Chef Twitter-Shames Couple Who Brought Their Baby To His Michelin-Starred Restaurant

A Chicago chef has sparked a firestorm after calling out a couple on Twitter who brought an eight-month-old baby to his Michelin-starred restaurant, Alinea, on Saturday.

Chef Grant Achatz tweeted this about the couple on Saturday:

The remark invited a mix of responses, most of which were in support of banning children at a restaurant where diners must pay $250 per-person upfront to reserve a table.

Here's an example from both sides of the argument:

The debate spurred the creation of an #alineababy hashtag and the handle @alineababy.

Further provoking his critics, Achatz tweeted this on Sunday:

"I could hear it crying in the kitchen," Achatz told Good Morning America Tuesday in defense of his tweets. "We want people to come and enjoy and experience Alinea for what it is. But we also have to be cognizant of the other 80 people that came in to experience Alinea that night."

Eater Chicago reported that the couple's babysitter had cancelled last minute, so they had no choice but to bring the baby or give up their table.

Here's the Good Morning America segment where Achatz defends himself: