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Chef Calls Angry Yelper a 'Mentally Ill Raging Alcoholic'

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Hillary Dixler Canavan is Eater's restaurant editor and the author of the publication's debut book, Eater: 100 Essential Restaurant Recipes From the Authority on Where to Eat and Why It Matters (Abrams, September 2023). Her work focuses on dining trends and the people changing the industry — and scouting the next hot restaurant you need to try on Eater's annual Best New Restaurant list.

The eternal battle between restaurants and Yelpers continues: Eater Boston reports that a Medfield, MA chef went on a social media tirade after Yelper Kiki B. gave his restaurant a one-star review. In an Instragram post that has since been removed (screengrab below), chef Brendan Pelley claimed Kiki B was a known at the restaurant for causing scenes and that she is "clearly a mentally ill raging alcoholic." And that's not all:

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[Screengrab: Yelp]

Pelley also wrote that the restaurant "had to get a RESTRAINING order against" Kiki B and claims the police were on the scene at the restaurant. Kiki B. writes in her review that the manager only "threatened to call the police" on her.

As Kiki B.'s version tells it, a manager booted her out after serving her three drinks on the grounds that he thought she'd had too much. She intimates that the manager's dismissal may be related to the fact that Kiki is a part of the LGBT community: "I questioned him if he thought he might be responsible for over serving us. I asked him if he applied the same drink limit to other customers (we are members of the LGBT community). This further angered him and he said 'Then call your lawyer.'" In his Instagram post, Pelley called Kiki B's claims of discrimination "insane."

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[Screengrab: @bowloftripe / Eater Boston]

In a statement sent to Eater, Pelley apologized for his harsh words explaining:

"I sincerely apologize for expressing my frustration with a guest's review on social media. This is by no means the way Zebra's Bistro and Wine Bar responds to guest feedback and my words do not reflect the hospitality-first philosophy of the team here."

Press reps for the restaurant tell Eater that the incident is a part of an "ongoing police matter."

· Chef Slams 'Mentally Ill Raging Alcoholic' for Yelp Review [Eater Boston]
· All Yelp Coverage on Eater [-E-]

Zebra's Bistro and Wine Bar

21 North St, Medfield, Massachusetts 02052