Italian chef Carlo Cracco sued a newspaper editor who published a negative review of his signature dish. Criticism will have to pay dearly for it.
Source:Daily Mail
1947
At the gala dinner in 2016, Carlo Cracco, whose restaurant became the owner of two Michelin stars, served risotto with tomatoes, lemon and braised wagyu beef. This event was attended by 400 people, among whom was Achille Ottaviani, editor of the newspaper La Cronaca di Verona.
After dinner, Ottaviani posted a negative review of the chef’s dish. He wrote that many dinner guests were disappointed and went to nearby shops to buy kebabs. According to him, the dish was a failure – the risotto was tasteless, the meat was tough, and the vegetables were inappropriate.
That is why Carlo Cracco sued him for defamation, arguing that the review had a negative impact on his business. According to the chef, Ottaviani’s review was incorrect because it presented the opinions of unnamed people.
If he wrote, “I was disappointed, I went and bought a kebab as soon as dinner was over,” that would be a criticism and a personal opinion,
– explained culinary journalist Dario de Marco.
The court sided with the chef, and ordered the editor to pay a fine of 11,000 euros, preliminary compensation of damages in the amount of 20,000 euros and another 3,500 euros to cover court costs. In general Carlo Cracco is to receive €34,500 (over 1 million hryvnias).
