Kick ‘Em Out!

By CHARLES FERRUZZA

A friend of mine, married to a well-known local restaurateur, called me a couple of weeks ago to share some restaurant gossip. Two friends of hers, wealthy and well-connected, had been “kicked out” of Bluestem one night by the owner, Colby Garrelts.

This couple, it seems, had been sitting at the bar and ordered an appetizer and a bottle of wine and were going to share a dinner. The dinner came out of the kitchen before the appetizer. The couple sent the dinner back to the kitchen and sipped wine until the appetizer was served. After finishing the starter, the bartender brought out a new entrée, but the diners weren’t ready for it yet. They wanted to enjoy their wine, so they sent the dinner back a second time.

That’s when the normally even-tempered Garrelts lost his cool.