The Spotted Pig's Me Too Movement

The Spotted Pig has been one of the trendiest restaurants in New York's Greenwich Village. Everyone from stars to politicians, famous foodies and infamous chefs have eaten there. This starry site had a dark side - one of harassment and assault. The real story is coming out now.

Julia Moskin and Kim Severson wrote this extensive and in depth interview with the Spotted Pig's former chef, April Bloomfield, in yesterday's New York Times Food section.It's a tale of metereoric success. warring egos, incredible talent and magnetic personalities. Chef Bloomfield arrived in New York City in 2003, an innocent,  eager to work in Manhattan, then as it is now a mecca for chefs with talent. She had come from London's famed River Cafe, hired by Ken Friedman, who wanted to start a British style gastropub in New York City. There lay the first problem. Mr. Friedman had more experience in the music industry than he had in the restaurant one. He was able to lure in the glitterati which fueled the Spotted Pig's popularity in the early 2000.'s. Then the restaurant won its' first Michilin star. Chef Bloomfield had to deal not only with nonstop cooking but with the kitchen and waitstaff. She ran it like a martinet, berating both young chefs and waiters.She ignored or brushed off claims from female employees about Mr. Friedman's behavior that ranged from groping to asking them to send nude pictures of themselves.She claims she was not told of these wildly inappropriate  episodes. She also claims that the staff was directed by him to conceal the extent of his abuse.

Yes, as an employer she should have reported him.As a woman she should have been more sympathetic and faced Mr. Friedman head on , with the staff at her side. Yet even though they were partners, in not only The Spotted Pig but also The John Dory and the Breslin, she seemed intimidated by him. To be honest , he was the dominant one in the partnership. From the start, when she just worked for him, he threatened to revoke her work visa over something as simple as mildly disapproving over his choice of prints for the restaurant's interior. His personality was explosive . Maybe it was easier  for her to keep her head down and concentrate on her dishes.Chef Bloomfield did try to broach the subject with him. She had confronted him about his verbal abuse and unprofessional behavior. As with any relationship, she thought she could change him. He would agree and promise to do better but reverted back to his old ways. There was still rampant harassment. She could only concentrate on what she could control - her cooking. That made employees who were still being intimidated , furious. Some did not want to talk to Ms. Moskin or Ms. Severson , emphasizing that they didn't want to make their former boss look redemptive.

Will Chef Bloomfield be able to redeem herself in Los Angeles? It is a new start - yet one that has a history.  Will she be able to get past it with her cooking and new restaurant The Hearth And Hound? Time will tell.

Will Restaurants Survive The MeToo Movement?

It's in our news everyday. It was common for  over a century in the movie industry, Even our olympic teams were not safe. Now the restaurant and food industry are also offering up their sex offenders and predators. Will it affect the way we eat? Will this powerful movement bring down the culture of celebrity chef?

Kim Severson posed this questoin as she also interviewed the chefs in an article in yesterday's New York Times Food section. One of the most famous offenders was Mario Batali, he of the trendy restaurants and TV shows like "The Chew." Sadly his partner, Joe Bastianich also has suffer, having to rise though the ashes of bad publicity. He had to get rid of Chef Batali, is elevating his mother, the famed chef, Lidia Bastianich to a much more involved role.. To be honest , Chef Bastianich has more experience and a more realistic and down to earth approach of managing both the business and employees. She can easily lead her son and offer sager advice when to comes to opening another restaurant or hiring a new chef.There will be another problem when the two partners split.Mr. Bastianich likens it to a divorce with who getting what. Then there are the customers. Do they want to go back to Babbo or Da Posto, despite the excellent food? It is the same dilemma  with another trendy Manhattan eatery, The Spotted Pig. One of the owners, Ken Friedman sexually harassed his workers which got him into a Connecticut rehabilitation center. His chef and partner, April Bloomfeld is now running the eatery on her own.

New York City isn't the only town where restaurants are having their MeToo era. Famed eateries in  New Orleans and Oakland, California. are also in the news thanks to predatory cooks and owners. The famed John Besh of New Orleans is still in charge, despite the twenty-five charges against him from former and current employees. He also maintains the final say on major business decisions however that's where his power ends. Mr. Besh  had ceded it over somewhat to Shannon White who started as a server with his company that includes seven restaurants.She persuaded him and his partner Octavio Manilla to put her in charge. Her argument was that this was a women's problem and a woman has to take the lead. Men would not understand it.She set up a hotline, revised training procedures and updated the employee handbook, adding a code of conduct and a morals and ethics cause. The trendy neighborhood of Oakland California is not immune either.Chef Charles Hallowell, who got his start at the famed Chez Panisse was accused of propositioning employees as well as having a language of sexual innuendo in his restaurants which include Pizzaiolo, Boot and Shoe Service and Penrose..He has stepped aside as an investigation is now being conducted. However he is arrogant enough to think this will all blow over. As one accuser, Molly Surbridge has stated, he needs to feel the real consequences such as a jail sentence for the severity and enormity of it to sink in.

Sexual harassment has to be stopped, especially in the restaurant industry. It may close some,It may ruin business partnerships. Yet it has to be brought ot light and stopped. It has gone on too long. A new era has to begin.