Following up on the Drama Between Red Medicine and LAT Food Critic S.Irene Virbila

You would have to be living under a rock to miss yesterday's epic commotion starring Red Medicine's Noah Ellis and The LA Times Food Critic S.Irene Virbila. As the story goes, SIV was waiting for a table at the recently opened Red Medicine, probably to file an Early Bird, and when Ellis noticed her, he asked her to leave because "we didn't want her reviewing us." Not only that but Ellis snapped a photo of the critic who had remained mostly anonymous (no pictures of her on the internet...until now) for the past 15 years, revealing her identity to the world, or at least the foodie blogosphere. LA Times Food Editor Russ Parsons chatted with the NY Times last night explaining that SIV preferred not to discuss the situation and that “She would rather let her writing speak for itself.” Yes, the paper still plans to review Red Medicine, and Parsons jokingly adds, “We may dress her up in a clown uniform...or enlist one of Ruth Reichl’s makeup artists.” BOOM.
·Restaurateur Ejects Los Angeles Times Critic [NYT]
·Red Medicine Boots S. Irene Virbila Out of Restaurant [~ELA~]