Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney’s Former Chef Criticizes ‘Underwhelming’ Menu!

Ariana Madix and Katie Maloney’s Former Chef Criticizes ‘Underwhelming’ Menu!

Chef Penny Davidi recently opened up about her falling out with Vanderpump Rules stars Ariana Madix, 38, and Katie Maloney, 37, after the reality stars stopped collaborating with her on their new resturant, Something About Her. Following the grand opening on May 22, Davidi shared her thoughts on the menu and its future.

Fans eagerly visited the Los Angeles sandwhich shop to try sandwiches like The Reese, The Diane, and The Kate. However, Chef Penny, 52, was quick to point out that the menu did not reflect her original vision. “This is not what I put together. This is not the vision that I had for this place,” she told The U.S. Sun in an exclusive interview. “People wanted something spectacular. The sandwiches sound sexy, but unfortunately, looked underwhelming.”

Penny criticized the menu’s coherence, specifically the use of various types of bread. “They don’t know how to cross-utilize. I would not bring in five different kinds of bread for 10 sandwiches,” she remarked. “I also would not put certain sandwiches on certain kinds of bread because the bread-to-meat ratio is completely off from what I’ve seen in photos and people’s posts.”

One example from the new menu is The Meg, a Greek salad sandwich made with tzatziki, feta cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, herb mix, and romaine lettuce on traditional lavash. Penny acknowledged some familiar ingredients. “The sandwiches are not my creations, but they are definitely using some ingredients in each one that I introduced them to like Boursin cheese. I can say 50% of the menu are items that I gave them and they changed some things.”

Despite the initial buzz, Chef Penny is skeptical about the café’s long-term success. “Keeping the business going will be challenging,” she claimed. “At some point, the fans will realize that the only person they will see at the shop is Terrie, Katie’s mom.” She added, “It’s a once-and-done kind of place. It’s not a business that can be scaled. Unfortunately, their overhead is going to be too high and they can’t make enough product.”

Lisa Vanderpump, who introduced Penny to the Vanderpump Rules stars, has supported the chef following the fallout. During the first part of the three-part Season 11 reunion, Lisa argued with Katie and Ariana about the delays in opening. After Katie attributed it to “a bunch of red tape” and called Penny a “non-issue,” Lisa countered, “I disagree. I think it was a multitude of things, of disagreements, of Madix being away. Look, you can get through your drain issue and your health issue in a year.” Vanderpump added that she would “regret” making the introduction if “Penny ends up hurt.”

Lala Kent also defended the chef, disputing Katie’s claim that Penny was only involved for “two months,” especially since the cast experienced Penny’s menu during this season and Season 10. Chef Penny appreciated the support, stating, “Lisa’s been nothing but supportive with all women she works in business with. If it wasn’t for her, they wouldn’t be on a TV show and have the success that they have had. They didn’t listen to her when she advised them to speak to me and get things resolved so they can have a successful business and not run out of sandwiches and serve stale bread.”

Penny has claimed to still be a partner in the business, asserting she owns “10 percent of the business,” despite Ariana and Katie’s denials. “We didn’t sign a contract…There’s an intent I sent them [and] they’re like, ‘Okay, just email us everything you want and we’ll run it by our attorneys.’ So I have the email. I sent them everything that I wanted, which was a monthly fee, and then the percentage of the entire Something About Her brand, not of one store,” she explained.

Penny and her husband, lawyer Jonathan Lee Borsuk, helped file the trademark for Something About Her in August 2023 with the duo’s consent. As of May 28, the trademark was published, giving anyone 30 days to file an opposition.

With Madix and Maloney yet to reach out, Chef Penny is uncertain about the next steps for the trademark but is focused on “bigger things” ahead.

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