Nieporent Pissed that Michael White Poaches His Workers

Sounds like restaurateur Drew Nieporent has been burned one too many times by chef Michael White. And he is not happy! Read this most excellent rant from an interview on Ozersky TV:

...Michael White stripped half of New York of its chefs. I love Michael White but at the end of the day Michael be careful because I'm going to be outside your kitchen door handing out cards to your staff saying now who would like to make a little bit more money than they're making now?...I've opened 35 restaurants in 25 years and I did it from within. I think when you extrapolate and when you open new restaurants your job is to reward the people who work for you not to reward the people you don't know or that you've heard about that you can steal from another restaurant. I don't know why I brought this up but I guess it's on my mind.

He goes on to say he would never do such a thing to JGV or D-Biggity.

...You see Daniel Boulud and Jean-Georges...we respect each other. There isn't a chance in hell that if one of their employees came to my doorstep that I would jeopardize my friendship over a hiring...It is what it is, but at the end of the day I would forfeit a third star in the Michelin guide if it meant I would fracture a friendship or relationship with one of these guys.

So like an anti-poaching agreement like Apple and Google. Very cool. Nieporent also compares White to the New York Yankees. We wonder how many people he stole.
Update: Michael White has no comment on the matter, so those expecting a feud...sorry.
· Drew Nieporent at The Michelin Announcements [Ozersky.TV]