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aww yay robyn ! and heeheee i'm glad somebody finally answered the original question of this thread topic

hi, handmc will i share their trash talk ? heeheee believe me i share it every day no seriously though a lot of the complaints on shamelessrestaurants are pretty well known and widely pervasive as far as i know. if what you are asking me for is elaboration or more detail-- WELL i just happen to have this little book thingie out now called "PX This" it was also mentioned in the very same NY-Post article and in it i think you will find more than enough "trash talk" to make your head spin kind of like this---> but to answer the rest of your question: what did i think when i first saw it ? well my very first thought was "hahahaa oh WOW some people are gonna be PISSSSED." and then my very next thought was "oh that's brilliant i wish i had thought of it first." overall i'd have to say i think it's great. there is always more than one side to every story and lots of "shameless" restaurateurs have reaped ample reward from their glossy polished publicist-spun image-enhanced versions. i mean really what else did they expect ? did they really think it was okay to go around being horrible obnoxious malevolent creepfaces and they would never ever suffer the consequences ? and what are the consequences anyways? some angry people are bitching on a website SO WHAT. will their businesses suffer will they lose their shirts will they stop opening restaurants I DOUBT IT. these places are still very well protected by complex laws and powerful PR and strong connections. hahahahhaa in the end it's all quite silly. it's the Empire vs the Federation it's the Matrix vs Zion it's marie-antoinette vs the peasants. who will control The Force ??? STAY TUNED whew that'll teach ya to ask me what i think

hahahhahahaa i was in that article too ! but i'm glad they cut me out of the online version because they made me sound like a total douche aw come on don't you think that's a bit harsh ? sorry, but i don't think for a minute shamelessrestaurants was built to "hurt others as much as possible." i think it's there to give a voice to a group of peoples who, as of now, have no other way of being heard. it's not like they can just hire a publicist like their employers can. if people "look bad" maybe it's because they ARE BAD. and frankly, i don't see any of these so-called "shameless" places defending themselves in any articulate or convincing manner, even though the site provides them ample opportunity. all i've seen in refutal so far is a lot of whining because now all their dirty laundry is hanging up in the breeze. "shut up, stop complaining... if you don't like it, leave." ?? THAT'S the response? yeah sure, we should all just quit our jobs and go on welfare instead. because our places of employment are run by unprofessional, egomanical, just-plain-derisive jerkfaces. hmmmm imagine instead a fair, efficient, harmonious work environment where everybody treated each other with common courtesy and decency why that's just CRAZY TALK and frankly let's be realistic here. anyone who has worked in the NYC food industry for any significant amount of time isn't surprised by any of this "new" information. no one i know is gasping in shock that certain companies are being outed as "shameless"-- they're all just laughing their butts off it's out in public and that it's getting so much attention. a sad waste of whose talent ? i really wish you'd elaborate a bit more on this "power always having been in the hands of the employees" concept because i just don't get what you mean.

wow. i think that is one of the most insightful things i have ever heard anyone say about him. i mean maybe it's a pervasive sentiment, but it's rarely expressed. and not so articulately i'm jealous. yes i love Matsuri. lots of people dislike it, though-- it's just kind of one of those places i guess. still have to try Ono. i must say my two bar visits didn't exactly entice me to dinner oh that would be great ! but i have to warn you i tend to force all my acquaintances to buy multiple copies of my book (they make great gifts!) through persistent harassment. please by all means feel free to e-mail me and i will let you know what nights i am there which is pretty much like all the time V,MC,AX

aww thank you so much, madziast and i'm sorry-- i didn't mean to snap at you in my response up there i hope i didn't sound snippy. but i guess i do get a little sensitive about the whole "rat" and "traitor" thing are you a JG fan, generally? (i know you're from NY because i vaguely recall something about Matsuri you posted once) well i hope you enjoy it and i really would love to get your opinion once you're done. as long as it's favorable just kidding hahahahahahhahahahaaa mrreeeoooooowwwwwwrrrrrr ! easy there killer []

joanne212, if i have to thank you one more time i might just have to have your baby or something is JG being hypocritical? probably. but it's to be expected i suppose. YES the sword does indeed cut both ways. and i for one am proud to have wielded it in the opposite direction my "expose" is an almost-daily four year journal. if i did it just to "get back" at my employer, i would have had to have some serious psychic ESP going on. as in like: gee i think i'll start this diary just in case four years from now i work for someone who's a complete ASS boy it would be really really great to have this 500 page publishable document lying around so's i can exact my revenge (?). come on now as for the moral world: well, i can't say whether i've had any value as such. but i CAN say: i worked, i saw, i spoke. not many people have the opportunity to be heard in any significant or consequential way. i did. and for this i am grateful beyond words. if i never "make a buck" i could give a flying fuck by the way, the book is clearly marked "HUMOR" right on the back cover. no no no thank YOU ! wow you are like the local forum celebrity i am HONORED is that true? i spoke to a libel attorney of course and after perusing the book he pretty much straight up told me "no worries" i am protected by the first amendment no it's not "objective" at all. i ain't no barbara-walters-- this is a DIARY peoples sheesh. I DID NOT RAT ON ANY BOSSES. i took plenty OUT just to be NICE believe that oh please. look don't get me wrong i don't have a single thing against the man. i actually like him very much i think he is sweet and smart and talented and an all-around nice guy. i assure you there are NO "trade secrets" in my diary no "scripts" nor recipes nor any special tactics that aren't already known and practiced far and wide throughout the entire industry. there were no "confidentiality agreements" before this book. and maybe would still not be if not for one thing: it's probably kind of embarrassing. hey if you actively choose to present yourself to the world in a certain way, you had best live up to your hype. otherwise, you WILL be embarrassed. some how some way some time and if the idea of an employee "profiting" from his/her experience is disturbing, DON'T MAKE THE EXPERIENCE SO SCANDALOUS. imagine if my diary read: "dear diary, went to work today. it was great. i clocked in. i did my job. i clocked out. i got paid. the end." i ask you, who would give a rat's ass might i just add one more thing: no one has ever called me the lauren-weisberger of the restaurant industry. my book is no DEVIL WEARS CHEF'S WHITES or anything even remotely crazy like that. frankly, i take a little umbrage at that word "traitorous" in that NY Post thingie up there. but whatever. please by all means take a look and feel free to judge for yourselves thank you so much for your time and interest

my boyfriend has a collection of those little doodads you rest the chopstick tips on in asian restaurants at first they were mostly polished stones but now i've noticed places getting really fancy with all sorts of cool little custom-made gizmos

you liked it? yay! thank you! if you don't mind, i'd love to hear what your friend has to say too once he's had a chance to read it-- since he works for the company and all. is he FOH or BOH or UTH (heehee office/financial aka "under the house" in the basement) oh tell him i heard all about the new "confidentiality agreement" policy hahahahahaa thanks again so much, joanne212 [p.s. ugh i hate that picture]

wait glenn, don't go! i was enjoying your recount but i'm confused. was the point of this thread to solicit comments about your WRITING ? were you testing its appeal as some sort of literary piece ? where in j.c. ? i used to live there. and i like grilled cheese

i fit the "celebrity" title ? hahahaa. why-- because of my stupidity and over-inflated ego ? you're so nice, joanne212

aww man i thought i was going to find a full-on FOH/BOH war in here i was all ready to jump in and reprezent up in this piece this just confirms my suspicion egullet is BOH-intensive. ( hahahaa all the FOHes are busy bitching at shamelessrestaurants and bitterwaitress ) well if anybody cares, the FOH v. BOH thing is evidently a major point of contention throughout the industry generally. like just for example, i happen to know for a fact the ENTERTAINMENT VALUE ("viewer appeal") of "bourdain's BOH" is CONSTANTLY being pitted against "jean-georges's FOH" heeheee and since we've already determined bourdain himself will have little (or nothing) to do with the production of the TV series that bears his book title i would have to say in this particular case FOH is going to kick BOH's ass

i expect them to hate my guts, curse at me often, and occasionally even lob a dish at me (which is why i learned to hone my catlike reflexes) oh you meant as a DINER never mind

wow thank you so much joanne212, you're so sweet ! do i know your friend personally ? [but don't tell me his name, i think BigBrother may be watching ] you should probably warn him to be careful-- a few people within the company have already been reprimanded for talking about the book. and recently i heard they've been warned: any discussion will result in termination (?!!) i really appreciate your kind words and support. thank you again and please thank your friend for me too [and the waiter, if you ever go back to spice-market!] hahahahhahahaa yeah me too! except for the smiling part i'm kidding. the staffs usually loves me ASK ANYBODY

easy there, killer. they already have their hands full considering their own restaurant-type dealie. thanks anyways

you rang ? MY opinion? well umm how much time ya got ? sniff... sure scoff now. but wait 'til i get my own TV series then you'll be sorry!