Sniping the Chirpy Manager
Posted by Foobooz on February 16th, 2009
In Craig LaBan’s review of Butcher & Singer he states, “Butcher’s overly chirpy manager might restrain herself from incessantly interrupting meals to blather on about the retro nostalgia. Her uninvited monologues (four at my first meal) and forced introductions were a saccharine distraction.”
It’s one thing to say the service was cloying in general, but another to single out an employee. Should Craig LaBan have called out the manager for being chatty?
Should Craig LaBan have called out the manager?
- Yes (55%)
- No (45%)
Total Votes: 345
Loading ...1500 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA
Related Tags: Butcher & Singer Steak & Seafood, Center-City-West, Craig-LaBan, Steak
February 16th, 2009 at 11:34 am
I have no problem with Laban singling out the person for obviously annoying him and his guests during dinner. It must have been particularly egregious to warrant a paragraph about it. So ya gotta wonder where she’ll be working next….
February 16th, 2009 at 12:28 pm
I think it is a jerk move. Before Leban writes a review and after he goes to the place a few times, he calls the place to fact check all of the ingredients of the dishes he ate and get so details about how some more memorable dishes are prepared. If he had a problem with a chatty manager he could have simply said something to the person he talked to, and not embarrassed the manager in front of the smallish restaurant community. Who really cares about a manager anyway?
February 16th, 2009 at 12:33 pm
Service is an extremely important part of a restaurant review. Many a time has a horrible server been referenced in a review (even though with a bit more anonymity as the pool is larger than managers), so why not the person running the show that night.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
chefs get bashed, personaly, by name, all the time.
Secondly, It’s Starr! It’s not like someone in-experienced cute fiance or aunt. She is a highly paid profesional. And should be more aware of guest neeeds.
February 16th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
great point Erin…chefs and ownership consistently get slammed…its the hospitality business…if you can’t gauge how much interface a particular table wants…you aren’t worth the salary your getting paid….see ya baby
February 16th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
He could have made his point yet kept his target anonymous by, for example, referring to just a “staff member” and using passive voice.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
if she gets fired ill be surprised…i mean…c’mon…just cause she was chatty??
February 16th, 2009 at 3:41 pm
No Jagee, I’d say it’s not because she was chatty but because Leban complained about her.
February 16th, 2009 at 3:57 pm
It’s really a shame that this issue is taking precedence over what was a all in all a really nice review…
February 16th, 2009 at 10:39 pm
I love how he singled out a server by NAME as being great just as an extra f-you to the “manager”
February 17th, 2009 at 7:45 am
They were talking about this on 610 WIP yesterday on Angelo. Laban is being spotted at Starr. Is he getting the same experience as the regular dinners? I think this is leban’s retribution for being spotted. …the managers are up his butt because they know it’s him.
February 17th, 2009 at 10:14 am
He loved the restaurant, so it makes sense that he would be very specific about what changes he wanted, and a change in the manager (or at least a change in her style) is what he wants. Plus, if she was giving him special treatment because she recognized him then it makes sense that he would react by calling her out specifically.
February 17th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Good point Rse. Maybe a warning to those who recognize him to back off a bit. Thinking about it some more I can’t see why this manager would be fired, she did get Starr three bells…
February 17th, 2009 at 1:10 pm
It’s just sad, what alot of people don’t know is the STarr group puts such pressure on the manager and basically makes mangement feel as if they don’t get three bells they will loose there job! What the city doesn’t know is that during the “review period” they have a director from the company stand at the door and watch for Mr. Craig!!! He is always spotted and everybody in the building is aware he’s there, including kitchen! So maybe it was a bad case of nerves and jitters that got the best of that manger, and maybe the entire experience was catered to him being there, the food was tasted before it reached him the server had been hand choosen, every moment he experienced was played out! She just must have been overstressed about the entire situation!
February 18th, 2009 at 9:44 am
I ate there and the manager came up to me. She came up while the person I was eating with went to the bathroom, so it was nice to have a very warm welcome and smiling personality ask how everything was so far.
February 18th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Not to put myself in anywhere near the same class or category as LaBan, but…I catch hell from my readers for not being harder on things at bars and brewpubs, down to obnoxious bartenders. So I empathize: you’re damned if you do, damned if you don’t. I suspect that readers not in the hospitality biz nodded and smiled; readers in the biz got red in the face. And why should a manager get a pass on personal attention when the chef is dead in the crosshairs every time?