It's been a while since we've mentioned Southfork Kitchen owner (and commenter punching bag) Bruce Buschel. The last time we did, it was to note that he had decided to close Southfork Kitchen two months early due to lackluster sales. Well, Mr. Buschel is back...and in a way that's sure to piss off a certain vocal segment of the Curbed readership. He recently took to his blog on NYTimes.com and published a piece called: "All (Restaurant) Politics Is Local". You know where this is going...
"Like politicians who know what 'the American people' want, most everyone in the Hamptons knows what the locals want. Except me. I don't even know who the locals are or if their status is based on geography or longevity or profession or birthright or appetite." "Turns out, this pluralistic, ageless, genderless group known as the locals didn't care much, or very often, about local farmers and local suppliers (even if they were the local farmers and local suppliers). On long February nights, if the mug is frosted and the fries are crispy, if ESPN illuminates the flat screen and the bartender hands out drinks like samples at Stew Leonard's, that's quite enough."
"Expense accounts don't grow on farms. They grow on penthouse balconies. If eating out a few times a week is a city practice, imbibing is something else; there isn't much to do in the Hamptons in the winter that beats drinking." "Yes, we have no cheeseburgers. Even our signature clam chowder is wrong, garden-fresh vegetables with a ham-and-clam veloute poured tableside. Poured tableside? That can make the locals uncomfortable – the converse of comfort."
"Underlying much of the friction has been the blog you are reading. The locals consider it boastful and gauche, an unwarranted intrusion, an unearned platform. How did this verbose upstart get a blog? They don't appreciate the exposure, don't care for the observations, don't like The New York Times. It has been a mixed blessing from the start, precisely as the locals had warned me, at least the New York Post portion of them."
So, there you have it. Bruce has decided to double down on much of the rhetoric that seems responsible for the less-than-welcoming attitude many in the Hamptons have for him. Feel free to share your thoughts?civilly, of course?in the comment section. · All (Restaurant) Politics Is Local [NY Times]
· All previous Bruce Buschel/Southfork Kitchen coverage. [Curbed Hamptons]
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