Swiss Restaurant Mogul Looks to Become Uppity Burger BaronAmong the high rollers we met at last night’s autism benefit was a good-natured Swiss restaurateur with the formidable name of Dr. Wolf Wagschal. Wagschal was being shown around by our old pal Drew Nieporent, and we found ourselves chatting up the good doctor about his plans. It appears that Wagschal has it in mind to create a gourmet, high-end, white-tablecloth restaurant devoted entirely to hamburgers. “It won’t be like you have here, with your bacon cheeseburgers and so on,” he tells us. “We will have a cordon bleu burger, a vitello tonnato burger, a mushroom-and-Brie burger, and so on. And it won’t be like the DB burger either; it will be totally dedicated.” Wagschal wants the restaurant, which he plans to open first in Switzerland and then in New York, to have the atmosphere of Tribeca Grill. And who can blame him? But unless he serves one of our bacon cheeseburgers, we won’t be going there. Vitello tonnato!
Back of the House
Waiters Getting Screwed in New and Unusual Way?When Mr. Pink made his famous speech in defense of not tipping in Reservoir Dogs, he left out a very basic point. Waiters don’t make the minimum wage; they live off our decency. Workers have more to worry about than European-style tippers, though: A group of them has sued the management of the Old Homestead Steakhouse, to the tune of $1 million, for skimming their pool of gratuities. That suit is small potatoes, however, compared to the massive class-action case against Fireman Hospitality Group, brought to our attention by the Restaurant Opportunities Commission.
