Complaint Review: Locke-Ober / Lydia Shire & Paul Licari - Boston Massachusetts

For those in the know, Locke-Ober was one of the premier eating establishments in Boston for many years. It catered to the the blue-blood, the Boston Brahim. It's history and tradition are unrivaled in the the industry. In the fall of 2001 Lydia Shire and Paul reopened the legendary restaurant to an apprehensive and eager Boston. Their restoration of the interior was nothing short of magnifent. The fact that they chose to keep on some long time staff was exemplary. Some waiters had been there 30+ years. That is the end of any and all good-doing by this duo.

In short order, starting on the very first night, their true colors appeared. Waiters, Waitresses, & Bartenders made several hundred dollars in tips on opening night; averaging @$500 per employee. These employees were forced to put there tips into a pool to be divided "equally amongst the staff". Some waiters who had made in excess of $600 that evening, received handwritten checks the following week in amounts less than $200. Anyone in the business knows that tips tend to be divided, providing compensation for bussers, foodrunners, etc.. This is an excepted practice. But when a waiter makes $600 in tips in one night, his share should far exceed $200. Low and behold, management(Lydia,Paul,Kalo) were distributing tips to salried mangers as well, which is illegal.(see: Lawsuit, by the "Locke-Ober" a group of waiters, attorney is Sharon Liss Reardon. What most do not know, including the "5" and Miss Reardon, is that a large portion othe tip money was going to illegals working as "shuckers", and "dishwashers". These illegals were in-laws of Lydia Shire.

Paychecks were handwritten, with no tax breakdown. Many employees got the shocks of their lives when their 2001 W-2s showed that their incomes were as much as 5x what they actually earned. Management laundered money through legal employees, paid taxes on their behalf, when a portion of that money was going to illegal employees under the table.

Other: re: Lydia Shire

She is a fantastic chef, but a pig on all other accounts. She would expedite the line, while screaming for Sam adams to be passed to her from the bar to the kitchen she was a drunk. Additionally, one evening, while drunk, Lydia left therestaurant in her red BMW and side swiped the car of a guest who had valeted their car. Lydia threatened the valet staff to keep quiet about the whole deal. Lydia also hired a known child molester to work at coatcheck(Tom). He is a registered sex offender in the state of Massachusetts. He was also paidunder the table. Many celebrities came into the the restaurant, mostly local though. However when Alan Alda came in, Lydia went on a tear, she was in polar opposition with hin politically. Ofcourse she made the appearance at his table,snmoozing. When it came time to make Alan's meal Lydia remove a bandaid type medicated pad from her foot(she had some sort of fungal wort) she dissolved/ cook the pad into a sauce on Alan's meal. Her words were "Mash this you m'f'er". A long time kitchen employee of 20+ years walked out on the spot after seeing this.

As far far as Paul Licari goes... total putz, who's married to a subservant asian bride, probaly got through mail order,who he keeps upin NH while he screws all the 2nd class restaurant help in Boston. Leanne the bartender, the check bartender who did no the difference between between Cabernet and Chardonnay, all Paul's hire's.

It is a shame, that such an institution has fallen into the the hands of such scumbags. I must admit the food for the most the part is beyond description. The decor breathtaking. But why tak the chance of having a bloody bandaid in your Lobster Savannah? or the FBI raiding the place while your in the middle of your $200 lunch? because of the illegal money laundering,tax evasion, discrimination, etc., etc., .

Lydia Shire is a fat, disgusting, rechid,putrid, has-been, and Paul Licari is well.. a he's nobody.

Jake

Boston, Massachusetts
U.S.A.