In every city, there’s a restaurant community. Beyond the Yelp reviewers, the self-proclaimed critics, there’s a whole ecosystem of servers, bartenders, hosts, bussers and cooks. And, in my very limited experience, these people talk.
If you’re not already plugged in and you want the hot goss about the restaurant scene in your city, just befriend a few restaurant workers. They’ll tell you what’s what, and fast.
Unless, of course, the restaurant in question is so bad that the general public gets wind of its bullshit. That’s how you know it’s bad. Perhaps a manager was repeatedly abusive to staff over the course of many years. Perhaps so many health code violations were filed, the place’s health department letter-grade rating sunk. Perhaps, as is frighteningly common, an owner decided to be hateful or daft on social media.
This is exactly what happened to a once-celebrated vegan restaurant in the city where I used to live.
Last I heard, the owner of the restaurant—who’d made multiple transphobic and racist posts on Facebook, among other offenses—had run away to another city with her former child star partner, with whom she’s since broken up.
I’m being coy here, but if you’ve lived in that city, you probably know exactly which restaurant I’m talking about. If not, you definitely can’t get the tea by sending me an email, because I definitely wouldn’t give you any further information.
Definitely not.