Don’t Like the Taco Shack? You Must be a Racist.
an outsider’s journey inside Vancouver’s restaurant industry
August 11th, 2008
By Jason Chin
Eat Vancouver Editor
As one of the biggest proponents of a Mexican food renaissance in Vancouver, as well as one of the first to write publicly about Dona Cata and the now defunct Chilo’s, people keep asking me why I don’t write more about The Taco Shack. Surely their focus on authentic Mexican and Cali-Mex preparations merits more attention. Well, this issue keeps coming up, and it’s one that probably should have ended years ago, but also one that will probably benefit from a full public understanding of it. It’s a bit of long story, but the reason I tend to ignore the Taco Shack is because the last time I wrote about them, Daved Benefield, the co-owner of the restaurant, called me a racist.
I say it’s a long story because it’s largely intertwined with subsequent comments from Gerald Tritt, another Taco Shack co-owner (and Vera’s Burger Shack owner) and his failure to acknowledge the event ever happened, as well as my eventual dismissal from the Waiterforum message board, the restaurant industry message board where this all took place.
As a short background, it was a couple of summers ago when I joined the newly formed Waiterforum, a message board component to the Waiterblog website. The vast majority of the participants were restaurant industry insiders, such as servers (obviously), managers, chefs, owners, and some writers. I should have sensed that there would be problems as the in-group/out-group politics were already running thick. The first harbinger of things to come was when a food enthusiast (and industry outsider) posted some photos of food she had eaten or prepared locally. The outcry was almost immediate as industry people felt the sanctity of their enclave of privileged gossip and chat had been compromised. Some demanded the photos be removed. They felt this untrained food enthusiasm was better left on other message boards, those that deal with the oohs, ahs, and yummies more prevalent among amateurs. One even threatened, and eventually did, quit the message board. Over photos of food. Let that sink in for a second.
Besides the questionable logic and morality of offending the very customers your industry is based on, this move smacks of the out-group denigration that the last 40 years of social psychology has sought to document and explain. It’s really not that surprising at all, given what this research has taught us. In fact, during the beginnings of this literature, Henri Tajfel’s seminal work showed us that intergroup hostility can be sparked by differentiating people in just about any way, even if just by a coin flip. And if a coin flip is enough to do it, then belonging to a profession that historically separates itself in terms of such factors as working odd-hours and dealing with annoying customers (another form of out group) should have no problem facilitating hostility.
Witnessing this almost comical overreaction, I purposely reigned myself in for a while. That was until I wrote a quick bite on Eat Vancouver about a new restaurant called the Taco Shack. At the time it was a largely laudatory review, where I made a small comment at the end about a recent service problem I had. I had noticed some unsanitary behavior, and there didn’t seem to be any supervisors around during the time of my visit. I was worried that this was a precursor of things to come. I had no idea.
Soon after I posted this quick bite, Daved Benefield, former amateur football player (I think he may have also made the 49er’s practice squad at some point), and co-owner of Taco Shack, publicly responded:
“Oh and [Jason] I figure someone astitute [sic] as you would have happened to
notice the picture on the wall and noticed the large brutha in the kitchen. I know there are a few of us in Vancouver but in Kits the number gets even smaller so how could I not be in charge. You could even joke and say I could be the ‘HNIC’ [head n-word in charge] but that wouldn’t be polite, but funny in a Samuel Jackson sort of way. But I guess me being an authority figure was to [sic] much for you to comprehend.”
Now Benefield’s comments clearly state that I could not comprehend a black man be in charge, and further, that I might use racial slurs in referring to him. Not only were these remarks patently false, but they also compromised my position as a food writer in that I could not separate my apparent racism from writing insightful, non-biased reviews. He was not only attacking my morality, but my job (one of them, at least).
Needless to say, I was pissed. But, I took the old mother’s wisdom and counted backwards from ten.
Didn’t help.
So I took some more time, did some work, ran errands, went to the gym, and so on.
Still didn’t help.
So eventually, when someone else on the message board echoed my statements, citing service problems at Taco Shack, my anger boiled over and I made a backhanded comment. Something like, “watch out, or you’ll get called a racist as well.”
And this is when everyone jumped on me, vilifying me for making this (entirely accurate) allegation that the Taco Shack cried racist at the slightest constructive criticism. Gerald Tritt, co-owner of Taco Shack, went as far as offering to make it “Jason Chin Day” at Vera’s if I could prove I was called a racist. I quoted the above passage, but he refused to admit that it implied I was a racist. Of course, even a 12-year old child can see that Benefield was calling me a racist, but maybe that’s why Tritt and I never seem to see eye-to-eye on matters.
I feel foolish now because I should have expected it. Benefield was an ingroup member, a status which already confered a him higher status than mine in the group. In the reality of the group he could not be wrong and even in the face of a direct quote, none would admit that I was indeed called a racist. It did not even matter that my job as a restaurant reviewer was now in question because I was now an alleged racist writer. The reality of the group was firmly intact and my voice of dissent was merely a leaf in the wind. Eventually one other member came to my support, but was also a writer, an outsider, and she had even less luck. Heck, I was never even offered an apology by Tritt or Benefield, nor have I been since.
I realize this may seem a bit petty and minor, but put yourself in my shoes. Imagine you created something, worked hard on it, and then someone came in and made an utterly outrageous and completely untrue allegation. And worse than that – no one would even acknowledge it happened. I reckon you’d be pissed as well.
So that’s the story about why I won’t (from this point on) ever talk about the Taco Shack on this website. And the story of itss management that is apparently quite willing to call anyone who doesn’t like their service a bigot.
16 responses so far ↓
1 _ts of [eatingclub] vancouver // Aug 11, 2008 at 10:09 am
When we first heard that Taco Shakd opened and they were serving “authentic” Mexican tacos, we were wquite excited. Finally, non-Tex-Mex tacos! We ate there a little bit after it opened. The tacos were “OK”, but nothing special. After the first visit, though, we have never gone back. That is, we didn’t think it was worth it to make the effort to go back for average food at a very bad value.
(Also, I know what you mean about the in-group mentality. We have a non-glowing review of Ping’s Cafe (which, for some reason, is garnering all sorts of over-the-top praise), and we’re sort of getting mini-flamed for it! Just “mini”, though, because I don’t think people know we exist. Hah.)
2 Jason // Aug 11, 2008 at 12:10 pm
Well, you’ve got a very nice website, so it shouldn’t be long until you have full on flame situation going on!
3 gerald tritt // Aug 11, 2008 at 12:14 pm
Why don’t we sit down at the taco shack and hash things out, clearly, you are still mad (2 years and counting).
4 Gravy // Aug 11, 2008 at 12:37 pm
- your opening line about how you are one of the “biggest proponents” of the Mexican renaissance must be some kind of a joke. You have a lame little blog that people only read from time to time in order to see how much of a fool you’re making of yourself.
- you don’t have a “job” as a restaurant reviewer. You’re a blogger. There’s a big difference, so stop aggrandizing yourself. It makes you look like a tool.
5 Tina Lui // Aug 11, 2008 at 1:08 pm
I remember that! It was Lorna yes who was putting up her food pictures.
Pastry Girl
6 Jason // Aug 11, 2008 at 5:11 pm
Gravy (nice pseudonym),
Wrong. I’ve never been a blogger. If you look back, even at my oldest stuff, it’s all been columns.
Oh and I love the reaction from the restaurant industry folk here. Just serves to support my point.
Thanks!
Oh and, proponent : one who argues in favor of something. you moron.
7 Tina Lui // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Oh God. You can’t be serious. Columnists are paid for columns, Jason. Columns run in newspapers and magazines, not personally edited websites. Moreover, you aren’t a columnist because you don’t get paid. You’re just a blogger, and one who seems to be losing his focus.
Definition: “Blogs are publicly available web pages, with personal views and links expressing the opinions and observations of a particular person, usually on a specific topic or theme and are usually updated regularly reflecting the personality of the author.”
That sounds pretty much like what you do to the letter. Get over yourself.
8 Jason // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:16 pm
This is why I deal in facts Tina, not pastries. For one, I do get paid (see the ad on the side?) and even if I didn’t that has no bearing on what I do. Bloggers write short posts with basic reactions and thoughts, much like Perez Hilton. The majority of the non-news stuff on here are researched, fully thought out columns written by an author who has also been published in several respectable, non-internet media and referenced in such respectable newspapers as the new york times (http://www.eatvancouver.net/2008/03/31/eat-vancouver-in-the-new-york-times/)Which is more than I can say for you.
By your logic, if say I copy and pasted a column from the Washington post onto here, then suddenly it would become a blog.
You’re an idiot - get lost.
9 Max // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:26 pm
You haven’t been paid for anything, Jason. You’re a fraud. A food buzz “ad” is not an ad. your mention in the NYT was the result of a google search, so don’t get too high on yourself. Maybe consider that some of your readers aren’t idiots before calling them idiots. What happened to you?
10 Jason // Aug 11, 2008 at 6:33 pm
Then why do I get paid for that ad?
And thanks for the insight into the New York Time’s research policy. Maybe that means they’ll stumble onto some of your pithy blatherings. But, I wouldn’t bet on it.
Until then - get lost as well.
11 Eatvanfan // Aug 13, 2008 at 12:59 pm
Lots of you guys need to get lost.
12 Greedy guy - bored at work // Aug 14, 2008 at 10:39 am
Jason - there isn’t much sense in getting into a war of words over the internet. I’m not on your side or theirs, just a big eater who enjoys reading restaurant reviews.
However, I for one do see that you were put into a very frustrating situation. Don’t give them more fuel by even bothering to defend yourself (and guess what - you do come off as a bit arrogant when doing so as well…sorry). Rarely do these flame wars ever stay on topic…you’ve just found yourself having to fend off silly little shots about totally unrelated things. What the f does being paid have to do with being frivolously called a racist?
I suspect that many of these tough-talking posters would be mild-mannered pussycats if you meet them in person anyway.
Oh, one more comment while I’m up on the soapbox: that comment by the owner was just plain wrong. Minorities ARE business owners AND authority figures (especially here in Canada) - I’m afraid that battle has been long won in our neck of the woods. Maybe quit the victim act and stop shoving “our cause” down innocent people’s throats. BTW I am non-white
So where’s a good place to get a lobster po’boy?
13 Jason // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:40 pm
I think that’s a balanced review of what’s gone on. thanks GG.
14 Jason // Aug 14, 2008 at 5:42 pm
I haven’t found a good lobster po’ boy either, now that i think of it. probably new england would be your best bet, or Louisiana. how about ouisi bistro on s granville? just throwing it out there, i’m not too familiar with the place.
15 Sam Salmon // Aug 17, 2008 at 12:48 pm
In the interim the food @ Taco Shack has improved a tad, it now has more relation to standard Kitsilano hippie glop than Mexican but Hey it’s all about sales right?
Service remains iffy but that’s not unique in Vancouver fast food.
The reviews on Dinehere.ca tell the story-read ‘em and weep.
16 Sandia // Aug 28, 2008 at 9:49 pm
I love your blog, column… whatever. I know I’ll get a good uninfluenced review - not that I’ll always agree but at least I know it’s just your honest opinion.
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