Frank Schittino Owner Cafe Cibo the veal is not veal,its pork, and the wine you order , may not be the wine you get St. Petersburg Florida
As an employee of cafe cibo,i regret to inform the public of the rotten,deceitful business practices of Frank Schittino, owner of cafe cibo.
In the last two weeks I have personnaly witnessed Frank Schittino inform the kitchen staff that they WILL be using pork loin as a substitute for veal(lamb)on all veal order dishes.Also, he informs any guest that his veal is some of the best in town.That is a bold faced lie.I have witnessed the kitchen staff take pork loin and prepare it for all veal entree's i personnally rang in.
When I discussed this situation with fellow employees, they informed me that it has been going on for the last 3 months.The reasoning Frank Schittino gave them, is because of the poor economy, and he is saving "a ton of money" by replacing the veal for pork.He also states that no one will ever find out because they taste the same.There is no veal in the restraunt whatsoever.
Towards the end of my shift recently, a customer ordered a glass of wine. When I poured the wine from a standard bottle,there was not enough for a full pour.As i was reaching for a new bottle,Frank Schittino told me "DO NOT" open a new bottle. When I replied why, he said it was rediculous, and that I should just pour some other red wine in the glass to fill it up.When I informed him that the customer has already had a glass of this particular wine, and that it was going to taste different,I was told that "they do it all the time"and no one has ever complained.
Well, if no one ever complained,maybe I should let it go ,but I can't. I have been in the hospitality industry for 23 years, and have never seen this kind of abuse towards the public. I have had enough with Frank Schittino and Cafe Cibo and the business practices they represent.
There is a bad economy right now, and I am having a difficult time finding a replacement job, but as soon as I do ,and I am looking,I will be moving on.In the mean time I inform all of my guests, that I wait on ,that I really dont think they will be happy with the veal,and encourage my fellow servers to do the same.
As far as you getting the wine you ordered, I'll make sure you do when I'm your server.That I can control.
Had enough
saint petersburg, Florida
U.S.A.
3 Updates & Rebuttals
gtouch11071
Pinellas park ,Florida,
Veal is not Lamb
#4Consumer Comment
Mon, July 29, 2013
The person whom reported this is a waiter (for 23 years) and doesn't know veal is not lamb. This completely discredits the believability Of this report.
How can you be a waiter and not know:
In my opinion this post should be deleted as it is not factual.
Doug
Kanab,Utah,
U.S.A.
A Hoax
#4UPDATE EX-employee responds
Tue, April 21, 2009
I worked at Cafe Cibo for many years as both a Server and General Manager, all under Franks supervision. I can assure you that Frank is an individual of high caliber and also cares deeply about his business, his staff and his customers. Having worked closely with Frank I am acutely aware of his strong business sense (Cafe Cibo is going on its 10th year, no easy feat) and also his passion for all things Cafe Cibo, sometimes shown through a short temper, which I conclude spurred the original writing of this far fetched post in the first place. I suggest focusing on the near decade of quality food and friendly service over the one angry report filed anonymously with intention of malice.
Jennifer
Saint Petersburg,Florida,
U.S.A.
This is a disgruntled employee who is out to do us harm!
#4UPDATE Employee
Sun, November 23, 2008
I am the general manager at Cafe Cibo. I am beside myself by what this person is saying. We stand by our food and reputation in this city. We have provided the people of this area excellant Italian cuisine for 9 years. Please don't let a disgruntled employee get the best of you. Thank you for hearing my side.