Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Parents criticized online for bringing crying baby to restaurant

upi ^ | Jan. 14, 2014 

CHICAGO, A couple dining at an upscale Chicago restaurant were sharply criticized online when their infant spent the evening crying at the eatery.
Chef Grant Achatz of the Alinea restaurant took to Twitter with a question about crying baby etiquette after the infant cried though the dinner service Saturday night at the three-star restaurant, where meals can cost hundreds of dollars, the Chicago Sun-Times reported Tuesday.
"Tbl brings 8mo.Old. It cries. Diners mad. Tell ppl no kids? Subject diners 2crying? Ppl take infants 2 plays? Concerts? Hate saying no, but ...," Achatz tweeted.
The tweet sparked sharp criticism online for the parents, who many said should have known better than to bring an infant to an upscale restaurant.
"IT IS ABSURD TO BRING YOUR BABY TO ALINEA," tweeted Michael Nagrant, who reviews restaurants for RedEye. "You do not take a baby to Alinea. Unless the babysitter canceled last minute and Alinea would not refund your ticket. No other debate."
The restaurant takes reservations by allowing customers to purchase tickets, sometimes months in advance. The tickets are not refundable.
Achatz posted a picture to Twitter Sunday featuring two fish heads on a plate.
"Definitely not baby food," he tweeted.
The furor over the incident led to the creation of a Twitter parody account, @AlineaBaby, which bears a user bio saying, "I'm a baby who likes fine food, fine drinks, and crying."

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