Thornton's Restaurant on Liveline 27 Feb.

FlutterinBantam

Heh heh heh..jaysus...!!!

I was listening to Liveline today, going on about Thorntons restaurant.

If I understand correctly,a party went in to have a meal on Saturday last , and were treated like sh it!!

Then the chef comes on and tries to justify boorish ignorant behaviour!!!

This cnunt has been watchin too much TV and thinks that people will accept the kind of shyte Gordon Ramsey tries to dish out!!

Get a fcukin grip here.. people pay to get a service, give it to them.

These pricks think they have the right to insult people.

Grow up for chrissakes.

DMC

Bantam, how did you know this was on tomorrows show??

Ah yes, Duffy is back... shame really...

FlutterinBantam

Frikken watch says 28th!!!

Bantam takes it on the chin..:mad:

Nice one

DMC

You're right on the money though. Its one of those things that good businesses have been lost in recent years, such as good customer service. Didn't do himself any favours, and won't last long with that attitude.

FlutterinBantam

What tees me off though, is that these fcukers have set themselves up as "artists" Artists!!!! Fcukin cooks!!! dish it up and shut the fcuk up!!!

I'm payin ya!!!

Amazing what the media can do, turn fcukin cooks into "celebrities"

And todays Liveline is the result.

mike65

Not sure what this has to do with radio though? This is Comsumer Issues!

Mike.

Seaneh

Well, in fairness, I know the whole story, and while his reaction was over the top, I can see why he was so pissed off.

[edit]Kevin I mean[/edit]

monkeyfudge

mike65 wrote:

Not sure what this has to do with radio though? This is Comsumer Issues!

Mike.

Actually it's probably a topic better discussed in the Food & Drink forum.

Seaneh

I'd have thought it was perfectly at home in the radio forum seeing as it took up a full two days worth of talk on the countrys most listened to phone in?

monkeyfudge

Seaneh wrote:

I'd have thought it was perfectly at home in the radio forum seeing as it took up a full two days worth of talk on the countrys most listened to phone in?

But the opening post and the following discussion have all been related to the restaurant and chefs in general but not Liveline's handling of the issue.

Seaneh

eh, fair point.

Seaneh

FlutterinBantam wrote:

What tees me off though, is that these fcukers have set themselves up as "artists" Artists!!!! Fcukin cooks!!! dish it up and shut the fcuk up!!!

I resent that.

FlutterinBantam

Seaneh... Sorry I may have been a bit over the top on this..however...

As I see it nothing gives the service provider the right to abuse and belittle his customers who are paying good money for his product.

The media have elevated some people in this industry into cult status and it seems to give them the right,in their opinion, to be boorish and insulting to people who they think won't stand up to them.A small coterie of these people think that eccentricity is expected of them and rank bad manners and coarseness will be tolerated.
There are of course, plenty of excellent chefs who take apride in their expertise and do not act the prima donna for the gallery.
I think this started in Langan's in London where it was considered to be a badge of honour to be belittled by the owner.

I know if it was me and he tried it he had better be able to extract a frying pan from his hole as under NO circumstances would I tolerate that rubbish.

county

what did thornton have to say on the matter?

Sarsfield

I only read about it in the Irish Times. The article gave the impression that the guests were being complete pricks. I also read into the article that the other guests were happy to see the back of them. And Thorntons have apologised.

There's a difference between offering good service and tolerating dickheads. Whatever about it being badge of honour to be belittled by the owner, in the modern 'sophisticated' Ireland it seems to be a badge of honour to be a dickhead.

Just my reading of the article.

copacetic

thats the way I read it too, sounds like the asked for something off the menu, after already getting their mains and then are surprised it was late coming out? some guy decides that he needs chips with his main and demands them (but doesn't want to wait and continue eating). the kitchen cook them (they aren't on the menu) and sends them out, of course they are finished their mains and send the chips back. thorton storms out and asks them who the feck do they think they are...

I'd say thornton should have known better than to get thick with them, but obviously they got their own back by getting on the radio.

total generalisation but I can just imagine the type of person that would act like that when out for a meal and would believe thortons version over theirs.
they probably loved it and left planning on how they would get him back...

Seaneh

Right here's my 2cents.

Kevin is a very... odd person.
He gets really worked up really easily and has a tendency to go a bit over the top, however I would have done the same thing, just not as extreme.

FlutterinBantam

I'm wobbling.!!! Havn't read the IT article,was it by Helen Lucy Bourke who thinks Thornton is up there with Bono near God!!?

I heard Thornton on a later show and apparently apologised but... said he did not want to see that party back in his restaurant.

On mature reflection I would opine that there was an element of "acting the prick" but the reaction was way over the top.


Touch of the auld Celtic Tiger Shenanigans from both sides....

Seaneh

by the way, the restraunt went on fire thursday night, nobody injured.

copacetic

Seaneh wrote:

by the way, the restraunt went on fire thursday night, nobody injured.

hmmm, a couple of days after the OP posted the thread. interesting :eek:

faceman

Saturday's irish times had an article by tom doorley about the whole thing, made for interesting reading. I like tom doorley now.

copacetic

faceman wrote:

Saturday's irish times had an article by tom doorley about the whole thing, made for interesting reading. I like tom doorley now.

i read that too, can't believe they went and washed and chipped potatoes, cooked them once, let them cool and cooked them again to get the perfect chip and then the guy doesn't want them! i'd have gone nuts myself I have to say!

deisemum

In yesterday's Sunday Independent they reported that their food critic Lucinda O'Sullivan was told to leave the Balzac Restaurant at the La Stampa Hotel.

She complained about everything except 1 starter and was then asked to leave by the general manager who'd had enough of her. He'd offered to replace her risotto. She proceded to complain about more items on the menu when the manager stopped her in her tracks saying " Can I cut you short, I am not listening. Good evening try another restaurant" before whipping the plates up from the table.

I've never been to that restaurant so can't comment on it but I've read some of her reviews in the newspaper and she's so full of it.

I happened to see her on Ireland AM one morning and she came across as being a stuck up snob and very condescending.

For one who complains so much about what's wrong with what she orders it makes me wonder why is she so morbidly obese. Obviously she's eating a fair amount to be her size so it can't all taste bad.

faceman

^ PMSL! Classic!

FlutterinBantam

What did Doorley say in the IT...give us a synopsis please.

I don't like Doorley, comes across as a right knob.

Just wonderin:p

copacetic

FlutterinBantam wrote:

What did Doorley say in the IT...give us a synopsis please.

I don't like Doorley, comes across as a right knob.

Just wonderin:p

The pitfalls of platefuls

Eating out in fancy restaurants can be a tricky business if you're feeling hungry, as one fine diner found out in Thornton's restaurant in Dublin last week, writes Tom Doorley...



he gave the story pretty much as it appears to have happened. The guys ordered Loin of Venison with
Fondant Potatoes, Roasted Parsnip,
Herb Gnocchi, Port Sauce or something and when he got it decided it wasn't enough for him so asked for chips. Then thornton peeled, washed and cooked the potatoes at one temp, then let them cool and cooked again at a higher temp to get the best chips. This took 40 mins apparently and then when they were sent out the guy said he wasn't hungry after all and sent them back. Doorley did point out that obviously the portions in the main were fine for him after all.


He said that thorton was wrong for giving the cutomer abuse but you could see he was on his side pretty much.
Think he mentioned that there is a 'clique' of people going around Dublin causing 'issues' in well known places. The attitude being I have the money so I can act whatever way I want and hoping to cause trouble and laughing about it afterward (may be off on that, could be the impression I got)

Then they had a funnyish insert on dos and dont's if you want to get thrown out when eating..

blorg

Found a free copy of Tom Doorley's article for anyone who is interested.

copacetic

blorg wrote:

Found a free copy of Tom Doorley's article for anyone who is interested.

cheers, wasn't toooo far off.. but pity they don't have the dos and don'ts inserts

GreeBo

I disagree with the point that he cant have been that hungry if he refused the chips.
The damn things took 40 minutes to arrive. He had finished his mains, in fact the table had been cleared and they were looking at deserts according to the article.

If I order a coffee and I decide that I want sugar in it, Im not going to wait 40 minutes and then eat a few spoonfuls on their own just because I ordered it.

The chef/wait staff were naive to think that anyone would wait that long and still eat them. I would guess that Thronton was pissed at someone asking for "chips" in his restaurant and so made a big song and dance about preparing them, which blew up in his face.

Also the fact that he refused their money and yet took it off their card later is a disgrace. I would have contacted the CC company about a fradulent transaction ASAP.

copacetic

GreeBo wrote:

If I order a coffee and I decide that I want sugar in it, Im not going to wait 40 minutes and then eat a few spoonfuls on their own just because I ordered it.

I get where you are coming from, but it's not quite the same is it? If you decided you wanted chips with your coffee you would be expecting a bit of a wait for the chips (although 40 mins seems a long time) Especially if they place you were in didn't do chips!

I would have thought it would take at least 20 mins to prepare chips from scratch and understand that the way they did them gives the best chips and would likely take twice as long?

GreeBo

daveym wrote:

I get where you are coming from, but it's not quite the same is it? If you decided you wanted chips with your coffee you would be expecting a bit of a wait for the chips (although 40 mins seems a long time) Especially if they place you were in didn't do chips!

I would have thought it would take at least 20 mins to prepare chips from scratch and understand that the way they did them gives the best chips and would likely take twice as long?

But if I asked for freshly made pancakes (where you are supposed to leave thmixture for 24 hours before using it) would they send me some pancakes the next day, OR, would they say, "Sorry sir that will take too long to prepare as its not on the menu. Can I offer you something else?"

They guy asked for chips with his main course, how is he supposed to know it will take 40 mins for them to arrive unless they tell him?
If they tell him and he agrees then that is totally different, but they didnt, they said no problem sir.

copacetic

GreeBo wrote:

But if I asked for freshly made pancakes (where you are supposed to leave thmixture for 24 hours before using it) would they send me some pancakes the next day, OR, would they say, "Sorry sir that will take too long to prepare as its not on the menu. Can I offer you something else?"

They guy asked for chips with his main course, how is he supposed to know it will take 40 mins for them to arrive unless they tell him?
If they tell him and he agrees then that is totally different, but they didnt, they said no problem sir.

well I agree they should have told him it would take to long, but I would certainly know myself that once you already have your main course in front of you then ordering anything not on the menu to go with it is going to take a while.

GreeBo

daveym wrote:

well I agree they should have told him it would take to long, but I would certainly know myself that once you already have your main course in front of you then ordering anything not on the menu to go with it is going to take a while.

A while yes, 40 minutes? No way.
Who on earth would start eating a plate of chips on their own when everyone else is ordering dessert and you dont even have any cutlery left?

They should be done for Credit Card fraud. You cant just take money off someones card.

copacetic

GreeBo wrote:

A while yes, 40 minutes? No way.
Who on earth would start eating a plate of chips on their own when everyone else is ordering dessert and you dont even have any cutlery left?

They should be done for Credit Card fraud. You cant just take money off someones card.

well agreed 40 is too long, but would have thought minimum 20 mins would be expected? Like you say they should have said no, but I would have thought that by the sounds of these guys they would be checking where the chips were rather than just waiting. Maybe they were told how long they would be?

Didn't know that the credit card had been charged, wouldn't have thought you should do that after throwing them out. Seems to be standard practise now though in places to charge card if you don't turn up which seems even worse.

GreeBo

Well to be honest, how long you are willing to wait is a personal matter, I wouldnt wait more than 10 minutes as I wouldnt see the point. I would just have more of whatever the offered sides were.

The guys offered to pay and were told no, then the card gets charged a few days later. Scandalous.

copacetic

GreeBo wrote:

Well to be honest, how long you are willing to wait is a personal matter, I wouldnt wait more than 10 minutes as I wouldnt see the point. I would just have more of whatever the offered sides were.

The guys offered to pay and were told no, then the card gets charged a few days later. Scandalous.

well I wouldn't be willing to wait either but would know that chips were going to take a long time! I think ordering off the menu is ignorant anyway, unless you have some allergy or something.

I guess my point is that the customers here sound like a bunch of awkward ignorant sods. Thornton doesn't sound like he acted much better than them but I think it is likely they were out to provoke him.

2000 posts! congrats for you..

GreeBo

daveym wrote:

well I wouldn't be willing to wait either but would know that chips were going to take a long time! I think ordering off the menu is ignorant anyway, unless you have some allergy or something.

I guess my point is that the customers here sound like a bunch of awkward ignorant sods. Thornton doesn't sound like he acted much better than them but I think it is likely they were out to provoke him.

I guess since we were not there we dont really know what happened.
The impression I got was that the guy was given his plate of mean and he said something along the lines of "is there any change of some chips or something to go with this?"
And the wait staff said "sure, I will get you some"

daveym wrote:

2000 posts! congrats for you..

Yeah, some of them are even a worthwhile read

Hippo

I've eaten at Thorntons, long time ago admittedly at the old premises in portobello. Thornton himself is definitely a bit....excitable. A true tortured genius, and his food is amazing. The waiting staff are unbelievably professional, it's got a michelin star ffs. I'd be amazed if they misled the tiresome punter about having to wait for his chips, though why anyone would order chips in such a place is completely beyond me. Couldn't he just have gone to burger king?

GreeBo

Hippo wrote:

I'd be amazed if they misled the tiresome punter about having to wait for his chips, though why anyone would order chips in such a place is completely beyond me. Couldn't he just have gone to burger king?

Do you know this "tiresome" customer?
Were you there during the incident?

Thornton didnt seem to mind spending 40 minutes "creating" this Burger King food, so why do you have an issue with a customer ordering it?

Hippo

I was as much present at the incident as you were. I'm not condoning Thornton's behaviour by the way, but from what I've seen and heard of him I'm surprised he made the chips!

GreeBo

Hippo wrote:

I was as much present at the incident as you were. I'm not condoning Thornton's behaviour by the way, but from what I've seen and heard of him I'm surprised he made the chips!

So you were not there at all then.
Yet you feel you can label the customer as "tiresome"?
Whats this label based on exactly?

Hippo

Your earlier posts were based entirely on assumptions. Perhaps you should examine your anger issues . Good Bye

GreeBo

Hippo wrote:

Your earlier posts were based entirely on assumptions. Perhaps you should examine your anger issues . Good Bye

Where exactly do I make assumptions?

Perhaps you should attack the post and not the poster?
Either that or have an argument that you can actually backup, otherwise its just tiresome for the rest of us to read your mindless drivel.

copacetic

GreeBo wrote:

I guess since we were not there we dont really know what happened.
The impression I got was that the guy was given his plate of mean and he said something along the lines of "is there any change of some chips or something to go with this?"
And the wait staff said "sure, I will get you some"


Yeah, some of them are even a worthwhile read

I guess your right, you are picturing a totally different attitude on the customers part to me!

My impression was he gets his plate, snaps his fingers and demands chips 'at once young man' from the waiter.

Like you say we weren't there but from the little I heard on the radio the customer sounded like an arrogant pratt so I suppose I am biased against him.

FlutterinBantam

Oh dear.... Obviously another case of some cook watching too much television.

"Food should be a theatrical experience" or some other dumbass quote like that.

"Listen horse just serve up the food ,I'm paying, and shut the fcuk up"!!!!

Tiresome tiresome