I don't use alcohol and it's my custom to order a large bottle of sparkling water and a burgundy glass. Last night, at Girasole, I took a sip and had just put my glass down when the owner came flying through the dining room, swooped down and grabbed my glass and started screaming at the waiter that this was a red wine glass.....not a water glass....and took it away. Screaming all the way to the back of the restaurant. The waiter told him that I'd requested that kind of glass and I shall not dignify his response.
When I wrote my review of Girasole last night, I decided to read through the comments and saw that a huge number of Zagat participant/critics are taken by "the psychotic behavior", "the unpleasant behavior", this man's "gesticulating tantrums". Never before have I seen anything like it.
We have been occasional clients of Girasole for 15 years or so and have noticed that this man occasionally yells at his staff. I chalked it off to a cultural thing. But last night was over the top and, of course, we'll never return. Surely, we can navigate two blocks further uptown to Nicola where they are extremely nice.
Doug Anderson