[jimbo123]

There are many wonderful non-French restaurants in NYC.

[camle]

le helle avec les frenchies

[Support Free Republic]

God bless our troops. Come home safe, and soon.

[ken5050]

If they had any smarts....they'd announce that with every dinner they'd serve a FREE bottle of NY State wine....

[The Hon. Galahad Threepwood]

No snails for me, thanks.

[InvisibleChurch]

Premier NYC French Restaurant to Close
Premier French Restaurant in NYC, Lespinasse, to Close Next Week Because of Economy

The Associated Press



NEW YORK April 11 —
One of Manhattan's premier French restaurants, Lespinasse, announced it would close next week because it couldn't turn a profit in the current economic climate.

The 12-year-old restaurant in the midtown St. Regis Hotel was favored for its sumptuous beige and gold antique decor and prize-winning wine list and cuisine.

Lespinasse was one of six Manhattan restaurants with a four-star rating from The New York Times.

The owners and St. Regis managers said business had fallen off, due in part to world events that have kept patrons at home. The restaurant will close April 19.

Guenter H. Richter, managing director of the St. Regis, said, "We carried it as long as we could. Any reopening will be determined by the pace of the economic recovery."

There was no indication that the closing was due to anti-French sentiment over France's opposition to the war in Iraq. The city tourism agency, NYC & Company, said some French restaurants have suffered, though no formal boycott was evident.

[KellyAdmirer]

New York City's French restaurants that I used to patronize tend to be overpriced and the food and service underwhelming. Most survive on company expense accounts. Shareholders will tend to be better off if businessmen eat cheaper elsewhere.

[theDentist]

If the French eatery is owned by Americans and not directly tied to France, then I'd see no problem with going. But if it is owned by a French company, conglomerate, etc, then they better start thinking of changing the menu and name.

[SpinyNorman]

“It is absolutely against our own self-interest as a city to start singling out people because of their supposed nationality, when we know, for example, the owners of Le Cirque are Italian,” said Tim Zagat of Zagat Surveys. “Their employees are from all over the world, and they’re all New Yorkers. Do we want to hurt them?”

Why would Italians cook French food? French food is garbage compared to good Italian food (Is there bad Italian food?)

[Alberta's Child]

I wonder how many NYC restaurants are closing because of the city's smoking ban.

[Alouette]

Here is a compromise: eat at kosher French restaurants.

[Enduring Freedom]

We in America do not eat at a 'collective' table.

We dine in liberty among friends only because of the strength of our national defense, and our willingness to fight to the death for our freedom.

Live free or die.

The only thing I like about the French are the women - hot, tasty treats dressed in tight minis and loose morals.

[kellynla]

Solution: If the restaurants are not French owned all they have to do is put a sign outside "USA Owned" and if they are French owned put a sign outside "For Sale"

[HamiltonJay]

The French may have already forgotten, but we have not!

Frogs can go to Hell.... Never trust a nation who will not even fight for its own Liberty. The French give Liberty lip service, while performing fellatio to the forces of tyranny.

[aristotleman]

Hurting American chefs, staff, proprietors, affiliates, suppliers, is pure stupidity.

Few, if any, "French restaurants" are owned by the french. Boycotting them is like shooting ourselves in the foot.

French food is sophisticated and diverse. Eat it if you like it.

Just don't order French wine, cheese, or any other French product.

[Timesink]

Though some stopped short of calling it an official boycott

That's the great thing. There is no centralized boycott! Practically every person that is boycotting all things French came to the decision on his/her own.

[lawgirl]

WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!! capitalism at its best! America speaks with her buying power- good bye frogs!!!!!!

[Chancellor Palpatine]

This is one of the stupidest aspects of the boycott, about on the same level of pouring out French wine that is already bought. I'm no fan of France and bash them with elan, but come on - at this level, most restaurants aren't franchised and aren't corporate. They're overwhelmingly owned and staffed by Americans, merely serving up French cuisine.

[ladywolf]

Interesting. I feel saddened that patriotic French-Americans will be hurt by this. I agree with the logic of patronizing (as long is it isn't French corp. owned) but avoiding France's wines, etc. This has been a tough year for me personally. Never have I been so ashamed of my heritage - I despise Chirac - what a chochon! (pig). Yes, I am of French blood, but not the spineless snail-eating commies like cochon-Chirac who puts extra francs in his pockets while Saddam exterminates infants.

[weegee]

French foods and appeasement go together like snails and horse meat.

All that butter is bad for cholesterol levels, too.

Look, the customer is always right and right now they believe that eating at a French restaurant would give them indigestion (caused by emotional discomfort).

Of course there are always French cheese and whine!