Our fifth installment (French Laundry edition) of our Kid Food Review series went up on Wednesday morning, immediately blowing up our site to the brink of a break-down. It was the highest traffic we've ever had in a day, and the article is well on its way to becoming the most popular post we've ever put on the site.
People loved it! Most of the people! As this is the Internet, I was fully expecting a barrage of INSANE PSYCHO comments, per usual, and I was not disappointed.
Since there seems to be some outraged confusion, I'll clarify some of the most common points of contention:
- The shoot occurred during lunch, in a completely private room at The French Laundry. No patrons were disturbed in the making of this article.
- Isla is not an "entitled mommy blogger," although I find the accusation hilarious and still passionately encourage her to update her Tinder profile blurb to declare herself that.
- We did pay for the bill, which came out of our editorial budget. For what it's worth, we do regular volunteer work as an office, and we are looking into partnering with a food bank or non-profit in upcoming editions, because why not, that does sound like a nice thing to do.
Here is a highlight-reel of some of the angry comments this story inspired (For a good time, check out the other threads around the web, because there is some outraged nut-job GOLD out there.)
Well, I guess I'm also "too serious" but this is so painful it makes me weep. You take a 4 year old to a restaurant that 99% of us can't dream of going to? To continue the cuteness and fun, perhaps you could pick up some homeless kids outside of St. Anthony's Dining Room in S.F. and photograph them watching a 4 year old eat $300 worth of food. I'm guessing Napa has a food bank - a big donation is in order
- Californiagranny1
this might be the most annoying article ever written on the internet (quite an achievement).. millions and millions staving and struggling to pay bills and we bring our 5 year old to make fun of it.. time to examine your life.
-Scoobydo
Note: SHE'S FOUR. IT'S IN THE HEADLINE.
Fairly cute. Fairly obvious. Once is enough. $300 wasted. They should do it with a dog or a cat maybe? How about a starving African tribesman?
-Joeschmo
I thought this was going to be a cute article and of course the little girl's expressions and honesty are quite adorable and admirable. I don't blame her. I blame the dumb asses who think this was a good idea. Hey, Bold Italic I know for a fact that there are 2 homeless people sleeping just outside your office's door right now. In fact, they are there almost every night on Page Street. I know this as your neighbor and it speaks volumes that you would rather waste $300 a person on a 4 year old and yourself than help those in need right outside the door you enter every day to make your paycheck writing bullshit like this.
The author is just another transplant from the Midwest who graduated school and felt misunderstood and moved to SF so she could help gentrify and destroy the city that many of us have known and love for several decades.
-R.C.
Note: Ok, this one is actually eerily accurate. Just look at this old to-do list I found from back when I moved here:
Sorry, but I fail to see the "cuteness" of this. What four year old has the palate to appreciate the food or the capacity to realize what an amazingly special experience dining at FL is.
I would have been more impressed if at the end of the review, the author stated they had made a donation to a food bank to make up for the guilt of wasting expensive food for
-TammyS
I realize you're trying to be cute and fun. But going to The French Laundry or any restaurant of similar caliber, for the VERY few who can ever manage it, is a very rare and special event. For most, it will be a once in a lifetime experience.
Taking a four year old, who most definitely will not be able to appreciate the amount of effort and artistry that goes into creating that experience, borders on offensive. Both to the chefs in the kitchen and the highly trained staff and servers. To say nothing of the other patrons in the restaurant who stood the very real chance of having their special night marred by an innocent child doing what children will do when confronted with strange, disgusting, or highly exciting plates of food. All the while, you're photographing both the food and the child, not just once or twice to mark the occasion, but multiple times per course.
To me, this kind of stunt shows a lack of respect for everyone who was either working or dining at TFL that evening.
-Spoilsport
This is the STUPIDEST thing that I have seen in a very long time. There are so many things wrong with this, I don't even know where to start. This is an obscene waste of talent and wonderful food. Stop doing stories like this, it isn't funny, cute, or of any use to anyone!
-CrewBJ
To the critics of the critics: You all miss the point. It's not the spending of the money, it's the blogging about it.You want to buy a Ferrari and burn it because you like watching expensive cars melt into a slag heap? Go ahead, knock yourself out. This is America - no one gives a crap what you do with your money.You want to blog about that burning Ferrari as if it is an amusing diversion that everyone ought to think is just the cutest thing ever? Expect to hear some disagreement.
-Pasquale
To my mind, nothing ruins a restaurant experience faster than being seated near a child, or worse, children. I cannot imagine what the others patrons were thinking as they witnessed the spectacle of a 4 year old eating her way through the French Laundry tasting menu, her every expression photographed and her words being noted. Obviously the kid is very cute, and the experiment fun for her parents, but if the French Laundry immediately institutes a policy of no children, I would applaud them.
-Whitney
Thanks to all the commenters who backed us up here and all over the web. You guys are awesome, and are saving the internet.
To the haters, I still love you too. You are the spice of my inbox-life.