbo restaurant in New York.
He compared Wall Street bankers to Hitler and Stalin in several prominent publications. His restaurant is one of the top in New York, very expensive, and popular among the rich financial set.
Many years ago, after Ruth Reichl left the New York Times and became editor of Gourmet Magazine, she wrote a column listing her four secret favorite New York restaurants. Babbo was one of them so I tried it on my next trip to New York. It was the only one of the four that I considered equal to the top ranks of San Francisco restaurants.
Now the question is, whether New York bankers care that a business person has insulted them, and they care where they go for a fancy meal. If both of these are true it is possible that the restaurant, despite an apology, may lose business.
I would personally like to see Batali punished for his hostile and self loathing ideology.
In my experience, most consumers would happily buy what they want from Hitler himself unless he had killed a member of their family. Just one more positive and negative amoral attribute of commerce.
Many years ago, after Ruth Reichl left the New York Times and became editor of Gourmet Magazine, she wrote a column listing her four secret favorite New York restaurants. Babbo was one of them so I tried it on my next trip to New York. It was the only one of the four that I considered equal to the top ranks of San Francisco restaurants.
Now the question is, whether New York bankers care that a business person has insulted them, and they care where they go for a fancy meal. If both of these are true it is possible that the restaurant, despite an apology, may lose business.
I would personally like to see Batali punished for his hostile and self loathing ideology.
In my experience, most consumers would happily buy what they want from Hitler himself unless he had killed a member of their family. Just one more positive and negative amoral attribute of commerce.