At Georgia Restaurant, Patrons Jump to Defend a Chef From Her Critics (Paula Dean)

NYTimes ^ | 6/23/2013 | KIM SEVERSON

[RoosterRedux]

SAVANNAH, Ga. — The line of Paula Deen fans waiting for her restaurant here to open grew throughout the hot, muggy morning Saturday.

They discussed what they might select from the buffet inside The Lady and Sons, her wildly popular restaurant in the heart of Savannah.

But they also talked of boycotting the Food Network, which dropped their beloved TV chef on Friday after she awkwardly apologized for having used racial slurs and for considering a plantation-themed wedding for her brother, with well-dressed black male servants.

The predicament that Ms. Deen finds herself in began when a former employee — a white woman who is now managing restaurants in Atlanta — filed a discrimination lawsuit in March 2012. She claimed that racial epithets, racist jokes and pornography on office computers were common while she managed Uncle Bubba’s Oyster House, one of the restaurants in Ms. Deen’s empire. Forbes has estimated her net worth at $17 million.

Most of the diners in line on Saturday morning were white and more than ready to defend one of their favorite cooking stars. But at the very front was Nicole T. Green, 36, an African-American who said she had made a detour from a vacation in New Orleans specifically to show up in support of Ms. Deen.

[Heart of Georgia]

“I have a simple rule, never go to a restaurant with a gift shop.”

Now ya tell me!

Excellent rule, BTW.

[Albion Wilde]

I have a simple rule, never go to a restaurant with a gift shop.

Well, that about lets out any Cracker Barrel.

[markman46]

damn i cant go back to the BUBBA GUMP SHRIMP CO again

[rlmorel]

LOL...of course...my Newspeak is rusty. Probably one of the outdated versions...:)

[rlmorel]

Hahaha...up here in New England we have a similar rule of thumb...never go to a restaurant that has the word “whale” in it or refers to any part of a whale.

[Heart of Georgia]

“never go to a restaurant that has the word “whale” in it or refers to any part of a whale.”

Good to know in case I make it back up that way. Although, I’d like to believe I would just “know” how bad that would turn out.

It seems every region has some kind of guiding rule of the same sort. A friend of mine from Colorado found out that I was planning a trip out there and warned me not to eat at any Mexican restaurant with pink stucco.

[rlmorel]

Hee hee, that’s hilarious… Pink stucco! You know, this would be a great idea for someone to go around the country and interview people about this kind of thing.

Then, on the basis of what you found, find every restaurant in each area that meets that criteria, then take a local resident at random to lunch with you at that place to try it out. (Of course, that’s assuming you get a local resident at random to do that with you… :-)

You could do some kind of hour-long show on it on some cable food channel. We have a program up here in MA called “Chronicle” where they travel to various parts of New England and cover some kind of subject, anything from people with interesting or unusual hobbies to restaurants. it has been years since I watched that program regularly, since I don’t watch television anymore. But I see little snippets of it once in a while, and it still looks pretty good.

I used to like the fact that the guy always drove his 69 Chevy Impala when he was out on the road. They would film him driving around New England, which can be extraordinarily scenic.

[rlmorel]

This is a recent example of why I like the show.

They recently did a program on some exotic, unusual or quirky houses in the town near where I work.

When they show the wife come home from work, almost fell out of my chair. This is the car she drives:

With a close up of the hood:

I see this car every day in the parking lot where I work, but had never put the face to the car...:)

I've always wondered how safe this is, but I will say that I've never actually picked up on something missing or gone, so I guess she must be doing some good stuff to glue things down securely. Actually, that putty epoxy is what I would use, because that stuff when used correctly, doesn't let go of anything.

[Heart of Georgia]

That actually would be a great idea — a traveling reality show without the too weird stuff, but entertaining and educational regarding the history of the town/region. I’d watch something like that.

It just occurred to me that a good way to know where not to eat is to look at the car tags. Not many local tags? Drive on.

Anyway, I was trying to comply with the rule while in Colorado, but I was on a tour bus with my church choir, so I had to eat wherever the group went. It was our last night out there and the bus driver started talking about a “great Mexican restaurant,” he knew of. The name may have been Casa Grande, something like that. But it was huge, and pink, like a pink stucco mall.

Inside it was sectioned off into different entertainment areas where you could play those carnival type games. The area where we were seated was made up to look like a jungle, with a rocky pool and a diving gorilla guy.

The pink stucco rule is a good one to remember :-)

[editor-surveyor]

>> “Actually, I think this affair will contribute to her popularity.” <<

.
It already has.

she has no racial problems, the managers in all of her restaurants are black, and well paid.

[Heart of Georgia]

That’s amazing. And distracting. Hope she doesn’t drive on the expressway during rush hour.

[editor-surveyor]

The Food Nutwork is pledged to go all queer, and is well on the way to that goal.

[SeaHawkFan]

Paula Dean was an idiot, but where was all the outrage about Hillary Clinton referring to someone as, “That F#$%king Jew bastard”?

[kcvl]

Court documents reveal tensions have erupted among the lawyers in the case as well. Both sides have repeatedly asked a judge to impose sanctions on opposing counsel and other parties.

In one filing, Hiers’ attorney, Tom Withers, asked that Billips be disqualified, quoting a tweet by Billips in which he said “suing Paula Deen is a hoot.”
Withers also referred to a sexually laced tweet in which “Billips promises to symbolically undress and have sex with” Deen.

Withers contends Billips’ conduct is designed to “harass and maliciously injure Paula Deen.”

The case began with an “inflammatory letter seeking over a million dollars for forego filing a lawsuit and allow Deen ‘a chance to salvage a brand that can continue to have value,’ ” Withers’ document said.
Plaintiff’s words

In Jackson’s deposition taken Feb. 11, she recounts how Dora Childs, an employee at The Lady & Sons, told her “probably sometime in 2010” that she felt discriminated against when a white male kitchen manager was promoted over her, adding, “and that Paula made racist comments.”
Deens’ attorney, Franklin, asked Jackson: “You have never heard Paula make a racist remark, have you?”

“Not heard it,” Jackson replied.

“You have never known Paula to discriminate against a person based on gender, have you?”

“I’m not aware.”

“And you have never known Paula to sexually harass anyone, have you?”

“Not me.”

http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2013-06-23/paula-deens-deposition-offers-details

[SeaHawkFan]

There is never a good reason to eat at Cracker Barrel, especially if there is a Cheddars nearby.

[Albion Wilde]

There is never a good reason to eat at Cracker Barrel, especially if there is a Cheddars nearby.

The only reason I've found is that the rest of the family really, really wants to go there. You can't even get a salad without -- surprise! -- a pound of shredded cheese on top. But I did get a really nice iron skillet in the gift shop last time I was there.

With the family.

[rlmorel]

Pink Stucco...must remember...pink stucco!

[SeaHawkFan]

Cheddars has much better food at lower prices; and a much, much better ambiance.