- John Lethlean relishes demise of iconic restaurant
Veteran food critic John Lethlean has joked he was 'shattered' to learn a Melbourne restaurant whose owner once blacklisted him has entered administration.
Iconic Thornbury Italian venue 1800 Lasagne this month entered into voluntary administration - five years after its owner John Kellock set up shop on High Street.
In a post to social media on Tuesday, the hatted restaurant shared a 'heartfelt message' advising it would restructure while remaining open for service, the latest addition to the many casualties of Melbourne's embattled hospitality sector.
It was a sombre update for the city's lasagne lovers - the restaurant had become extremely popular during Covid for it's late-night home delivery.
Lethlean was among those who claimed to be heartbroken by the news, though his sincerity seemed tongue-in-cheek, given the fact he was barred from the restaurant over a controversial food review.
'Shattered by the news the company behind 1800 Lasagne has gone into administration,' he wrote to Instagram.
Alongside the post, he shared an image of a coaster printed by the restaurant in 2023 reading: 'Management reserves the right to refuse entry to John Lethlean'.
1800 Lasagne had printed the coasters in response to an Instagram post by Lethlean promoting a review he wrote for food magazine Delicious on Perth restaurant Shui.
The review caused widespread backlash.
'The maitre d'/meet and greeter wears an outfit that threatens to expose more than just her inexperience when she bends over to set a table,' Lethlean had written.
It immediately landed him in hot water - with prominent critics deriding his language as inappropriate, including Mr Kellock, 1800 Lasagne's owner.
'I would protect my staff to the death from someone who was commenting on what they were wearing,' Mr Kellock told the Sydney Morning Herald's CBD column.
'He [Lethlean] wasn't reading the room, he wasn't in the room, he wasn't even in the house that the room is in, he's so far out of touch.'
The long-time reviewer for The Australian apologised for causing offence before doubling-down, claiming his testimony was appropriately unflinching.
'Restaurant reviewing is about observation, commentary and the reader. I conveyed what I observed,' he told the newspaper.
'I don't write for the industry, I write for consumers, and if a few of the so-called journalists in this space did the same, they might have long careers too.'
With more than two decades writing for major Australian newspapers and magazines, Lethlean has seen countless restaurants come and go.
His one-star review of legendary chef Cheong Liew's The Grange in 2008 contributed to its closure the following year.
Lethlean also didn't hold back when the famed King Island Dairy announced it's closure last year.
'The cheeses have always been rubbish and this so-called brie I have here… completely devoid of any character whatsoever unless all you're looking for in a soft, white mould cheese is industrial salt,' he wrote.
It's hardly surprising, then, his sympathy would be in short supply for one whose owner was happy enough to wade into a controversy of his own.
In 2021, as lockdowns put swathes of the country's hospitality sector on ice, Lethlean wrote for The Australian that lasagne had emerged as the era-defining food.
'One Melbourne home-delivery lasagne guy, 1800 Lasagne, did so well last year that he's now got the readies to go bricks-and-mortar with his own lasagne-dedicated restaurant,' he wrote.
He closed with a prayer that lasagne wouldn't become the 'dish that defines the whole decade' and, with the update from High Street, it seems it may have been answered.
It is not clear what precipitated 1800 Lasagne's entry into voluntary administration, but it said its trading hours and delivery options remained unchanged.
'1800 Lasagne has always been about people, passion, and plates of love - and that hasn't changed,' it said.
'We're grateful for the support of our incredible community and encourage everyone to keep showing love and support to local hospitality.'
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