Everyone seems to have got used to Keith McNally’s inflammatory Instagram shtick by now. But the famed restaurateur stunned and appalled customers and fellow industry insiders Monday with a post about the recent attacks on Israel — even infuriating associates connected to his own fabled eateries.
The Balthazar boss has become a social media favorite in the past couple of years with unguarded posts in which he’s exposed rude celebrity diners, seemingly outed adulterous guests, and vigorously defended Woody Allen, among other click-inducing matters.
But he seems to cause real angst in the wake of Saturday’s terrorist attacks against Israel, when he told his followers: “The More Utterly Repugnant The Facts, The Greater The Responsibility Becomes To Listen To The Other Side.”
Several notable New Yorkers — including top hospitality names from Surf Lodge and Sixty Hotels — were so disgusted by his post, they threatened to never set foot in his restaurants again.
Meanwhile, sources told us that McNally’s partners in flagships Balthazar and Morandi had even asked him to take the post down. McNally denied that. But he admitted that an associate related his famed Meatpacking spot Pastis had confronted him about the remarks.
“I only have two partners in my restaurants. Stephen Starr in Pastis and Helen Benham in Balthazar and Morandi. I’ve not heard a word from either one today,” McNally told .
He suggested our sources might have been “referring to Pastis’s landlord’s partner, Jared Epstein, who emailed me earlier mistakenly thinking I wrote ‘Support The Other Side’ and not ‘LISTEN to the other side.’”
Oddly, Epstein told us he didn’t recall emailing the British dining mogul, but said he had replied to the post, writing, “Oh boy, I am sure this heinous post will lead to many lost friends, supporters and followers of you including myself.”
Epstein told us, “This attack is…
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