A British-born restaurateur plans to give everyone at his posh New York City restaurant a bottle of champagne if Kamala Harris wins the presidential election.
Balthazar’s owner, Keith McNally, 73, also known as ‘Mr. Nasty’, due to his controversial social media feuds over the years, has been on the restaurant scene since the 1980s, even being dubbed ‘the restaurateur who invented downtown.’
The famous upscale restaurant owner took to Instagram on Saturday to announce that he will be at his Parisian-style brasserie on Election Day.
He also informed his followers of his plan to give every table at his restaurant “a big bottle of champagne,” but only if it looks like Harris is going to win.
“Kamala Harris left such a powerful impression on me that I am definitely voting for her to be the next president of the United States,” the caption read.
Controversial British-born restaurateur Keith NcNally, 73, announced on Instagram on Saturday that he plans to give everyone at his New York restaurant a bottle of champagne if Kamala Harris wins.
McNally has been on the restaurant scene since the 1980s and is the owner of Balthazar in New York City along with dozens of sister restaurants.
McNally recalled being dragged to Jim Belushi’s Fourth of July party at his home on Martha’s Vineyard in 2008 despite the “hate” parties and fireworks.
But when he left he found a surprise.
“Jim or his wife, Jenny, introduced me to a woman in her forties,” he wrote. ‘The woman was African-American and alarmingly intelligent.
‘She was also sassy, attractive and extremely witty. Although I was anxious to leave the party, I wanted to talk to this woman more.’
The woman’s name was Kamala Harris.
McNally posted this photo of Vice President Kamala Harris on Saturday and recalled how smart she was after meeting her at a Fourth of July party in 2008.
McNally recalled making contact with the now vice president, who at the time was San Francisco district attorney.
He noticed that even though Harris was much smarter than him, she was interested in talking to him, to the point that they had a conversation for about 20 minutes and agreed to meet for coffee later that week.
Although they never met for coffee, the two exchanged emails several times over the next year.
“One of the infinite things I regret in life is not having been in contact with her,” McNally wrote.
‘If it looks like Harris is going to win before the night is over, I plan to give every table in the restaurant a fine bottle of champagne. It’s the least I can do.
But this wouldn’t be the first time he’s offered to give away items from his restaurant.
Despite being considered “New York’s most provocative restaurateur” due to his dozens of online feuds over the years, the comments on his most recent post supporting Kamala Harris were mostly positive.
Last June, McNally offered a free dinner to any of her 131,000 followers who could name the celebrity she highlighted in a post that was immediately removed for “violent or graphic content.”
McNally, who is also considered “New York’s most provocative restaurateur,” has been the center of a number of “Internet chickens” over the years, including with Adam Platt, a restaurant critic, and comedian James Corden.
In June this year, the scathing owner told the truth about the celebrity whose identity was censored by Instagram after he offered the “crude truth” about them.
He was inundated with speculation after offering a free dinner to anyone who named the person he had singled out in a post that was immediately removed for “violent or graphic content.”
“Judging by the number of people you’ve fought with, this bet has worse odds than the Euro lottery,” one user wrote.
His 131,000 Instagram followers may have had in mind his torrent of abuse against Lauren Sánchez, fiancée of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, whom he called “absolutely disgusting” in an April post.
“What an ugly, fucking stuck-up couple they make,” he added. ‘Is this what having $1,000 billion does to people?’
In September of this year, he took to the platform again, criticizing Lauren Sánchez and some members of the Kardashian clan, calling them “repulsive.”
McNally is no stranger to beef on the internet and has used his “sharp tongue” to criticize food critics, comedian James Cordon and, most notably, Lauren Sanchez, Jeff Bezos’ fiancée.
McNally said a free bottle of champagne for customers at his Parisian-style brasserie is the least he can do after Harris left a powerful impact on him 16 years ago.
In McNally’s most recent Instagram post, he told his thousands of followers that he will definitely vote for Harris to become the next president of the United States.
But the comments on his most recent post were mostly full of support, despite making headlines dozens of times over the years for wild social media posts.
‘See you Tuesday for champagne!!!’ wrote one user.
Another said: ‘FILL MY FLUTE!’
‘Amazing!’ another wrote. ‘I hope everything turns out the way you’re thinking! I’ll have champagne too!!!!! Cheers to that!!!’