Monday, July 8, 2013

[Updated] Female diner decides to go topless last night at Verso



A story from the heatwave.

At Verso last night, two diners entered the Italian bistro on Avenue C and East Eighth Street ... the female diner sat down and immediately removed her top. She sat bare chested while owner Labinot Baraliu asked her to put her shirt back on. She argued that it was "perfectly legal" for her to sit topless in the restaurant... all the while her male companion was taking photos of her.

The staff did end up escorting the couple out of the restaurant.

"In 15 years [in the restaurant business] I've seen all kinds of things, but not this," said Baraliu. "It was funny, but at the same time I was like 'WTF — is this really happening?'"

Updated 7-10
Find an explanation here.

40 comments:

Anonymous said...

Whatever happened to "No shirt, no shoes, no service"?

Jimmy said...

Poor Labby and wife! I ate here earlier in the evening with a friend and missed the show. The wannabe pole dancer is not correct being topless in a food establishment regardless of gender violates NYC Health Dept code. Inspiring a new song however "Flashing Italiano" if only Dean O was alive.lol

Anonymous said...

If her companion hadn't been taking photos, they wouldn't have called so much attention to themselves, and might have been able to stay.

Anonymous said...

Publ-tit-isy stunt.

Brad212 said...

This suck. If you want to go to a business and argue constitutional issues, go to McDonalds or a a celeb chef place.

Only a sh!thead would go to a small family owned business and make a "perfectly legal" type of argument.

Anonymous said...

People really will do anything for attention!
Wonder whose blog it ended up on...and will she appear naked on The View to "air" the topic(s)?!

Giovanni said...

If its illegal to go topless in a restaurant then to stay consistent they need to immediately remove the following items from their menu:

Juicy Chicken Breasts
Any and all Cocktails
Naked Juice
Hot Cross Buns
Calimari (think about it)
Leg of Lamb
Navel Oranges
And finally, anything that smells like fish, including Fish Tacos

abrod said...

Also, regardless of the law or DOH code, a restaurant is a private place of business and can enforce its own rules. Whether it's a McDonald's, a small Italian bistro in Alphabet City, or Per Se, they have the right to refuse service to anyone not complying with their rules.

Anonymous said...

I am concerned about this topless woman being at risk for skin cancer. She clearly tans, though her boobs are pretty white, so she clearly covers up at the beach.

Anonymous said...

And of course, she came replete with the ubiquitious guy filing her. Is everyone in this nabe a wannabee indy film producer?

Zack said...

Yeah, "perfectly legal" isn't really true here. The case in point ruled that topless restrictions had to apply equally across genders, and I'm pretty sure they'd throw out a guy who did the same thing.

This definitely smacks of a publicity stunt, though I'm not sure for what.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 11:48 AM,
You wonder whose blog it ended up on? EV Grieve's, of course!

pinhead said...

"You can go out to dinner and you don't have to be dressed"
- New York Times, 7/5/2013

Some people are a bit too literal.

Jimmy said...

This episode offers a marketing opportunity at Verso. I propose Knocker's Up night. All contestants who enter the contest will receive a free glass of wine for their bravado or stupidity which ever you prefer the winner with the perkiest set of cupcakes gets an appetizer, an entree and desert on the house and I agree to be the waiting staff at that table forgoing any gratuity other than of course a glass of Chianti!

BB said...

love the tan lines

Anonymous said...

I'd ch-row her a bang. Oh!

Anonymous said...

@Anon 12:31... I guess I meant who else's blog besides EVG, our source for all things EV, but I posted that on 2 cups of coffee. Time for more! :-0

Ken from Ken's Kitchen said...

Ah, the age old question: If a woman sits topless in a restaurant and no one is around to film it, is her image retained as a consequence of experience?

Anonymous said...

What a boob!

Anonymous said...

Pinhead's comments wins.

Anonymous said...

Butter face diversion technique.

Anonymous said...

There's a Three of Cups Italian Bistro in EV perhaps a name change from Verso to are you ready Two of Cups any trademark lawyers out there

Marty Wombacher said...

Tit for tat.

Anonymous said...

Folks this was a publicity stunt for the new International House of Flapjacks coming in across the street.

Crazy Eddie said...

“Topless!T-O-P-L-E-S-S.! Topless! When you get here, you’ll do it.”

Makeout said...

Breast coverage of this interesting topic. EV is the best!

Anonymous said...

lol, nice Ronnie reference Crazy Eddie!

Giovanni said...

From the classic NY Post headline "Headless Body In Topless Bar" comes the new EV Grieve classic: "Topless Diner in Titless Bar."

Anonymous said...

She argued that it was "perfectly legal".

I don't get it; did someone threaten her with arrest? Otherwise, what does "legal" have to do with anything?

It's not "illegal" to walk into a restaurant, and sit down and eat the sack lunch you brought with you, and then get up and leave, ether. But....

12:09 pm said...

What was the special of the day -- tater tits or titter tots?

Anonymous said...

you don;t like it? Tough titties.

Anonymous said...

She was arguing the legal perspective because she was asked to put her shirt on.

Anonymous said...

weirdo!

Mark Hand The Catchman said...

Look at me I like ATTENTION... look at me.
What a two year old.

Anonymous said...

It's legal in Canada to be topless.. but umm.. this is a bit much. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Reportedly they were escorted out for that exact reason... it's actually a health code violation.

Anonymous said...

brava. liberi tutti in un mondo libero

Anonymous said...

Hey Anon July 10 12:30, you can cool your jets on all this "liberation" talk. You don't know the laws here in NYC so shut your pie hole!

Anonymous said...

"Also, regardless of the law or DOH code, a restaurant is a private place of business and can enforce its own rules."

Sorry, that's not the way it works. When you have a business of any kind, there's quite a lot of rules you must follow. Generally they have to do with safety and discrimination.

At least so far. Sadly, the Supreme Court has been slowly giving business a God-like status, where they are responsible for nothing, liable for nothing, and can do anything they want with impunity.

Anonymous said...

This same girl/woman has been doing this for years, going around publicly and baring her breasts as a protest of some type. Men are allowed..but women are not? Guess what...she is legally correct that there is no law that says women must cover their breasts in public. She is trying to make it a commonplace sight so it won't be an issue. Let 'em bounce honey...the pervs love you.