Wharf law, pseudo-goop, Beard season, Comedor drama, Resy recruits, and more...
Family Meal - Tuesday, March 3rd, 2020
Hello Tuesday,
It has now been almost six weeks since our young family of five left home in Hong Kong for (Gilligan theme tune) a three week tour of the US east coast. We’re still here.
And so… Family Meal is coming to you this morning from a crowded hotel room on DC’s waterfront “Wharf” development, where an unfenced theme park of restaurants, shoppes, and shrink-wrapped yachts sits atop a hidden cesspool of hospitality lawsuits and allegations.
Per the Washingtonian’s Jessica Sidman: “The owners of Social Restaurant Group are accusing one another of fraud, financial mismanagement, and breach of contract in half a dozen lawsuits spanning the past year… Restaurateur Mike Bramson accuses business partners Naeem Mohd and Rajiv Chadha of trying to oust him from their Wharf restaurant LaVie under false pretenses. He also accuses Mohd of mismanagement and using company funds for personal expenses, including spa services, restaurant and bar tabs, and a political contribution.”
OK, but if you ask my son, the real wharf scandal is the way free goldfish distribution at Hank’s Oyster Bar clearly favors younger sisters. Litigation pending.
Let’s get to it…
Beard Season – ICYMI: The very long lists of James Beard Award chef and restaurant semifinalists came out Wednesday. Too many names to include here, but congrats, all! Full list in the official announcement, plus this programming reminder: “We'll announce the final Restaurant and Chef Award nominees, as well as the nominees for our Media and Restaurant Design Awards, in Philadelphia on Wednesday, March 25. The nominee announcement will begin at 9:00 A.M. ET and will be streamed live… The 2020James Beard Awards Gala will take place on Monday, May 4, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago… and the 2020 Media Awards will take place on Friday, April 24, at Pier Sixty at Chelsea Piers in New York City. Tickets to both… will be on sale beginning March 25 at jamesbeard.org/awards.”
The Pseudo-Goop – In the NYT yesterday, Kim Severson has a big rundown on all the “ways both big and small, a new concern for the health and wellness of workers is seeping into the anxiety-ridden, run-till-you-drop world of restaurants.” With cameos / benefit listings for: Katie Button Restaurants (Asheville; annual health care cash incentives), Comedor (Austin; free yoga and a running club), West-bourne (NYC; meditation and childcare), Honey Butter Fried Chicken (Chicago; parental leave), Sean Brock’s latest project (East Nashville; cranial electrotherapy stimulation), Dig Food Group (NYC / Northeast; mental health care, flu shots, trips to the farm), 4505 Burgers & BBQ (help with personal problems, bilingual HR, and above minimum wages), Indigo Road Hospitality (NC, GA, SC, TN, DC; 75% of insurance premiums, parental leave, mental health counseling), and Willa Jean (NOLA; gym fees).
All that sounds great! Side note: What’s the over-under on how many articles will be written about Brock’s cranial electrotherapy room once it’s up and running? Eighty? I’ll take the over.
The Media – Last week, Eater announced an expansion into two new markets: Phoenix and the Carolinas. Looks like Phoenix will operate as a sort of ghost/cloud publication, with updated maps and the occasional feature, but no dedicated staff on the ground. Meanwhile, Eater Carolinas will replace Eater Charleston under the continued leadership of Charleston editor Erin Perkins. For your PR rolodex: “Please send any feedback to phoenix@eater.com or carolinas@eater.com, follow the sites on Twitter (@eatercarolinas, @eaterphoenix) and Facebook (Eater Carolinas; Eater Phoenix).”
The Media? – Following former SF Chronicle food editor Paolo Lucchesi and others, wine writer Jon Bonné announced on his personal blog yesterday that he’s joining Resy. “I’m taking on a new role, that of Managing Editor at Resy. While you probably know Resy as a source for reservations, it’s also building out a robust platform for editorial content. I’ll help to lead the team that’s developing our editorial offerings.” That link in his piece goes to Deanna Ting’s November Digiday article on Lucchesi’s move, where she says Resy is “using content to appeal to diners and restaurants alike. But to do that successfully, Resy has to serve diners content that they can trust but that also won’t upset or turn away the primary source of its revenues: restaurants.” P.T. Barnum grins, gives thumbs up, mouths “trusted inbound marketing content,” goes back to dead.
The Arbitrary – At Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group recently, “Grumblings about [a new mandatory arbitration clause] spread, and staffers at Gramercy Tavern were planning to hold a protest in front of the restaurant [last] Tuesday morning... Following word of the demonstration, USHG president Chip Wade announced in an email [the day before the protest] that the company would nix the arbitration section, and the protest was subsequently called off. For employees who have already signed the agreement, the arbitration section will now be rescinded, and the company set a new deadline of January 1, 2021 for both sides to come an agreement on a conflict resolution process.” Details and reference docs from Tanay Warerkar in Eater NY.
The Thinker – Headline in The Outline: “The war on food waste is a waste of time.” Summary of argument from writer Austin Bryniarski: “Wasting less food in a shitty food system won’t make that system any less shitty.” (Found this one via a now deleted tweet from a food writer who specifically called out a chef working on food waste, and questioned the attention said chef was getting for said work. It’s OK to question charity, folks! Not as fun as questioning other things, but important!)
The Editorial – In this weekend’s From the Editor, Eater EIC Amanda Kludt came out in support of eliminating the tip credit (no link available yet). She was apparently convinced at least in part by a new documentary called Waging Change, and after laying out the usual arguments (wage theft, discrimination, harassment) comes full circle to maximum persuasion: “Anyway, I know many restaurant owners aren't on board with this, but you should watch the film.” Your move.
And last and least –Headline in Eater Dallas: “Dallas Chef’s Social Media Tantrum Over Austin Restaurant Dinner Sparks Outrage.” Summary via editor Amy McCarthy’s own tease on Twitter: “This juicy Dallas/Austin dining drama has everything: food journalists dating chefs! chefs (allegedly) stiffing servers! a two-day Instagram tantrum! a break-up!!” Also, of course, apologies!!!
And that’s it for today. Back to NYC this morning to take over a friend’s apartment on the Upper West Side till Saturday at least. (If you’re counting, that’s home number 9 this trip!) Grateful for all your best UWS recs. And invites to all the best parties, of course.
I’ll see you here soon for next Family Meal.
And don’t forget to follow me on Twitter and Instagram, and send tips and/or flu shots, trips to the farm to andrew@thisfamilymeal.com. If you like Family Meal and want to keep it going, please chip in here. If you got this as a forward, sign up for yourself