Over the weekend I got my first abusive email about my review of Harbour Sixty, the big blowzy steak house where I enjoyed my first taste of kobe beef.

It wasn’t from a feces flinger but a former Journo, David Kingsmill, once resto critic for the Toronto Star. He wrote in the bullying manner that men adopt when they hope to .. er...cow women. I was wrong, of course. He wrote a screed about steak as if he were an expert – I googled him and could find no proof of this. He had not bothered to read my book Last Chance to Eat. Well why should he? On the other hand, journos used to show some collegial respect to each other. But I forget. The subject is steak. In North America, steak is for men only.

Then at the end of his lecture, he dropped the news that he was once the late Harry Barberian’s partner. I couldn’t resist it. Did I hear the sound of sour grapes being squeezed? I reminded him that ten years ago I slamarooed Barberian’s Steak House (in the Globe and Mail) as failing to make even the choice grade. The server didn’t know what steak he was serving, he didn’t even know the wine list, and Barberian had and still has the huge wine list typical of steak houses. It’s not that the alpha males who slap each others backs and no doubt compare penises in the gents actually care about food or wine, but they bow down before the high price put on “big” burgundies.

The steak house itself was down-at-heel and the sides were inedible. That was no surprise. The only purpose of a steak house is steak and it stands and falls by the quality of its steak. I am surprised to see that several steakhouses do not identify the quality of their steaks on their websites. Barberian doesn't, for example, so I would have to call to find out if the meat is USDA prime and dry-aged - which are my preferences.

My criticism of Barberian brought a reproachful letter from Harry himself. Obviously a nice guy. I remember he begged compassion for the server who may have been raw but was a “keeper.”

Pity Kingsmill couldn’t have been so modest. He went nuclear when I mentioned Barberian and threatened ACTION! He was forwarding our sparky mails to the National Post for adjudication or what? Once again I could see himself puffing himself up in righteous anger.

Gosh I wish all reviews excited such a reaction. Push food farther up the news chain.