Dallas | Steak

[C-Man 27194]

2 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

Funny timing. So I’m at my friend’s place this morning to drop something off and she’s like oh we are about to head out for Easter meal soon to the new steak place and yep it’s the one we’ve been avoiding or whatever.

So she takes her son and I text her tonight to see how it was. Sure enough, that steak dude not only was there but he did the whole routine for their steak at the table and my friend said it’s over priced but the steak was very good.

For context, filet for two is $170. A burger is $40. So good luck with all that.

Did Salt Bae fucking move to Dallas? He's been here since it opened. Maybe he's got a place at The Village.

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

That come with the salt shower?

I don’t know much about this guy or his routine but if sprinkling salt on the steak is the salt shower then yes, unless I missed a joke.

[Surly Bevo 24908]

1 hour ago, bigup2dahorns said:

I don’t know much about this guy or his routine but if sprinkling salt on the steak is the salt shower then yes, unless I missed a joke.

No you pretty much got it...for some reason this move makes him a senstation 🙄

 

 

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

He did the whole routine at the table and my friend’s son seemed to be thrilled with it. To each their own I guess.

[Jive Turkey 12594]

you know this guy is big when SNL lampoons him, which they did a few days ago.

 

[Landomatic 3813]

I guess I just don't get it.

/greggo

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Apparently a Beverly Hills location is about to open and Las Vegas strip also coming up

[Landomatic 3813]

2 hours ago, bigup2dahorns said:

Apparently a Beverly Hills location is about to open and Las Vegas strip also coming up

I guess enjoy his five minutes of fame while he can.  I might be wrong, but I just can't see this thing having much long-term sustainability.

[conVINCEd 21469]

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

$5 million lawsuit over the artwork

https://nypost.com/2021/04/13/salt-bae-hit-with-5m-copyright-suit-over-artwork-of-chef/

[Landomatic 3813]

32 minutes ago, bigup2dahorns said:

$5 million lawsuit over the artwork

https://nypost.com/2021/04/13/salt-bae-hit-with-5m-copyright-suit-over-artwork-of-chef/

Huh, if you commission some artwork, who decides how many uses that includes?  Because I'd argue that I paid for it and can use it however I want from there on.  But I'm no copyright lawyer.

[mdmost 43000]

So the plaintiff is pretty salty about the unauthorized use of his artwork?

[threesheets 1672]

 

[ChiTownDoc 21143]

On 4/6/2021 at 5:57 AM, Landomatic said:

I guess I just don't get it.

/greggo

Did monarch.   One meeting.  Flew in 6pm.  On the bird now.  
 

you guys have a good one.  Jesus.  Vegas/Miami level Pussy.  Unreal 

Edit: may have booted Joe J w. Fuck Texas welcome.  May not have...

Edited May 21, 2021 by ChiTownDoc

[CBT 1282]

Thank you

[Skipper 6128]

We had Monarch Reservations earlier this month for our anniversary and ended up going out of town that weekend.   Rescheduled for around this time next month.  Looking forward to it.

[Landomatic 3813]

Lauded Chicago steakhouse Maple & Ash will open in Dallas

Quote

Chef Danny Grant’s takeover of Dallas continues. Fresh off the news that his pizza-and-pasta restaurant Etta would be opening a location in the East Quarter comes another announcement — Maple & Ash, the ritzy Chicago-based steakhouse, will open, appropriately, in Maple Terrace, the 1927 development in Uptown that’s currently in the process of being remodeled. The news was first reported by Escape Hatch Dallas.

Maple & Ash will be the fourth restaurant from What If Syndicate, the restaurant group behind Chef Danny Grant, who spent much of his career in Chicago before landing in Dallas last year, where he opened Italian spot Monarch, and sushi lounge Kessaku, both inside the Thompson Hotel Downtown. Since its opening in February, Monarch has become one of the most popular new restaurants in the city, according to the Dallas Morning News. Maple & Ash is expected to open next year.

So @ChiTownDoc y'all are doing this, huh? Across the street from Nick & Sams? Bold move. Can't wait

[ChiTownDoc 21143]

1 hour ago, Landomatic said:

Lauded Chicago steakhouse Maple & Ash will open in Dallas

So @ChiTownDoc y'all are doing this, huh? Across the street from Nick & Sams? Bold move. Can't wait

Ha, that’s the way it all started.  Gibson’s was number one in revenue for over a decade in Chicago and we did the same here.  Right on the same block - and we will pass them this year for sure.  Exciting stuff.  

[Landomatic 3813]

15 minutes ago, ChiTownDoc said:

Ha, that’s the way it all started.  Gibson’s was number one in revenue for over a decade in Chicago and we did the same here.  Right on the same block - and we will pass them this year for sure.  Exciting stuff.  

That’s awesome! I’m not a big Nick & Sam’s fan so I’m pulling for you. And put us down as a solid “yes” for opening night

[bigup2dahorns 3343]

Good deal on the new steakhouse. I saw a work crew at the building just the other day walking around taking a survey and lots of activity on the property so I expect construction to begin soon. The new Marriott behind Nick & Sam’s is pretty nice and has a 4th floor infinity style pool deck which has a view of the Maple Terrace property.

The area is back to form we just did a dinner at Uchi on Saturday and it was packed along with Uchiba. Gymnast Nastia Liukin was having a fun time at the table next to us.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 4/4/2021 at 11:34 PM, C-Man said:

Did Salt Bae fucking move to Dallas? He's been here since it opened. Maybe he's got a place at The Village.

Any updates on this place? I have heard nothing since the initial hype when they first opened.

[C-Man 27194]

5 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Any updates on this place? I have heard nothing since the initial hype when they first opened.

Update? Salt Bae is still a douchebag.

[conVINCEd 21469]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Any updates on this place? I have heard nothing since the initial hype when they first opened.

I remain committed to never gracing this establishment with my presence.

[mdmost 43000]

On 6/21/2021 at 1:09 PM, Landomatic said:

Any updates on this place? I have heard nothing since the initial hype when they first opened.

We need you at that wall. 

[Landomatic 3813]

Yikes. I know shit like this happens at a lot of restaurants (at a lot of companies in general for that matter), but this hits pretty close to home. I used to have the plaintiff on speed dial before he left and we still go to Drake's at least once a week. All I'll say is...if that place has a discrimination problem, then every single place in America has one. It's one of the most diverse (staff and customers) places we ever go.

From a staff standpoint, we personally know plenty of gays, women and just about every race under the sun. And from a customer standpoint, I (generic middle aged white guy) am often in the minority, and sometimes by a long-shot.

Maybe all the shit he's alleging was happening before he left and Drakes has swung things the other way to combat it? Or maybe he's just a disgruntled employee looking to cash in?  Who the hell knows, but sucks either way.  

Alleging Racism and Discriminatory Hiring Practices, a Former Vandelay Hospitality Employee Sues for $1M

The suit filed by a former Drake’s Hollywood manager claims that the company often engaged in discriminatory practices aimed at its employees and potential diners.

Spoiler

A former employee of fast-growing Dallas restaurant group Vandelay Hospitality is suing the company, alleging that it operates with a culture that is “shot through with racism, sexism, homophobia, and outright disdain for its employees.”

The suit was filed in Dallas County District Court on Monday, July 19 by Glenn Govias, a former general manager at Vandelay’s swanky Highland Park steakhouse Drake’s Hollywood. Govias alleges that the company engaged in racist activity directed at both its employees and customers, claiming that corporate managers at Vandelay would demand the firing of employees based on their race, gender, and physical attributes, resulting in comments like “fire the Mexican guy” or “fire the ugly girl” from top leadership.

The group’s restaurants, which include East Hampton Sandwich Company and Hudson House, would also allegedly reject reservations from potential diners who were perceived to be of “African-American, Middle Eastern, or Hispanic heritage” based on their names. Additionally, Govias alleges that he was fired from the company after refusing to engage in discriminatory hiring practices, claiming he was specifically being ordered to terminate “non-white and female employees.”

In a statement provided to Eater, Vandelay Hospitality denied Govias’s claims in the suit. “VHG strives to maintain a professional and rewarding work environment for all of its employees,” the statement reads. “The company vigorously disputes Mr. Govias’ allegations and trusts in the legal process to resolve these claims properly.”

The lawsuit comes amid a time of significant growth for Vandelay Hospitality, which recently announced plans to open a new restaurant called D.L. Mack’s in Dallas’s University Park neighborhood, and expand its Hamptons-style seafood spot Hudson House to Houston. The company has not yet responded to the lawsuit in court, and did not respond to a request for comment from Eater.

In the suit, Govias seeks damages in excess of $1 million.

 

[C-Man 27194]

11 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Yikes. I know shit like this happens at a lot of restaurants (at a lot of companies in general for that matter), but this hits pretty close to home. I used to have the plaintiff on speed dial before he left and we still go to Drake's at least once a week. All I'll say is...if that place has a discrimination problem, then every single place in America has one. It's one of the most diverse (staff and customers) places we ever go.

From a staff standpoint, we personally know plenty of gays, women and just about every race under the sun. And from a customer standpoint, I (generic middle aged white guy) am often in the minority, and sometimes by a long-shot.

Maybe all the shit he's alleging was happening before he left and Drakes has swung things the other way to combat it? Or maybe he's just a disgruntled employee looking to cash in?  Who the hell knows, but sucks either way.  

Alleging Racism and Discriminatory Hiring Practices, a Former Vandelay Hospitality Employee Sues for $1M

The suit filed by a former Drake’s Hollywood manager claims that the company often engaged in discriminatory practices aimed at its employees and potential diners.

  Hide contents

A former employee of fast-growing Dallas restaurant group Vandelay Hospitality is suing the company, alleging that it operates with a culture that is “shot through with racism, sexism, homophobia, and outright disdain for its employees.”

The suit was filed in Dallas County District Court on Monday, July 19 by Glenn Govias, a former general manager at Vandelay’s swanky Highland Park steakhouse Drake’s Hollywood. Govias alleges that the company engaged in racist activity directed at both its employees and customers, claiming that corporate managers at Vandelay would demand the firing of employees based on their race, gender, and physical attributes, resulting in comments like “fire the Mexican guy” or “fire the ugly girl” from top leadership.

The group’s restaurants, which include East Hampton Sandwich Company and Hudson House, would also allegedly reject reservations from potential diners who were perceived to be of “African-American, Middle Eastern, or Hispanic heritage” based on their names. Additionally, Govias alleges that he was fired from the company after refusing to engage in discriminatory hiring practices, claiming he was specifically being ordered to terminate “non-white and female employees.”

In a statement provided to Eater, Vandelay Hospitality denied Govias’s claims in the suit. “VHG strives to maintain a professional and rewarding work environment for all of its employees,” the statement reads. “The company vigorously disputes Mr. Govias’ allegations and trusts in the legal process to resolve these claims properly.”

The lawsuit comes amid a time of significant growth for Vandelay Hospitality, which recently announced plans to open a new restaurant called D.L. Mack’s in Dallas’s University Park neighborhood, and expand its Hamptons-style seafood spot Hudson House to Houston. The company has not yet responded to the lawsuit in court, and did not respond to a request for comment from Eater.

In the suit, Govias seeks damages in excess of $1 million.

 

I met Glenn the one time we ate at Drake's and he was super nice, gave us his card and said call him if we ever needed anything. Turns out he knew a close friend of mine, who was the founding chef/owner at Tramontana in Preston Center (longtime DMN Top 100 spot where Montlake Cut is). Same guy was the first chef who opened Al Biernat's with Al 20+ years ago. They crossed paths at Pappas Restaurant group when my buddy went to work for them as their company-wide quality control chef. He knew Govias from there and said he was a great dude. I heard Govias got booted for trying to fraternize way too much with the clientele. Have no idea if that's true or not.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

18 minutes ago, C-Man said:

I met Glenn the one time we ate at Drake's and he was super nice, gave us his card and said call him if we ever needed anything. Turns out he knew a close friend of mine, who was the founding chef/owner at Tramontana in Preston Center (longtime DMN Top 100 spot where Montlake Cut is). Same guy was the first chef who opened Al Biernat's with Al 20+ years ago. They crossed paths at Pappas Restaurant group when my buddy went to work for them as their company-wide quality control chef. He knew Govias from there and said he was a great dude. I heard Govias got booted for trying to fraternize way too much with the clientele. Have no idea if that's true or not.

[Landomatic 3813]

On 7/28/2021 at 12:45 AM, C-Man said:

I met Glenn the one time we ate at Drake's and he was super nice, gave us his card and said call him if we ever needed anything. Turns out he knew a close friend of mine, who was the founding chef/owner at Tramontana in Preston Center (longtime DMN Top 100 spot where Montlake Cut is). Same guy was the first chef who opened Al Biernat's with Al 20+ years ago. They crossed paths at Pappas Restaurant group when my buddy went to work for them as their company-wide quality control chef. He knew Govias from there and said he was a great dude. I heard Govias got booted for trying to fraternize way too much with the clientele. Have no idea if that's true or not.

Looks like more trouble for Drake's. Another $1M lawsuit plus others to come. DMN paywall...

Spoiler

Lawsuits claim Dallas restaurants turned away Black guests, discriminated against ‘ugly’ staffers

Attorneys say they plan to file more lawsuits against Vandelay Hospitality, which operates 11 restaurants, including Drake’s Hollywood.

Glenn Govias, the former general manager of Drake's Hollywood, is suing his former employer Vandelay Hospitality Group. His lawsuit alleges the company discriminated against its employees, fired people of color and "ugly" employees, and turned away non-white customers for dress code violations.(Ben Torres / Special Contributor)

Two former employees of Vandelay Hospitality Group in Dallas are accusing the company of firing people who are Black, Latino or “ugly,” according to two Dallas County district court lawsuits.

Some staffers at Drake’s Hollywood, a Vandelay-owned steakhouse in the affluent West Lovers Lane area, also told The Dallas Morning News that they believe hostesses and managers were encouraged to turn away customers who did not exude wealth. The company’s dress code was used to keep out “riffraff,” some said.

Eight people interviewed said Drake’s had a diverse staff and customer base. But workers are divided over who is responsible for fostering discriminatory behavior against guests and employees.

Vandelay CEO Hunter Pond denies any claims that he or his staff treated employees and guests of color unfairly, calling the claims “ridiculous and not true.”

The News interviewed 18 people in this investigation. Five asked not to be named because they feared it could jeopardize their current employment.

Glenn Govias, the former general manager of Drake’s, and Oswaldo “Ozzy” Samano, the former corporate chef, are the first to file lawsuits in what is expected to be a string of claims against parent company Vandelay.

 

The company opened the first East Hampton Sandwich Co., in 2012, then launched Hudson House, Drake’s and Lucky’s Hot Chicken over its nine-year history. The business was founded by Pond, a Dallas entrepreneur who was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” restaurant owners in 2015.

Dallas attorney Levi McCathern said he plans to bring as many as three more similar lawsuits against Pond’s company.

The legal claims could pose difficulties for Vandelay, one of Dallas’ best-known local restaurant groups, as it prepares to double in size in the next few years. Pond said he plans to “fight for our honor and our integrity in the public eye.”

Each of the first two plaintiffs, Govias and Samano, are seeking at least $1 million in damages.

Two accusers

In addition to Govias’ claims of discrimination, Govias also said he believes he was fired in retaliation for a workplace injury in which he hurt his back and neck moving a TV at Drake’s.

In Samano’s lawsuit, he accuses Pond of “racist hiring and firing” because “there was a certain image to uphold” in the wealthier parts of Dallas.

Samano says he was directed to hire only pretty women for customer-facing jobs and to relegate Latinos to posts in the back of the restaurant, the suit says.

“That’s completely untrue,” Pond said. “And [it’s] a pretty transparent tactic to get back at the company because they don’t work there anymore.”

 

The company said in a statement it “enforces a zero-tolerance policy with respect to discrimination and all forms of harassment.”

Both men who have filed lawsuits were fired from Vandelay in November 2020. Each violated the company’s zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and harassment, a Vandelay representative said. Govias was fired for “verbally harassing our staff, creating an untenable work environment for our servers, which led to high turnover and a very turbulent work environment,” said Aubri Shock, director of corporate administration and HR for Vandelay. Samano was fired for using racial slurs directed toward Black people, Shock said. Samano denied using racial slurs at the restaurants.

Joshua Bonee, executive chef and equity partner at Lucky’s Hot Chicken, left Vandelay in November 2020, saying he felt the company’s culture as a whole was toxic.

 

“I decided I was just going to stand up for what I believe in,” Bonee said.

Other current and former Drake’s employees said they did not witness any racial discrimination.

“I didn’t see any of that firsthand,” said Lena Metcalf, a former Drake’s server who now works at Hudson House, another Vandelay restaurant.

The dress code

Six current and former employees told The News they had seen instances of racial discrimination at Drake’s Hollywood or Vandelay’s sibling restaurants.

Several said that Drake’s dress code, which is posted to its website, helped keep lower-income customers out. The dress code prohibits athletic clothes, shorts, flip flops, skull caps and “overly provocative attire” like “bare midriffs, excessive cleavage and sexually explicit attire.”

 

Managers can enforce it at their discretion, the website says.

Pond said the dress code “serves its purpose.” It was instituted to create a “consistent vibe,” that of an Old Hollywood restaurant with steaks that cost $45 to $120.

Tyler Francisco, a former server who is Black, believes the dress code was enforced unfairly toward guests of color. He said Black women were asked to cover up while white women wearing similarly provocative outfits weren’t asked to. Black men weren’t allowed at Drake’s wearing open-toed shoes, but older white men were.

“We would have African American guests, but I saw them police their bodies in a different way,” Francisco said.

Ricky Organista, who works at Drake’s as a bartender, said the restaurant previously had a culture of racism. But Organista blames the previous general manager, Govias, saying he was the one who enforced the racist behavior — not the company leaders above him.

“People would try to come in, and if they were Black, he’d stop them at the door,” Organista said. “He’d make up some excuse: ‘You’re not (up to) dress code.’ "

 

Govias, who is East Indian and previously worked in management at Pappas Restaurants for 24 years, said in the lawsuit that CEO Pond “fostered an environment” where employees were told to “turn away non-white customers under the pretext of dress code violations.”

No ‘fat’ people

Govias and Samano said they encountered discriminatory practices early in their jobs, when they were tasked with hiring people to work at Vandelay restaurants.

Govias said he was told that he could not hire any “fat” or “ugly” people. “I actually had to go to bat for two of my beautiful-looking hosts, who [Pond] thought were too short and too ugly.”

Isabella Chapa was one of the fired hostesses who said she believes upper management didn’t want her at the front of the restaurant because of the way she looked. It was the first time she’d been fired. She said no one explained why she was let go, but she believes they didn’t want a 5-foot-1 Mexican woman working near the front door.

Samano said Pond gave him strict hiring direction when he helped open the first East Hampton Sandwich Co. in University Park in 2012.

 

“If there were cashiers who were ugly, they couldn’t take orders,” Samano said.

“I felt uncomfortable. But I thought this was the way it was.”

Pond says the accusations are “100% false.”

Samano, who has been a chef in Dallas steakhouses for more than 30 years, worked in Vandelay kitchens off and on since 2012, overseeing some of the company’s biggest restaurant openings. He said he was drawn to Vandelay because he thought it had “huge potential,” and he was right: Since the first East Hampton Sandwich Co. opened, Pond has launched three more restaurant brands, with two coming soon, Brentwood and D.L. Mack’s. Vandelay operates about a dozen restaurants today, with more opening soon.

“I wanted to be a part of this,” Samano said.

He was sued by Vandelay in 2017 for violating a confidentiality agreement and taking a job with a competing restaurant. The lawsuit was settled out of court that year, according to court documents.

 

‘The way they treated me was different’

Francisco, a former Drake’s server who is Black, was fired in October 2020 after working there for about three months.

He said Drake’s managers required that he be clean-shaven for the job, but he wasn’t able to do that because he gets ingrown hairs. “This is a problem ethnic minorities have, specifically African American men,” he said. Francisco said he gave his managers a doctor’s note, requesting that he be exempted from shaving his beard.

“I feel like once I gave them that note, the way they treated me was different,” he said.

Vandelay’s head of HR, Shock, declined to disclose why Francisco was terminated.

The company eventually implemented what several employees described as a “forced ranking.” General manager Govias had to identify the least effective staffers. Francisco said he was told he was in the bottom 10% of the employee pool, and he lost his job.

 

“I wanted to advocate for myself, but what do I say to that?” Francisco said. “It literally seems like you guys don’t want me there.”

Canceled reservations

Three former workers interviewed by The News said Drake’s employees rejected reservations for customers who sound like they have a Black name.

“To them, it could be a Keyondre, a Deyondre, anything of that sort,” said Anna Maria Montez, who worked at Drake’s for about three months last year.

Pond rejected the claim. “Think about the practicality of that: It’s just not possible,” he said.

Montez, a server and hostess, never had to delete the reservations herself, she said. “But I dealt with the consequences,” she said. Customers would complain by phone, in person or online.

 

Former server Chris Herrada, who is Hispanic and gay, said he never saw evidence of canceled reservations specifically aimed at people of color. He doesn’t think managers were racist.

Ultimately, Herrada said Drake’s executives didn’t seem to hold the same values he did. He stayed with the company for nearly a year, leaving in June 2021. He said he quit after two Drake’s servers used homophobic and racist slurs and Herrada didn’t think his peers were reprimanded swiftly enough.

“I told them, respectfully, that my integrity was not something I’m willing to compromise,” Herrada said.

What’s next

McCathern, the attorney handling the lawsuits, filed claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Govias and Samano. Both have been closed, which means the agency will not investigate either case.

That’s typical, said Harry Jones, an expert at national law firm Polsinelli. He estimates that 95% of EEOC claims are closed in this way, and that opens the door for attorneys like McCathern to proceed with a lawsuit.

These cases could be settled out of court, McCathern said. If they go to trial, it will be months or even years before a determination is made.

McCathern said he hopes the lawsuits “improve the restaurant world for everybody.”

Pond hopes a court will see the lawsuits as he sees them: “a money grab."

 

[C-Man 27194]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Looks like more trouble for Drake's. Another $1M lawsuit plus others to come. DMN paywall...

  Hide contents

Lawsuits claim Dallas restaurants turned away Black guests, discriminated against ‘ugly’ staffers

Attorneys say they plan to file more lawsuits against Vandelay Hospitality, which operates 11 restaurants, including Drake’s Hollywood.

Glenn Govias, the former general manager of Drake's Hollywood, is suing his former employer Vandelay Hospitality Group. His lawsuit alleges the company discriminated against its employees, fired people of color and "ugly" employees, and turned away non-white customers for dress code violations.(Ben Torres / Special Contributor)

Two former employees of Vandelay Hospitality Group in Dallas are accusing the company of firing people who are Black, Latino or “ugly,” according to two Dallas County district court lawsuits.

Some staffers at Drake’s Hollywood, a Vandelay-owned steakhouse in the affluent West Lovers Lane area, also told The Dallas Morning News that they believe hostesses and managers were encouraged to turn away customers who did not exude wealth. The company’s dress code was used to keep out “riffraff,” some said.

Eight people interviewed said Drake’s had a diverse staff and customer base. But workers are divided over who is responsible for fostering discriminatory behavior against guests and employees.

Vandelay CEO Hunter Pond denies any claims that he or his staff treated employees and guests of color unfairly, calling the claims “ridiculous and not true.”

The News interviewed 18 people in this investigation. Five asked not to be named because they feared it could jeopardize their current employment.

Glenn Govias, the former general manager of Drake’s, and Oswaldo “Ozzy” Samano, the former corporate chef, are the first to file lawsuits in what is expected to be a string of claims against parent company Vandelay.

 

The company opened the first East Hampton Sandwich Co., in 2012, then launched Hudson House, Drake’s and Lucky’s Hot Chicken over its nine-year history. The business was founded by Pond, a Dallas entrepreneur who was named one of Forbes’ “30 Under 30” restaurant owners in 2015.

Dallas attorney Levi McCathern said he plans to bring as many as three more similar lawsuits against Pond’s company.

The legal claims could pose difficulties for Vandelay, one of Dallas’ best-known local restaurant groups, as it prepares to double in size in the next few years. Pond said he plans to “fight for our honor and our integrity in the public eye.”

Each of the first two plaintiffs, Govias and Samano, are seeking at least $1 million in damages.

Two accusers

In addition to Govias’ claims of discrimination, Govias also said he believes he was fired in retaliation for a workplace injury in which he hurt his back and neck moving a TV at Drake’s.

In Samano’s lawsuit, he accuses Pond of “racist hiring and firing” because “there was a certain image to uphold” in the wealthier parts of Dallas.

Samano says he was directed to hire only pretty women for customer-facing jobs and to relegate Latinos to posts in the back of the restaurant, the suit says.

“That’s completely untrue,” Pond said. “And [it’s] a pretty transparent tactic to get back at the company because they don’t work there anymore.”

 

The company said in a statement it “enforces a zero-tolerance policy with respect to discrimination and all forms of harassment.”

Both men who have filed lawsuits were fired from Vandelay in November 2020. Each violated the company’s zero-tolerance policy on discrimination and harassment, a Vandelay representative said. Govias was fired for “verbally harassing our staff, creating an untenable work environment for our servers, which led to high turnover and a very turbulent work environment,” said Aubri Shock, director of corporate administration and HR for Vandelay. Samano was fired for using racial slurs directed toward Black people, Shock said. Samano denied using racial slurs at the restaurants.

Joshua Bonee, executive chef and equity partner at Lucky’s Hot Chicken, left Vandelay in November 2020, saying he felt the company’s culture as a whole was toxic.

 

“I decided I was just going to stand up for what I believe in,” Bonee said.

Other current and former Drake’s employees said they did not witness any racial discrimination.

“I didn’t see any of that firsthand,” said Lena Metcalf, a former Drake’s server who now works at Hudson House, another Vandelay restaurant.

The dress code

Six current and former employees told The News they had seen instances of racial discrimination at Drake’s Hollywood or Vandelay’s sibling restaurants.

Several said that Drake’s dress code, which is posted to its website, helped keep lower-income customers out. The dress code prohibits athletic clothes, shorts, flip flops, skull caps and “overly provocative attire” like “bare midriffs, excessive cleavage and sexually explicit attire.”

 

Managers can enforce it at their discretion, the website says.

Pond said the dress code “serves its purpose.” It was instituted to create a “consistent vibe,” that of an Old Hollywood restaurant with steaks that cost $45 to $120.

Tyler Francisco, a former server who is Black, believes the dress code was enforced unfairly toward guests of color. He said Black women were asked to cover up while white women wearing similarly provocative outfits weren’t asked to. Black men weren’t allowed at Drake’s wearing open-toed shoes, but older white men were.

“We would have African American guests, but I saw them police their bodies in a different way,” Francisco said.

Ricky Organista, who works at Drake’s as a bartender, said the restaurant previously had a culture of racism. But Organista blames the previous general manager, Govias, saying he was the one who enforced the racist behavior — not the company leaders above him.

“People would try to come in, and if they were Black, he’d stop them at the door,” Organista said. “He’d make up some excuse: ‘You’re not (up to) dress code.’ "

 

Govias, who is East Indian and previously worked in management at Pappas Restaurants for 24 years, said in the lawsuit that CEO Pond “fostered an environment” where employees were told to “turn away non-white customers under the pretext of dress code violations.”

No ‘fat’ people

Govias and Samano said they encountered discriminatory practices early in their jobs, when they were tasked with hiring people to work at Vandelay restaurants.

Govias said he was told that he could not hire any “fat” or “ugly” people. “I actually had to go to bat for two of my beautiful-looking hosts, who [Pond] thought were too short and too ugly.”

Isabella Chapa was one of the fired hostesses who said she believes upper management didn’t want her at the front of the restaurant because of the way she looked. It was the first time she’d been fired. She said no one explained why she was let go, but she believes they didn’t want a 5-foot-1 Mexican woman working near the front door.

Samano said Pond gave him strict hiring direction when he helped open the first East Hampton Sandwich Co. in University Park in 2012.

 

“If there were cashiers who were ugly, they couldn’t take orders,” Samano said.

“I felt uncomfortable. But I thought this was the way it was.”

Pond says the accusations are “100% false.”

Samano, who has been a chef in Dallas steakhouses for more than 30 years, worked in Vandelay kitchens off and on since 2012, overseeing some of the company’s biggest restaurant openings. He said he was drawn to Vandelay because he thought it had “huge potential,” and he was right: Since the first East Hampton Sandwich Co. opened, Pond has launched three more restaurant brands, with two coming soon, Brentwood and D.L. Mack’s. Vandelay operates about a dozen restaurants today, with more opening soon.

“I wanted to be a part of this,” Samano said.

He was sued by Vandelay in 2017 for violating a confidentiality agreement and taking a job with a competing restaurant. The lawsuit was settled out of court that year, according to court documents.

 

‘The way they treated me was different’

Francisco, a former Drake’s server who is Black, was fired in October 2020 after working there for about three months.

He said Drake’s managers required that he be clean-shaven for the job, but he wasn’t able to do that because he gets ingrown hairs. “This is a problem ethnic minorities have, specifically African American men,” he said. Francisco said he gave his managers a doctor’s note, requesting that he be exempted from shaving his beard.

“I feel like once I gave them that note, the way they treated me was different,” he said.

Vandelay’s head of HR, Shock, declined to disclose why Francisco was terminated.

The company eventually implemented what several employees described as a “forced ranking.” General manager Govias had to identify the least effective staffers. Francisco said he was told he was in the bottom 10% of the employee pool, and he lost his job.

 

“I wanted to advocate for myself, but what do I say to that?” Francisco said. “It literally seems like you guys don’t want me there.”

Canceled reservations

Three former workers interviewed by The News said Drake’s employees rejected reservations for customers who sound like they have a Black name.

“To them, it could be a Keyondre, a Deyondre, anything of that sort,” said Anna Maria Montez, who worked at Drake’s for about three months last year.

Pond rejected the claim. “Think about the practicality of that: It’s just not possible,” he said.

Montez, a server and hostess, never had to delete the reservations herself, she said. “But I dealt with the consequences,” she said. Customers would complain by phone, in person or online.

 

Former server Chris Herrada, who is Hispanic and gay, said he never saw evidence of canceled reservations specifically aimed at people of color. He doesn’t think managers were racist.

Ultimately, Herrada said Drake’s executives didn’t seem to hold the same values he did. He stayed with the company for nearly a year, leaving in June 2021. He said he quit after two Drake’s servers used homophobic and racist slurs and Herrada didn’t think his peers were reprimanded swiftly enough.

“I told them, respectfully, that my integrity was not something I’m willing to compromise,” Herrada said.

What’s next

McCathern, the attorney handling the lawsuits, filed claims with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on behalf of Govias and Samano. Both have been closed, which means the agency will not investigate either case.

That’s typical, said Harry Jones, an expert at national law firm Polsinelli. He estimates that 95% of EEOC claims are closed in this way, and that opens the door for attorneys like McCathern to proceed with a lawsuit.

These cases could be settled out of court, McCathern said. If they go to trial, it will be months or even years before a determination is made.

McCathern said he hopes the lawsuits “improve the restaurant world for everybody.”

Pond hopes a court will see the lawsuits as he sees them: “a money grab."

 

Levi McCathern eh? I know Levi pretty well. His daughter was in our Y Princesses group and she is pretty good friends with my daughter. Levi is Jerry and the Cowboys attorney -- or was anyways. I didn't think that had changed. Levi is also the guy who got in hot water for shooting what would've been a state-record alligator on the Trinity River 10 years or so ago.

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Levi McCathern eh? I know Levi pretty well. His daughter was in our Y Princesses group and she is pretty good friends with my daughter. Levi is Jerry and the Cowboys attorney -- or was anyways. I didn't think that had changed. Levi is also the guy who got in hot water for shooting what would've been a state-record alligator on the Trinity River 10 years or so ago.

Yeah I know that dude. Looks kinda like a gorilla.

[C-Man 27194]

2 hours ago, Landomatic said:

Yeah I know that dude. Looks kinda like a gorilla.

Funny story is that Levi used to be a pastor or preacher or something.

[Landomatic 3813]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

Funny story is that Levi used to be a pastor or preacher or something.

Hahaha Whenever I’ve been with him, he definitely wasn’t acting like a pastor or preacher.

[C-Man 27194]

5 minutes ago, Landomatic said:

Hahaha Whenever I’ve been with him, he definitely wasn’t acting like a pastor or preacher.

Same -- which is why I mentioned it.

[DDD Dad 14325]

On 8/11/2021 at 9:47 AM, C-Man said:

Levi McCathern eh? I know Levi pretty well. His daughter was in our Y Princesses group and she is pretty good friends with my daughter. Levi is Jerry and the Cowboys attorney -- or was anyways. I didn't think that had changed. Levi is also the guy who got in hot water for shooting what would've been a state-record alligator on the Trinity River 10 years or so ago.

Hah.  I know him too. 

 

 

We used to be at the same firm a million years ago.  He hooked up with one of Jerry's nephews (who was also there) to open their own firm.

 

Edited August 13, 2021 by DDD Dad

[Teebox 89]

On 8/11/2021 at 3:53 PM, C-Man said:

Same -- which is why I mentioned it.

Baptist.  Defrocked.  

[Landomatic 3813]

While you weren’t looking, secluded Dallas steakhouse Tango Room opened in the Design District

https://www.dallasnews.com/food/2021/09/18/while-you-werent-looking-secluded-dallas-steakhouse-tango-room-opened-in-the-design-district/

Spoiler

A new restaurant named Tango Room opened Sept. 17, 2021 in the Dallas Design District, serving steak, pasta and seafood alongside a glitzy bar menu of lobster corndogs and deviled eggs with truffles.

It popped up quietly, after more than a year-long wait.

We named it one of the most exciting restaurants to open in 2020, but that didn’t happen.

It was expected to open in April 2020, in place of FT33, chef Matt McCallister’s inventive restaurant that closed in 2018. The Hi Line Drive restaurant is in new hands now: Tango Room comes from Headington Companies, the group that owns the Joule Hotel, cocktail bar Midnight Rambler, bakery and grab and go shop Commissary and others, along with Southern restaurant The Porch on Henderson Avenue in Dallas.

Tango Room is the fanciest restaurant in the Headington portfolio, now that downtown Dallas restaurant Mirador has closed. Tango Room has its own sexy approach as a modern steakhouse.

“We took what we loved about the quintessential steakhouse, and then gave it our own fingerprints: elevated, unexpected, thoughtful,” says executive chef Kylil Henson. He previously worked at Stephan Pyles Flora Street Cafe and Oak in Dallas and at DBGB by Daniel Boulud in Washington, D.C.

Tango Room’s upscale and exclusive ambience mirrors a trend of ultra-luxury we’ve seen at other new, high-end restaurants in Dallas, like at 17-course, 12-seat Japanese restaurant Shoyo; the $2,200 steak place Nusr-Et; and 49th floor Italian den Monarch. At all of these spots, prices can get sky high.

Tango Room is small — just 12 booths and a bar — and diners can order a very expensive dinner if they so choose. Caviar is priced at $250 and steaks can cost up to $105 per person. Add seared foie gras for $25 or lobster for $28. Large format plates, which feed several people, include a $195 porterhouse steak sized at 40 ounces, served with cauliflower gratin and horseradish cream.

Bar snacks are less of a splurge and show a more playful side to the restaurant. Lobster corn dogs go for $15 and duck wings cost $17.

We all should consider the Tango Burger, which is unlike many of the other bougie burgers in town — and there are many. This one is a dry-aged beef patty with yuzu aioli, IPA pickles, black truffle and a Swiss cheese called raclette. It’s $20.

Other menu items include steak tartare, bacon steak, celery root soup, pan-roasted salmon and two pastas: tango Bolognese, a papardelle dish with whipped burrata and foie gras; and frutti di mare, a spaghetti dish with confit tomatoes.

Over the 17 months since Tango Room was supposed to open, the Headington team has reinvented the dining room. “You won’t recognize it,” says Michael Siegel, food and beverage director for Headington Companies.

The team has also done “lots and lots of wine collecting,” he says. The wine list was created by Simon Roberts, a co-owner of the restaurant and the owner of Graileys Fine Wines.

The group hopes Tango Room will feel like a secluded restaurant that was worth the wait.

“It feels part private club, part restaurant,” Siegel says. “When people come, they look around and say: ‘There’s nothing like this in Dallas.’”

Tango Room is at 1617 Hi Line Dr., Dallas. It opened Sept. 17, 2021. Reservations are recommended and are available on Resy.

 

[Lidig8r 1870]

I used to be a Del Frisco's guy.  Was going there before they moved up to Spring Valley Road. Go to know Dee Lincoln after she bought the place from Dale Wamstad. Used to love it.

Got drunk with "Bush" a number of times. Saw Bob Stoops eating a huge bag of dicks on a back table in what was then their cigar room the night before the Texas - ou game.

And then ...

Dee Lincoln sold out. They moved their flagship to Uptown. I was living down there at the time. (during and after the divorce from the Sequel.). Officed a block from there.  AND THEN ...

Wow. What they say is "prime" filet tastes a hell of a lot like Select. The sides are average at best. And the patrons ...

Good Lord! There was a time when you respected the restaurant and the Chef by at least dressing presentable. Now... baggy shorts, wife beaters ... HEY! No problem! Come on in.

Sad to see what used to be a great steakhouse erode into what it is today.

Ugggg.

[Landomatic 3813]

11 hours ago, Lidig8r said:

I used to be a Del Frisco's guy.  Was going there before they moved up to Spring Valley Road. Go to know Dee Lincoln after she bought the place from Dale Wamstad. Used to love it.

Got drunk with "Bush" a number of times. Saw Bob Stoops eating a huge bag of dicks on a back table in what was then their cigar room the night before the Texas - ou game.

And then ...

Dee Lincoln sold out. They moved their flagship to Uptown. I was living down there at the time. (during and after the divorce from the Sequel.). Officed a block from there.  AND THEN ...

Wow. What they say is "prime" filet tastes a hell of a lot like Select. The sides are average at best. And the patrons ...

Good Lord! There was a time when you respected the restaurant and the Chef by at least dressing presentable. Now... baggy shorts, wife beaters ... HEY! No problem! Come on in.

Sad to see what used to be a great steakhouse erode into what it is today.

Ugggg.

Go check out Dee’s steak place in Frisco. At the star. Top notch. Not worth driving all the way to Frisco for, but the best option if you’re ever out that way

[Skipper 6128]

I've had some solid meals at that Uptown Del Friscos location although I guess it's been over 2 (hell maybe 3) years since I've been.  If it's fallen off that sucks as I like the space.  I'll add that at the beginning of COVID lockdowns they were selling raw steaks so they didn't cut off their supplier that were damn good and very reasonably priced.   Definitely not select.  I picked up 3 orders and was sad they stopped after opening back up.

Edited November 4, 2021 by Skipper

[Landomatic 3813]

2 hours ago, Skipper said:

I've had some solid meals at that Uptown Del Friscos location although I guess it's been over 2 (hell maybe 3) years since I've been.  If it's fallen off that sucks as I like the space.  I'll add that at the beginning of COVID lockdowns they were selling raw steaks so they didn't cut off their supplier that were damn good and very reasonably priced.   Definitely not select.  I picked up 3 orders and was sad they stopped after opening back up.

I think uptown in general has fallen off. There's been what, like 4 shootings down there in the last couple months?

[bluto 4913]

Go check out Dee’s steak place in Frisco. At the star. Top notch. Not worth driving all the way to Frisco for, but the best option if you’re ever out that way

Agreed, damn fine meal there, a couple yrs ago granted.

[DalTxHornFan 3097]

Chiming in on the decline of Uptown Del Frisco's Double Eagle.

Hosted a dinner for a group in a private room.  A couples event.  The service was excellent.  Solid cocktails and wine.  The proteins were good, but not to the level that I expected for the prices.  The sides and desserts were bland and underwhelming.

The worst part was the rest of the crowd.  IDK what kind of dress code they try to enforce, but it isn't working.  Folks in hoodies and sweat pants or worse.  Drunk and loud group at the bar.  Partially nude chicks in tight dresses -- NTTAWWT!  (Many looked like pro's on the prowl -- the others were just almost naked.)  The wives were appalled.

There have got to be nicer places to go to drop those kind of bucks on a dinner event.  Thinking Al Beirnat's or even Bob's on Lemmon.

 

[C-Man 27194]

1 hour ago, DalTxHornFan said:

Chiming in on the decline of Uptown Del Frisco's Double Eagle.

Hosted a dinner for a group in a private room.  A couples event.  The service was excellent.  Solid cocktails and wine.  The proteins were good, but not to the level that I expected for the prices.  The sides and desserts were bland and underwhelming.

The worst part was the rest of the crowd.  IDK what kind of dress code they try to enforce, but it isn't working.  Folks in hoodies and sweat pants or worse.  Drunk and loud group at the bar.  Partially nude chicks in tight dresses -- NTTAWWT!  (Many looked like pro's on the prowl -- the others were just almost naked.)  The wives were appalled.

There have got to be nicer places to go to drop those kind of bucks on a dinner event.  Thinking Al Beirnat's or even Bob's on Lemmon.

 

Went to OG Bob's back in September for a friend's birthday and it was not very good at all. My NY Strip was thin, over-cooked and cost about $50.

I still love Al's, though.

[C-Man 27194]

On 12/17/2021 at 1:17 AM, C-Man said:

Went to OG Bob's back in September for a friend's birthday and it was not very good at all. My NY Strip was thin, over-cooked and cost about $50.

I still love Al's, though.

Want to follow up on this. Went to OG Bob's with a couple of buddies on Saturday night. It was excellent.

[Jive Turkey 12594]

original Del Frisco's on Spring Valley off the Tollway was the gold standard for me back in the day.  it was perfection.  sad to hear that it's gone downhill.

[ChiTownDoc 21143]

Del Frisco’s opened here a few years ago and they just couldn’t hang.  I think they only made it a couple of years.  Definitely a very competitive market, here in Chicago, but they seemed more about the hype vs the food…

[Lidig8r 1870]

9 hours ago, Jive Turkey said:

original Del Frisco's on Spring Valley off the Tollway was the gold standard for me back in the day.  it was perfection.  sad to hear that it's gone downhill.

Went there for years. Got to know Bush pretty well. Got drunk with him a few times. Smoked cigars in their side lounge before it was prohibited. Many great events there. Never had to eat upstairs with the spares.

Porn stars. College coaches. Actors. Politicians. 

[ztejas 43411]

On 12/17/2021 at 1:17 AM, C-Man said:

Went to OG Bob's back in September for a friend's birthday and it was not very good at all. My NY Strip was thin, over-cooked and cost about $50.

I still love Al's, though.

 

10 hours ago, C-Man said:

Want to follow up on this. Went to OG Bob's with a couple of buddies on Saturday night. It was excellent.

Well what the fuck are we supposed to do with this information?

[C-Man 27194]

45 minutes ago, ztejas said:

 

Well what the fuck are we supposed to do with this information?

Get the ribeye, not the Strip.

[Landomatic 3813]

8 hours ago, C-Man said:

Get the ribeye, not the Strip.

And if it sucks, send it back.