Restaurant Photographs, Then Boots Critic

A Los Angeles Times restaurant critic has been “unmasked” by a feisty restaurant boss, who snapped her picture while she waited for a table and then sent her packing, the Times reports. The restaurant posted S. Irene Virbila’s picture on its Tumblr blog, where it spread like wildfire to mixed reactions. Some slammed the restaurant, saying it was trying to hide its flaws; others praised it.

“Our purpose for posting this is so that all restaurants can have a picture of her and make a decision as to whether or not they would like to serve her,” the restaurant, Red Medicine, noted. “We find that some her reviews can be unnecessarily cruel and irrational.” The Times’ food editor said Virbila was “upset” after 16 years of “trying to maintain her anonymity.” The paper still plans to review the restaurant.