Cake Kerfuffle

It’s been a while since we’ve had a good foodie face-off, but this one was worth the wait. It all began last week, when baking legend Rose Levy Beranbaum (author of The Cake Bible, The Pie and Pastry Bible, The Bread Bible, etc.) lunched with some friends at the much lauded Breslin in NYC. Everyone enjoyed their lunch, but the group was met with some hostility when, following their main course, they pulled out some of Rose’s cake, and asked for forks and plates. There was a little kerfuffle with the waiter, and then the chef. In the end they were only given forks but no plates, and an additional charge of $25 appeared on the bill under “cake fee”. (You can read Rose’s full account of the event that “left a bad taste in her mouth” on her blog, or read the NYT‘s summary of it here).

What is most interesting about this dispute is how divided the community is on this issue. Some chefs and restaurateurs have rallied to Rose’s cause, voicing (or tweeting) their shock at the rudeness demonstrated by the staff at The Breslin, while others defend the restaurant, and challenge Ms. Beranbaum’s behaviour. You only need to scroll through a few of the (very entertaining) comments left on either site to see that the world seems to be made up of two kinds of people: those who think it’s okay to bring your own food into a restaurant, and those who don’t.

I have to say that much as I like Rose’s cakes, I fall into the latter group. My first reaction was “why didn’t she just save her cake to have at home later, with a cup of tea?” Perhaps if she’d been at a restaurant that didn’t serve dessert, it would have been more acceptable, but The Breslin has a dessert menu. And a pastry chef.