Steve Barnes was beaten up on Friday night. Not because he’s openly gay, not because he was a jerk to someone, not because he insulted someone’s mom. It was an entirely random attack. Oh yeah, one more thing — Steve is a restaurant reviewer for the Albany, NY Times-Union, and some blogs are painting this to be a jilted restaurant-owner taking his revenge.
Steve is taking it very much like a man:
It seems inconceivable to me that anything I’ve written could have prompted the attack, as some have suggested. But if it did, the pissed-off person didn’t send a very clear message — indeed, any message at all. So yo, attackers: If I’m supposed to be nicer to somebody in the future, drop me an e-mail. Otherwise you’re just a coward. Black eyes fade, but cowardice and thuggery are permanent character flaws.
We couldn’t have said it better ourselves. The restaurant is, and probably always will be, a battleground: chefs, servers, patrons, reviewers, bloggers, meta-bloggers, meta-reviewers, home cooks, and everyone else are always quick with a jab and quick to call foul. But kids, not violence. Beating someone up never did anyone — or anyone’s restaurant — any good.
Not just another Friday night [Tablehopping]
A Restaurateur’s Revenge? Food Critic Beaten Up [Gawker]
[Photo via Tablehopping]
