Just when there appeared to have been a thaw in relations between the US and France, hostilities have resumed in earnest. The battleground this time is one of New York's most expensive restaurants, where three former waiters have filed a $5m lawsuit claiming they were dismissed for being French.
René Bordet, 68, Jean-Claude Lesbre, 63 and Yves Thépault, 68, said the management at the 21 Club, a former speakeasy that is now a popular haunt of politicians, businessmen and Hollywood stars, "created and fostered an environment rife with anti-French sentiment."
Both Mr Bordet and Mr Lesbre worked for 10 years as waiters and hosts at the restaurant before being sacked in 2004 for allegedly drinking wine on the job. Mr Thépault, who had worked for 14 years as a waiter, was dismissed this year for alleged gross insubordination after an argument with a chef about a hamburger, the court papers said.
The civil suit claimed that the management of the restaurant "made fun of Mr Bordet's French accent" and "expressed glee" that "President Bush hated the French".
more…
http://www.guardian.co.uk/usa/story/0,12271,1511554,00.html