The Cure

Times Critic Pete Wells Got Into It With a Ham on Twitter

Cuts like a knife.
Cuts like a knife. Photo: iStockphoto

It all started, apparently, with the Times review of Carbone on Wednesday, in which Wells praised the “aged country ham” from Kentucky as an effective “stunt double for Parma.” Maybe because the prosciutto has protected origin status and is a bit touchy when it comes to upstarts, the ham (or someone working its social-media account) got on Twitter to say it was “a little irked” by the critic’s praise of the substitution. You know, because there is no real substitution for prosciutto di Parma. Only after Wells asserted that he meant no harm, and New York Post critic Steve Cuozzo arrived with backup, did the O.G. ham back down. Now prosciutto di Parma says it’s going to Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi’s restaurant in the Village for “research,” so don’t be surprised if a leg shows up next to Jay-Z on the banquette. And let’s pray that Parmigiano-Reggiano never finds out about any of this. [Prosciutto di Parma/Twitter, Earlier]

Times Critic Pete Wells Got Into It With a Ham on Twitter