Société Bistro Responds to Zero Star Review

Lesley Chesterman had very little good to say this past week about Ink Entertainment CEO Charles Khabouth's sleek Toronto bistro concept inside the Loews Hôtel Vogue. In one of the worst reviews of her long career at The Gazette, the critic wrote, simply: "What went wrong? Everything." Khabouth has so far refused to comment but now comes word that the nightclub mogul will be in town, at the restaurant, for a media brunch tomorrow. The event comes just days after Chesterman's mordant write-up but "has nothing to do with the review", according to publicist Karen Gruson.

"The brunch was planned weeks ago," said the Ink spokesperson. When prompted for a statement on the aberrant review, Gruson replied: "When Daniel Boulud opened his restaurant in the Four Seasons in Toronto, he was panned [3.5 stars in The Globe and Mail]. It takes time to transition a concept to a new city. The person that wrote the review visited the restaurant not long after it opened [Société Bistro opened on May 28, Chesterman's review came out September 14]. The restaurant is trying to improve each day." Gruson went on to add that no personnel changes, either in the front of the house or the kitchen, are in the works.

· Fine Dining: La Société Bistro [The Gazette]
· Ink Entertainment [Official Site]
· Société Bistro [Official Site]