Welcome to Eater's latest feature, Shit People Steal, in which we ask restaurateurs what items in their restaurant have been (or are frequently) stolen.
First up, Irvington's New Orleans-influenced Acadia bistro has had its share of thieves, including one, believe it or not, with a conscience. But first, chef Adam Higgs vents about his lost lithographs:
"The original signed and numbered artwork I had in the restrooms was stolen, and not all at once: These people are assholes! It actually happened three times over two years, and has made me realize that I shouldn't keep these special items in a private place, or they should be bolted down to the wall. The crazy part is these were not that small! The sketches and lithographs — all signed and numbered, two from Paul De La Fille, and one from Don Davey — were all framed in large matted frames; I don't know how someone could fit one under a shirt or coat. They were there at the beginning of the night, and missing when the restrooms were cleaned at the end of the night. I still have a few numbered sketches, but not in the restrooms.
People also loved to steal my nice water glasses. I had nice La Rochere Fleur De Lys glassware for a few years, and I loved them, but they were expensive: Cost wholesale was around $8 each. We would notice occasionally that when tables would leave, there were no glasses to clear! Huh. Weird. I even had a guy once show up with a pack of four glasses he purchased at Sur La Table — same glass, just retail. He said his dining companions the night before had stolen three of them because they were in love with them. He was so embarrassed that he found the exact glass, purchased four and returned them with an apology. I wasn't sure if I should thank him or call the police on his friend. Needless to say, we now rock the mason jar water glasses — they cost around 80 cents each... and no one steals them!
Have a restaurant theft story? Email us at pdx@eater.com
· Acadia [Official site]
