San Francisco restaurant owner: Sanders lost his vote, rude and cranky

It’s not really so surprising to read a story about Bernie Sanders being described as “rude and cranky”, is it? The only way such a story is unusual is that it is being said by a restaurant owner known to never say anything negative about the patrons of his establishment.

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John Konstin, owner of John’s Grill in San Francisco says that not only did Senator Sanders behave badly toward the restaurant staff, but he’s also now lost Konstin’s vote. The 111-year-old restaurant is known as a gathering spot for politicians. Bernie and his 15 person group weren’t the only political guests at the time.

Sanders always looks and sounds like a grumpy old grandpa. Whether he is delivering a speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate or rallying a crowd on the campaign trail, he sounds the same. He can be expected to jab his finger toward the audience as he makes his points. Konstin says maybe Sanders was just hangry – that grumpiness a person exhibits due to hunger. My question, though, is how would you know the difference with Bernie?

The restaurant was busy all weekend with patrons from the three-day Democratic National Committee meeting being held in town.

“It was all very nice, except for cranky Bernie.” The Vermont senator (who ordered lobster bisque, an heirloom tomato salad and a Diet Coke) arrived for dinner with about 15 of his team — but “he didn’t want to shake hands, he didn’t want a picture,’’ Konstin reports. And there was no campaign face, either, apparently: “He wasn’t nice to any of the staff,’’ says the veteran restaurateur. The “rude and cranky” 2020 candidate did have an impact, Konstin says. “He lost my vote.”

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It is very unusual for Konstin to be speaking out about a customer’s behavior, according to the restaurant’s media contact.

“Bernie had to be in a terrible mood,” Housekeeper said. “Anyone in the public eye needs to understand when it’s time to order room service.”

Konstin is especially complimentary about Speaker Pelosi (naturally) who ate there over the weekend.

Konstin told Politico that staff waiting on other Democrats, including one large party with the Secretary of State of California Alex Padilla, Lieutenant Governor of California Eleni Kounalakis, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, had a more pleasant experience. He described Pelosi as “pure class.”

Konstin also sings the praises of Senator Elizabeth Warren, who is currently Bernie’s strongest competition for second place behind Joe Biden for the Democrat presidential nomination.

Thirteen presidential candidates attended the DNC meeting in San Francisco over the weekend. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., dined out with her staff at San Francisco’s Ayala restaurant in the Union Square Hotel when she visited the city in June, SFGate.com reported.

“She was absolutely wonderful and came into our kitchen,” Ayala General Manager Alexandra Loulias told the website. “So complimentary of our staff. She took individual photos with everyone. Just the nicest lady.”

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Bernie might want to work on his behavior toward the working people he comes in contact with. How ironic that the man who claims to be the protector of the working class is outed as an obnoxious elitist in real life. What’s next? A story that Bernie yelled at floor clerks at a Walmart in middle America?

John’s Grill displays photos of politicians who frequent the establishment.

John’s Grill opened in 1908 and was famously used as a backdrop in Dashiell Hammett’s “The Maltese Falcon.” Politicians frequent the restaurant and their photos adorn the wood-paneled walls.

I wonder if Bernie’s picture is up on display with the others now. He’s already lost the vote of the owner. Perhaps the Sanders campaign should provide a snack for the candidate now and then during his day. A protein bar may be the solution.

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