Last week, managing editor Grayson Haver Currin had some unkind things to say about the new Helios coffee shop in downtown Raleigh (“Ain’t No Sunshine“). In response, several readers had unkind things to say about Grayson Haver Currin.
Jim White of Raleigh writes: “Ambrose Bierce, in his Devil’s Dictionary, described a critic as ‘a person who boasts himself hard to please because nobody tries to please him.’ Nuff said.”
Jonathan Greschler, meanwhile, argued that it’s unfair to light up a restaurant so new: “My only concern is that I think that reviewing a new spot inside of its first two months isn’t fair. … If you’re going to go early on the umpteenth-X Ale House and Beer Land, fine. But I think Helios deserves a revisit in two months.” (Pretty sure Grayson’s persona non grata there, Jonathan.)
“This review was plain mean,” adds Brian Lips. “I think so many of the comments on [INDYweek.com] recognize it as mean because you can hear Grayson’s giddy glee between the harsh lines. It’s one thing to not like a place; it’s another thing to take so much delight in trashing it.”
A commenter writing under the nom de plume RIPIndyCredibility makes it personal: “This disrespectful, washed-out hipster and his crony friends are throwing stones in their postmodern, all-glass home and have blown out every pane with this ridiculous waste of words. I don’t know how a place that’s been open for less than a month/about a month has even had the chance to wrong him.”
ATHarding offers similar thoughts: “Wow … INDY Week needs a stronger editorial process. The second, snide paragraph was enough to convey the general opinion of the article. The following fifteen paragraphs are just petulant griping dressed up in wordy ‘foodie’ speak.”
Commenter jfdixon, however, sided with Grayson: “I’ll take authenticity and par coffee over total facade and shit coffee any day. Using the name to draw in customers, only to offer a completely different establishment, is a gimmick.”
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