Balthazar owner Keith McNally’s most savage feuds and social media moments
Restaurateur Keith McNally has made headlines over the years with his savage social media call outs and online feuds.
Here’s a look back at McNally’s most memorable beefs over the years — from restaurant critic Adam Platt to his most recent clash with James Corden.
Adam Platt
In 2010, New York Magazine critic Adam Platt wrote a scathing one-star review of McNally’s newest business endeavor at the time, Pulino’s Bar and Pizzeria.
In response to the review, McNally wrote a nasty letter in which he called Platt a “bald” and “overweight” reviewer who’s “incapable of reviewing lively downtown restaurants impartially.”
He added, “The fact is, you’re as out of touch describing young downtown New Yorkers as you are at understanding the restaurants where they like to eat.”
Platt shot back, “As always, in these cases, he is entitled to his opinion and I, as a bald, middle aged and, alas (slightly) overweight professional restaurant critic, am entitled to mine.”
Frank Bruni
The feud between the New York Times critic and McNally began back in 2007 when Frank Bruni awarded his newly opened restaurant, Morandi, a measly one star.
The NYC restaurateur fired back at Bruni, accusing the writer of being “sexist” because he’s never “given a female chef in Manhattan anything more than one star, ever.”
The drama continued in 2010 when the journalist was asked about McNally at a book reading. He called the restaurant owner a “horrible man” and stated that he no longer goes to his restaurants.
Graydon Carter
In 2021, ex-editor of Vanity Fair Graydon Carter allegedly made a reservation for 12 at Morandi, but failed to show up.
The city dining mogul took to Instagram claiming that Carter had done this three times before, calling him a “fancy F–ker” and stating that he “will never be allowed to make a reservation at one of my restaurants again. Never.”
Carter, for his part, apologized for the Morandi snafu, but added McNally’s claims that it had happened multiple times was “pure fiction.”
“My office did forget to cancel the lunch reservation until a bit after 1:30, which is wretched, and we will be making a donation today to the restaurant’s tip pool to cover what the staff would have made. … As a fellow restaurateur, I fully understand the implications of a large party no-show,” he told Page Six at the time.
But, the feud was still going strong months later when Town & Country magazine reached out to McNally for a quote about what he wanted for the holidays.
“Graydon Carter’s head on a platter,” he responded.
Michael Shvo
In November 2021, McNally threatened to ban millionaire real estate developer Michael Shvo for allegedly walking past restaurant staff at Balthazar and seating himself at the famed eatery’s best table.
“How F. presumptuous! This obnoxious, entitled behavior is the Height of Arrogance,” McNally responded. “Please have Mr Shvo’s AA [always accommodate] status torn to shreds. If he ever Tries to seat himself again, he’ll join Graydon Carter on Balthazar’s 86 list.”
Shvo’s wife, Seren Shvo, responded to McNally’s claims, explaining that the pair had been eating brunch at the restaurant for years, always sitting at a booth. On that particular day, because it was cold and she had her baby, she walked in and stood by the only open booth.
“While I was standing, Michael went outside to find the maitre D to check in, but before he can, a lady came to (the) table, very politely greeted us, and said ‘happy you found your table Mr Shvo,’ welcome,'” she claimed.
Marina O’Loughlin
McNally started yet another feud in January 2022, this time with British restaurant critic Marina O’Loughlin.
Posting a photo of a newly opened restaurant in England, the restauranteur blasted the critic for dubbing the spot “restaurant of the year” even though it was only January.
“Does this restaurant REALLY look Life-Affirming? According to England’s Sunday Times restaurant critic, MARINA O’LOUGHLIN, it Does,” he wrote, adding that the place looked more “like a cafe in a nondenominational church.”
O’Loughlin fired back on social media, calling McNally a “has-been NYC restauranteur” who was “talking so far out of his arse.”
“ach, go away. With your sad obsession with me, your rag-rolled walls and overpriced Cafe Rouges, frozen frites and desperate staff morale, you’re the last person I’d listen to about restaurants,” she wrote.
James Corden
McNally called out James Corden in October 2022 for being the “most abusive” customer he’s had since NYC hotspot Balthazar opened 25 years ago.
The restaurant owner took to Instagram calling the comedian a “tiny Cretin of a man” for allegedly demanding freebies and threatening to leave a bad Yelp review after finding a hair in his food earlier this year.
McNally also claimed that during an Oct. 9 brunch at his restaurant Cafe Luxembourg, Corden went berserk after his wife’s eggs were not cooked to her liking.
After publicly announcing that the actor was “86’d” from his restaurants, McNally provided an update that the ban had been lifted.
“James Corden just called me and apologized profusely. Having f–ked up myself more than most people, I strongly believe in second chances,” the NYC restaurateur posted to Instagram.
“But….anyone magnanimous enough to apologize to a deadbeat layabout like me (and my staff) doesn’t deserve to be banned from anywhere. Especially Balthazar.”
