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Restaurants want reviewer fired

Thursday, March 5, 1998

By David Roberts

WINNIPEG -- A group of 60 Winnipeg restaurant owners have signed a petition

demanding that a daily newspaper fire its food critic and warning that she

will be barred from entering their establishments.

The Winnipeg Free Press is standing behind their embattled critic, Marion

Warhaft, who has written the weekly restaurant column every Friday for the

past 20 years.

The restaurateurs believe Warhaft's negative reviews have taken a big bite

out of their business and allege she displays bias by tipping off some

owners to her impending visit. Some have threatened to charge Warhaft with

trespassing if she shows up at their restaurants.

"The negative reviews have cost me $150,000 to $200,000," said Ernie Walter,

owner Winnipeg's Nibbler Nosh restaurant. He is especially embittered by a

review that appeared in January. "This last time she said, 'You'd expect

better from any greasy spoon.' That's cost me $50,000. It's personal. People

are saying they've had enough."

Free Press editor Nicholas Hirst said he doesn't understand what all the

fuss is about and that the newspaper will not succumb to threats when

editorial freedom is at stake.

"I do think the power of the press is something we should take seriously,"

he said yesterday as he fielded telephone calls from news outlets across the

country. "And I don't think we want to grind any business into the ground

gratuitously. But what we're talking about here is a column for heaven's

sake. It's amazing that this has become a national story. It's like it's the

best story since the frog with six legs."

Bob Stevens, executive director of the 400-member Manitoba Restaurant and

Food services Association, said owners have a long-standing beef with the

Free Press. "I don't think public flogging leads to improvement -- and

that's what we've had. If you flog them in public, the public stops coming

to their door."

Not all of the province's restaurateurs agree with the campaign to get rid

of Warhaft. A number of owners and chefs reportedly called the Free Press in

support of the critic.

Another local restaurateur, Heinz Kattenfeld of Amici Restaurant, said he

was asked to sign the petition, but declined.

"I am not going to gang up on Marion Warhaft," he said. "We have not always

had a good write-up, but I think what she is writing is fair."

Hirst said restaurants in Manitoba are doing their best to supply a good

service to customers, but Warhaft also provides a service to newspaper

readers. Her opinions can be accepted or rejected by readers, he said, and

restaurant owners can have the final word in response to a negative review

by writing a letter to the editor.

Canadian Living - Marion Warhaft’s Imam Bayeldi

 Controversial chef puts critic on top-10 hate list

 “Marion retire you ignorant slut.”

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