A Bully Chef that Needs a Lesson Learned: Chef Damian Cardone

All across the internet, facebook and twitter today were posts, tweets and blogs regarding a chef in Colorado who, on his public profile on facebook, ranted & bragged under a picture of a slice of cake, that he purposely served high gluten pasta to patrons that asked specifically for gluten-free pasta.

Here is an excerpt of the tag under the facebook public picture on his profile:

“Gluten-free is bull*%#@! Flour and bread have been a staple of life for thousands, and THOUSAND, of years. People who claim to be gluten-intolorent dont realize it’s all in their disturbed little heads. People ask me for gluten-free pasta in my restaurant all the time, I tell em sure, then I serve em our pasta, Which I made from scratch with high gluten flour. And you know what? Nothing. NOTHING! ever happens! People leave talking about how good they feel gluten free and guess what, They just had a full dose! Idiots!”

Here is the “snapshot” of that comment noted above, as well as more posts made by Damian Cardone where he continues to rant that chefs love to use people as, “experimental test subjects”.

Talk about a “Kitchen Nightmare”.

After reading these posts, I was doing the ranting and raving. How DARE… HOW DARE someone purposely, intentionally prepare and then serve someone gluten? Who is this man to think he has the right to “decide” if someone is on a gluten-free diet for medical reasons or not?  Even if he was joking…this is NOT funny. Does he do the same for patrons that have a dairy-intolerance? Nut-allergies? Soy-allergies?

This guy is a bully. Any way you look at it, any way you slice it a BIG FAT  B-U-L-L-Y.

But what this Bully Chef didn’t realize it that he was picking on the wrongs peeps. We gluten-free folk are of a tough stock. We also like to chat. And we like to share. And we like to spread the word… about the good and the bad.

As expected, the gluten-free on-line community was abuzz. Tweets… facebook posts… and blogs were popping up everywhere regarding this chef.

And at last look, Damian Cardone had taken down his facebook page. He’s probably hiding somewhere under one of his high-gluten flour sacks… shaking in his hopefully soon to be taken away chefs coat.

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16 Responses to “A Bully Chef that Needs a Lesson Learned: Chef Damian Cardone”

  1. Michele Says:

    I read an article from Colorado that interviewed the owner of the restaurant that he was working at and he said that he was strictly a waiter and he was part-time and quit on March 15th. They also said that he was moving back east. He is from Piscataway, NJ. If you google his name all you see are the blogs about his comments that he made. So his chances of finding a job as a chef should be close to none. Lucky for the gluten free community.

  2. Jeanne G Says:

    He’s moved to New Jersey – watch the local news report here: http://www.kjct8.com/news/27377743/detail.html

  3. Kathleen Reale Says:

    Thanks, Jeanne! The article answers some of the questions asked… I just wish the author spelled “Celiac” correctly! =)

  4. marsha pitter Says:

    HI,,Bully Bully,,,does anyone know where he is employed…and be free for me how about if
    you have the answer publish it….??? maybe maybe he should not be employed….???

  5. katheryn Says:

    Wow, I cannot believe anyone who could be so heartless and unprofessional!!! Obviously he has a lot of learning to do . Only a small amount of gluten exposure has had my dear husband so sick that night he couldn’t get out of the fetal position or even up off the floor. As for the people who do not get terribly ill but suffer from other symptoms, they are willingly giving up something that is truly yummy to try to better their all around health. They are the ones sacrificing . How is this any “skin off his nose” so to speak? I’m glad that it is a current food trend , since people who have been suffering for decades like my own dh can consider that it may help them. Also being more popular it is easier to find and less expensive. All I can do is pray he has a change of heart and now that we know his scam we do not let anyone else get sick off of his food.

  6. Michelle Moon Says:

    On March 31, 2011 from Michelle:
    I am so sorry to hear what everyone went through thank god he isn’t were we live unlike Katheryn Says
    it is hard for My Mom too find the right food for me here in Louisiana an it’s getting harder as more of the local health food stores are closing an those that we have don’t stock up on what I an others need just what they can get from the red flyer as I have been told as they get what is cheapest yet the prices are higher not cheaper. An when you’re having to watch your money it makes things even harder so on that point I disagree with Katheryn but for all other members I agree that he is a Bully an if I saw him here he would have a ear full unfortuntally he needs to work but hopefully only as a dishwasher or some other job until he learns his lesson, he reminds me of a bad kid,

    Your Member An Friend,
    Michelle

  7. Chrissy Says:

    I think this is as much a lesson in the power of the internet/social networking as anything! Blogs like this one and the “open letter” I wrote on mine are the first results that show up when you google his name now. And as for his “credentials”… being a sous chef for banquets at a restaurant is akin to being the 4th string bat boy for the local minor league baseball team.
    Thanks for helping get the word out about this type of thing and as an added bonus, the culinary community – chefs, restaurant owners and the like – are all taking notice and talking about how they can keep guys like this out of their kitchens and hold others accountable for their actions. 🙂
    Blessings,
    Chrissy
    http://paulandchrissy.blogspot.com/2011/03/open-letter-to-chef-damian-cardone.html

  8. Deb Says:

    This guy should be given bad pork! Heck…people have eaten bad pork for years! Dumb a**! My son has Celiac’s and Autism. Not only does he become physically sick the day AFTER he has had gluten, but he also stops speaking and his behavior is ….well….autistic! Right now he is perfect….as long as idiots like this chef stay away!

  9. Faye Says:

    How could anyone be a chef and be so uneducated and uncaring? There is no telling how many people he has caused to have life threatening damage to their small intestines. If he thinks he proved them wrong because they left his restaurant feeling fine, he doesn’t know that most people don’t react right away, and even if they don’t have a reaction, it could still be damaging their gut. It takes me about 3 hours to react, and then I have terrible stomach spasms for about 7 hours. How sad that he takes pride in lying to those who trust him.

  10. Debi Says:

    Such a sad thing to happen to anyone eating at this restaurant . Hopefully the restaurants in New Jersey hears about him waiter or not, chef or not. It is so sad to think someone being so malicious in any industry.

  11. marsha pitter Says:

    I AM HERE AGAIN….HAS ANYONE FOUND HIM AND DO WE KNOW WHERE HE IS AND IF THIS
    WHOLE THING IS TRUE OR NOT….OR IS HE ONE OF THOSE FOOLS THAT WANTS FIFTEEN MINUTES OF FAME? tHANKS FOR THE UPDATE…AND DID YOU ALL SEE THE NEWS REPORT FROM A TV STATION
    IN GRAND JUNCTION COLORADO…THIS CHEFS NEEDS A LESSON BUT NOT SURE OF THE LESSON
    HE NEEDS EXCEPT MAYBE TO STUFF HIM FULL OF SOMETHING HE DOES NOT LIKE…IDIOT FOOL
    AND DOES NOT DESERVE A JOB IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY ANYWHERE….THANKS

  12. Dana Says:

    Wow!!!! That just gives me chills to think that there are actually people out there like that. My son is 3 and has been on a gluten free diet for the last year. He has celiac disease. Its awful to think that someone actually thinks this is a made up thing. He should have seen my son a year ago before he was diagnosed. He was underweight, sickly never talked interacted with us. And his little butt looked like someone dumped acid all over it and let it burn his little behind. I just hope and pray that I never run into a case like this.

  13. Beth Says:

    I hope he finds out he has Celiac Disease. Then I hope someone serves him pasta made with high gluten flour (or some other gluten-full food). Then I would like to see if he would still be laughing….. while running to the bathroom. I hope he never works again.

  14. J Says:

    Eventually this bastard is going to get someone killed. [My aunt is not only celiac, but downright wheat ALLERGIC — as in hives and hopefully not anaphylactic shock!] When he does, I wonder if the local LEO’s will press criminal charges? BTW, nut only have people been eating gluten and bad pork for millenia, we’ve also consumed quite a bit of lead. (Lead plumbing, lead paint chips, leaded gas, the Roman baths at Bath were lined with lead … and a couple hundred years ago the health craze was that they would take in the waters, drinking all the mineral water [plus lead?] they could possibly want. The list goes on.) After all, it’s only a LITTLE lead! It’s not like it can hurt you! You’ll be fine, really! (Maybe he already had his quota.) Perhaps in a few years it may get through to his lead-atrophied brain that BRAGGING about poisoning your patrons is a VERY BAD IDEA!!

  15. LS Says:

    I honestly think I might kill someone who did that to my child. I wish I were kidding. I really do.

  16. Lynn Says:

    What the hell was this man thinking! What an idiot! He openly admits it. Jackass has opened himself up to a lawsuit………….Should be charged with attempted murder.

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