New York City’s renowned restaurateur, Keith McNally, is shedding light on an encounter with a music icon who allegedly made a waitress cry with her behavior. In McNally’s upcoming memoir, “Regret Almost Everything,” he reveals his experience with Patti Smith’s alleged rudeness towards the staff at One Fifth restaurant in the 1970s when he was the general manager.
According to McNally, Smith and her then-boyfriend, photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, frequented the restaurant, often accompanied by Mapplethorpe’s ex, Sam Wagstaff. McNally describes Smith as consistently difficult to wait on, sharing that she once reduced a waitress to tears over a forgotten bread basket.
While Mapplethorpe was noted to be terse with the staff, McNally acknowledges that he did not belittle them in the same way that Smith did. Smith’s representatives did not respond to requests for comment on the allegations made in McNally’s book.
Following the release of the excerpt detailing Smith’s behavior, social media users weighed in on the controversial story. Some users shared their own encounters with Smith’s alleged rudeness, while others defended the singer, pointing out that people can change over time.
This incident is not the first time McNally has publicly called out rude behavior at his establishments. In a separate instance, he criticized James Corden for mistreating staff at his restaurant, Balthazar, resulting in a ban that was later lifted after Corden apologized.
McNally’s upcoming memoir, “I Regret Almost Everything,” delves into his encounters with challenging patrons and personalities throughout his career in the restaurant industry. The book is set to be released on May 6, offering readers a glimpse into the world of high-profile dining and the characters that inhabit it.