The Gables Diner and Chocolate *Genocide*

An interesting thing was called to my attention earlier this week. It seems that the Gables Diner has a dessert on its menu called Chocolate Genocide. Honestly, while I eat there semi-regularly, I have never even noticed this because dessert has always been too pricey for me there, and I just never look at the menu.

So, back to this dessert. Perhaps understandably so, the term "genocide" is not one some people take lightly. For people who have lost family members to or been somehow affected by genocide, it probably doesn't feel great to see the term used casually in reference to a piece of food, just like I guess "Holocaust hash browns" might not sit well with a decent segment of the population.

The following is a letter that's made the rounds regarding this dessert and a man's attempt to get it removed from the menu. Because I don't know if he would want his name published, I'm leaving that out and have edited out a part that refers to someone unrelated to this matter.

"I recently learned that the Gables Diner serves "chocolate genocide."

When I pointed this menu item out to a server, she told me that she knew about it, that the restaurant staff had asked the owner to change it, and that he had refused to do so. After I mentioned that our family had been affected by genocide, she added that she and other staff were laughing about various menu errors in the back. Not finding genocide amusing, my party left the restaurant at that point.

A later phone conversation with one of the owners gave me no satisfaction. The hostess had mentioned his first name, but when put on the phone, he refused to identify himself further. As it is a matter of public record, I can reveal that Walter Di Benedetto is the person to whom I spoke. He did finally state that he would change the menu, but his excuse for not having done so beforehand included the phrase: "It's one letter. What you want me to do?" He took no interest in hearing about his staff's behavior. One week after this incident, I note that the menu on the web remains the same. (Note: the writer of the letter advised me that shortly after this situation began, but before he sent this letter out, the wording on the online menu had changed - more on that below).

It is clear to me that Mr. Di Benedetto did not feel any contrition for having made light of immense suffering. Never again will I patronize the Gables Diner, as long as he is one of its owners. Perhaps others who are not amused by genocide might also stop patronizing this establishment. A loss of revenue may communicate something to Mr. DiBenedetto in a way that common moral sense clearly has not. I wanted to send you a copy of this letter (which I am also distributing to the CG Gazette, the Miami Herald Coral Gables Neighbor's section, and elsewhere) to alert you to this business practice. It's probably not actionable from your side, but I still felt I should inform you about this."

Regarding the name change: the menu, at least online, now says "Chocolate Genoise", which, if I remember correctly, is an ingredient, not the name of a dessert. Part of what I was interested in figuring out was - did they originally mean to use that word and it was typoed into "genocide"? Or was that the intended name and it was changed since someone complained? And if staff had tried to get the owner to change the name, why didn't he?

Anyway, I thought I'd share this and see what the rest of you think about it.