Sometimes Torontonians get pissed off over strange things – who remembers when folks got super angry over this new patio? And while many times it’s justifiable, like when a Toronto bar posted degrading signs, other times the onslaught of flak remains questionable. Most recently, 416 Snack Bar on Queen West, was the victim of such, taking the brunt end of some major criticism.
Over what? A salad – a deconstructed Caesar salad to be exact.
It all started after journalist Rhiannon Russell tweeted a photo of the dish on Friday night, commenting that it was served without a knife and a fork, which apparently fueled a tizzy of rapid-fire social media response. “How dare the restaurant be so insolent as to serve a Caesar Salad without cutlery,” seemed to be the unanimous opinion.
A very Toronto thing that happened tonight: I ordered a Caesar salad and got this. Was told the restaurant doesn’t “do cutlery.” pic.twitter.com/GDaugBjTlK
— Rhiannon Russell (@rhrussell) May 27, 2017
While the initial tweet didn’t seem malicious in nature, it spun off a string of humorous responses; though some were cheeky, the disdain of many was quite apparent.
@rhrussell I have no words and wouldn’t know where to start #SoHipItHurts
— Coralie Ullyett (@CoralieU) May 27, 2017
@rhrussell You are kidding right? Because I am having a hard time even with that.
— Nora Loreto (@NoLore) May 27, 2017
It even went as deep as physics and religion… Toronto restauranteur, Jen Agg, makes a very good point.
@rhrussell HOW WOULD IT STICK this is fundamentally flawed
— Jen Agg (@TheBlackHoof) May 28, 2017
@CathyPegau @rhrussell It’s now an abomination unto God.
— Krista D. Ball (@kristadb1) May 27, 2017
Meanwhile, some other folks saw this as an opportunity to bitch about other types of deconstructed meals.
@britl @FancieTweets @C3convertase @rhrussell This is the worst deconstructed one I’ve seen pic.twitter.com/szpPUu3jYc
— cheerfulexgirlfriend (@cheerful_ExGF) May 28, 2017
Fellow restaurant, Baro, even got involved in an effort to capitalize on the fact that they DO have forks.
@rhrussell We couldn’t help but chuckle at this a little bit! If you’d like a fresh, local salad come to Baro; the salad’s on us (cutlery included!) pic.twitter.com/bDMBpwnC9H
— Baro (@BaroToronto) May 27, 2017
The shit storm then reached the nimble fingers of Chef Grant Soto. He posted the tweet on the @chefgrantsoto parody account, bringing the issue to an even greater presence, and highlighting the pure ridiculousness of the Toronto food scene. Well, we’re still unsure whether it’s a story to garner “international presence,” it does shine a light on the seemingly pretentious side of the industry.
Eventually, 416 did finally reply via Twitter – fortunately not with any upfront malice, but rather on a playful note.
@inyourmouthTO ya @BaroToronto okay that’s it we no longer oblige your staff requests for reggaeton when they come by after service! 😂😂😂
— 416 SNACKBAR (@416snackbar) May 29, 2017
The whole debate reached a peak when restaurant critics Chris Nuttall-Smith and Pete Wells weighed in… perhaps it really is an international story after all?
Albeit, the day that a story on a deconstructed salad goes international might be the day we also start questioning our priorities, as well as our quick jump to anger. After all, remember that 416 is a self-advertised snack bar who has always had a knack for doing without cutlery. Was there really even a story here in the first place?
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What do you think about 416 Snack Bar’s deconstructed Caesar salad? Were all the remarks uncalled for? Let us know in the comments below or tweet us @ViewTheVibe.
