A tangential observation regarding Flora Bar; I stumbled across it recently while looking for a cup of coffee at the Met Breuer. Regardless of Pete Wells delight in how good the food is, I found the menu to be overpriced ($31 for chicken and broccolini at lunch) and the general atmosphere far too elitist for a museum that caters to the public. The restaurant is a separate entity that serves high end restaurant goers and the board of directors but not the general public. What they contribute, I assume, is a large rental income to the Met organization. It isn't unusual to anchor better restaurants in museum spaces but Flora Bar is over the top and the Metropolitan Museum purports to be a populist institution. Perhaps this recent spate of publicity will give the organization "food for thought".
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This industry has a LONG and glorified culture of this type of behavior. Our most beloved and well known chefs and restaurateurs have been displaying this behavior (much more transparently than this article allows) for as long as ever.
At the end of the day a chef should be a leader, an example of the highest form of control, order, and creativity. We need to stop looking at the leaders of our industry based solely on their product, but on their character as well.
Mr. Carter is not a house hold name. I would love to give the benefit of the doubt and say that this is the first step in what would be a litany of calling out chefs and restauranteurs who mistreat their employees. Change needs to start somewhere, and I hope it’s here. But with this type of behavior being so transparent for so long, I can’t help but ask, why now?
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"As a manager and owner at Estela and the other restaurants in their Matter House group, Mr. Carter projected a smooth, polished image in the dining room. The restaurants’ signature is a kind of sophisticated, understated modernism that informs both the back of the house and the front. Compared with some restaurants run by men who have been accused of mistreating employees, like the Spotted Pig and Babbo, the Matter House restaurants are notably lacking a chaotic, anything-goes atmosphere."
This reads more like opinion than news.
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Detailing Mr. Carter's resume and "smooth" approach, coupled with the absurd notion that Babbo has a "chaotic atmosphere" reads as a positive press release from the MatterHouse PR team.
Carter has been accused by over 30 employees of creating a hostile work environment for men and women and this report goes out of the way to detail his work history, comment on his "polished image," and sidetrack the reader by bringing up Babbo and The Spotted Pig. Certainly Mr. Batali and Mr. Friedman did not receive any such spin from you - why does he?
Mr. Mattos and Mr. Carter should not be given this kind of pass by The Times because they never crossed a physical line (that we know of). The work environment they created is appalling and abusive, period.
Let's also keep in mind the stark reality that over 30 employees came forward from a five-year old restaurant. Estela probably only employs about 45 people at any given time. That is a terrible track record by any estimate.
Reckoning with the fact that abuse comes in many forms - not just sexual, not just from men - would force you to confront both men and women in this industry. It would force you to EQUALLY investigate Ignacio, Thomas, April, Ken and Mario (to name just a few of many) all of whom have well known and now well-documented abusive behavior in the business.
Of course, that is a lot more difficult to do in this era of pitchforks and a much more uncomfortable conversation to have.
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Shocked! Shocked to find gambling in this establishment! And etc.
Another day, another downfall.
4
The restaurant industry is notorious for labor abuses of all kinds. Taking time for "reflection" is no solution to the problem of toxic bosses/owners who do not follow basic professional workplace standards.
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Is it any surprise that the destruction of the labor movement would result in a dramatic increase in dehumanizing behavior toward restaurant workers. Obviously, owners & patrons couldn't care less, any more than they care for the welfare of the livestock that are featured on their menus.
This is unlikely to change as long as our politics are structured to impose chronic desperation on anyone not enjoying ownership status in our economy. No appeal to our better angels will bring relief to the desperate majority of citizens trapped by our current system of economic inequality. As long as our executive elite can maintain & reinforce their advantages by creating additional layers of misery & insecurity on working people, the real sociopaths among them will exploit the opportunities to indulge their psychpathologies. That's what they do.
A cruel, authoritarian ethic has asserted itself as an essential element within the entrepreneurial sub-spiecies in the American economy. The drive to divert an ever increasing percentage of proceeds to the top level of ownership, while depriving everyone else of a liveable wage & decent healthcare continues to gather momentum.
Why would any manager allow a subordinate to maintain the level of security & self-esteem that might someday result in an individual objecting to chronic abuse? The only chance to improve one's plight is to stoically indulge management, whatever it takes! One article in the Times is not going to change this culture.
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The commentators of this article are neither the judge, nor jury at a trial or hearing of the individual in question. The subject matter of the article, if true, can provoke well justified reactions of condemnation, ranging from calls of a proverbial slap on the wrist to ritualistic burning of the chef's white toque and breaking of his big knife over the head.
I was a cook once. Started by necessity as a pots and pans scrubber, graduated to dishwasher and moved my way up the line to the ACF apprenticeship and some time in culinary school. I’ve worked with some true sociopaths mascarading as executive chefs and others that were hiding behind their kitchen knives and souls chefs. It was always disappointing to me when I finally found a creative kitchen and the atmosphere was toxic at best. The joy of cooking reduced to fast food by the mood in the kitchen. The most dangerous kitchens are the silent ones. Hate burbles up at all the wrong times. But when the chef is evil, there is nothing that can be done, save for getting another job. I don’t miss being a cook. That’s why I write books now. Too many psychopaths in the kitchen and in the bar room.
14
This is not a surprise. I was friends with Tommy but eventually ended the friendship because he was emotionally immature and a bit toxic in his words and actions. He had problems getting along with men and was often at lager heads with a boss or colleague. He favored friendships with women, but generally treated women as unintelligent sex objects.
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@T, that is an interesting characterization of "friendship". I trust that is more directly Mr. Carter's social concept, not so much yours.
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Good assessment. I am wondering what abuse he caused at Le Bernardin and Blue Hill at Stone Barns ? What do they have to say as his former employers, because we know this behavior does not happen in vacuum.
As for him needing to ‘step away’ for several months - This Is A Grown Man - shame on their investors for allowing this to happen. 30 adults coming forward is a lot and speaks volumes of what it is like working there. Also, there must be many more that have not stepped forward or left the business knowing their careers would be over if they did speak out publicly.
The MET should throw them out now, my educated guess is that they, Thomas and crew, knew this abuse was going to come to light soon and this is their PR spin. Shameful.
1
each and every one of us knows when we say things that risk offense that we are doing it. Sometimes we do it for the shock value. Sometimes for the power it generates. Sometimes we're just stupid. But we know. The gentleman in this situation new. His partner should have stepped up long before this. 30 people is a lot of complaints.
when are people going to learn? I am only heartened by the speed at which the downfalls are occurring and how deep the downfalls are when this comes to light. Whether it's at a university, an Olympic Training Camp, a set of restaurants, or an office, it's the same power Dynamic. Joe Paterno. Matt Lauer. Mario Batali. James Levine. Harvey Weinstein. Cardinal whatever his name was. The bigger they are the Harder They Fall.
The same thing happens in local TV studios, community colleges, little league baseball, the local Parish. And the Town Diner. My fear is that this reporting become so common because the situation is so common that we become immune. We can never let that happen. Ronan Farrow should get the Nobel Peace Prize. is dogged determination and thorough reporting and commitment to making this happen when stopped at the gate at NBC is stunning. Bravo Ronan. You have open the floodgates. thank you
7
No person should ever subject themselves of working for idiots that claim to be geniuses for the sake of getting ahead in the restaurant business or other reasons. I think any “investor” going forward should hold their so called geniuses accountable for their actions so they act responsibly and ethically such that these sad stories don’t happen!
Ultimately the power is in the hand of the investors! Not the chefs, not people that eat there !
3
What?!! An overbearing restaurateur!! I'm shocked!! Who cares?
6
": “Ignacio initiated conversations with me over a year ago about professionalizing the work environment in the front of the house, including improving upon respect in the workplace and how we speak to our employees."
Gee, if this guy thinks that sounds believeable not to mention contrite, then he's farther off the mark than iniatially thought.
14
What is it with this industry? Are there any decent men running restaurants? The article is extremely vague as to what sort of harassment. Does the guy use bad language, or is the harassment sexual in nature?
4
Treating employees with gross disrespect is a personality characteristic which probably fulfills an internal need which is unlikely to be resolved by reflection. Once a jerk...
16
Let me get this straight. 1) Every French Chef for the last one hundred years has treated their staff like garbage. 2) Joel Robuchon, who just Passed, was internationally infamous for being one of the worst at this type of behavior. 3) The Times wrote not one but two articles glorifying this man.
The truth be told: Thomas Carter's plight has nothing to do with his language. It has everything to do with targeted Payback.
Am I supposed to believe this type of conduct on his part just started recently? Hey, some Higher-Up wants him gone so they come up with this "Me Too Movement" flavor of the day in order to force him out.
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