Custino's

[Tydude]

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

[kevinpate]

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

I haven't been myself, as I rarely venture to the north side of the city. But to be fair, urbanspoon is not the be all end all for local eateries, especially not very new ones. They opened what, a week ago? two?

[MonkeesFan]

i check Custinos restaurant and Bar on UrbanSpoon and they have 50% like and 8 people voted that is not good for the restaurant

They just opened a week ago, give it time...

[Roger S]

I haven't been myself, as I rarely venture to the north side of the city. But to be fair, urbanspoon is not the be all end all for local eateries, especially not very new ones. They opened what, a week ago? two?

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

[kevinpate]

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

Sad this would even be possible.

[Steve]

I would discount votes cast either way for both versions of Custino's - lots of bad blood and bitterness involving the two operations. Go with reviews by people you know.... or those who are leading Urban Spoon writers (I'm always thrilled to see a write-up by A Tevington)

[kevinpate]

I canna say thrilled, but yeah, his reviews are objective and sans nonsense.

[OKCTalker]

And 6 of the votes were made before they opened.

You expect jinking with votes on "People's Choice" contests in the DO & Gazette, but it borders on fraud and misrepresentation when a business does it this way.

[Roger S]

You expect jinking with votes on "People's Choice" contests in the DO & Gazette, but it borders on fraud and misrepresentation when a business does it this way.

Well considering they were Does Not Like votes..... I'm thinking it was from people friendly to Bud Elder and not the Custino's.

[Steve]

Maybe. And with pretty much the same certainty that those friendly to Angelo Custino gave bad ratings to Bud Elder's Custino's. As I said... bad blood all over.

[Spartan]

Can both of these restaurants just go away?

[jedicurt]

Can both of these restaurants just go away?

Spartan, you are always so up beat and positive in your comments!

[angelocustino]

I have not given any bad ratings to Custino's Italian Kitchen and have made sure anyone in my circle holds up to the same standard. It's not always easy taking the high road, but I refuse to stoop low enough to create mock reviews and vote a business down. If anyone has done or said anything I assure you they are no friend of mine. It is childish and beneath the standard of anyone associated with the Custino name. Just because I have a business dispute with the current owner is not grounds to try to sabotage his business. All of the votes on there are from his customers and have nothing to do with me. Per the judges order I have not said anything to cause harm to his business. I was recently baited by individuals associated with an Oklahoma based magazine with a recorder in their pocket to try to lure comments out of me regarding the other Custino's. My only comment has stayed the same, I wish the Elder's the best luck and hope they find success but per my lawsuit and injunction I would like them to do business under another name as that business has nothing to do with any Custino's or any of the recipes developed by a Custino.

[angelocustino]

One of my current employees went over to Custino's Italian Kitchen after I had expressed my interest in hiring him. It was suggested that he should not work for us and Bud made many negative comments about us an our new business, which had not opened yet. Not to mention driving by and honking, as well as turning into our lot and speeding off. I am not complaining too much as I would rather have him drive by my place of business than my residence. I have no problem with him making Italian food, my conjecture is the use of my family name.

[Tydude]

The Judge told the other restaurant that they can use the name.So if you don't like the judge order on the name move and just ignore it

[angelocustino]

Tydude,

The judge did not grant them any rights to the name, she stated it would be decided at a later date if they could continue using it. That was just a motion, we haven't even had a hearing as far as the embezzlement and fraud charges against the Elder's are concerned. I am assuming the judge will have a final ruling on their right to use the name then.

[Tydude]

this is what the article that Steve wrote about the name

Custino also asked that his family’s name be removed from the eatery.
“The Custino name has been used 15 to 20 years in conjunction with fine Italian dining,” Custino said.
Davis declined that request. Zuhdi said Elder spent “significant’ money on branding with the name, and would have to look at how those costs could be reimbursed if it were to be changed. Zuhdi also argued Custino is not Phil Custino’s real name, adding he is actually Phil Caliendo, and changed it following legal entanglements in Chicago in the late 1980s.
Davis ruled against the name change, but ordered both sides to come up with a dissolution agreement. She also ordered Angelo Custino to relinquish control of the restaurant’s Facebook page, which he took over last week.

[Steve]

But Custino is correct that the name issue was possibly to come up again as part of the agreement. It's my understanding, but Custino might elaborate, that his lawyer never did the follow-up filing....

[Tydude]

But Custino is correct that the name issue was possibly to come up again as part of the agreement. It's my understanding, but Custino might elaborate, that his lawyer never did the follow-up filing....

Custino's Lawer???

[angelocustino]

My lawyer had nothing to follow up on. The Elder's were supposed to submit their evidence on Oct. 4 but never did. There was some confusion to when the deadline was but it's long since past any deadline set.

[Steve]

The judge's instructions were that Mr. Custino's lawyer was to communicate a severance plan to Mr. Elder's lawyer. At least that is what I heard in the last court hearing. Any further dispute over the name was to be heard as part of that severance hearing. That severance plan did have a deadline, I think Oct. 4 as Mr. Custino states.

[MonkeesFan]

Tydude,

The judge did not grant them any rights to the name, she stated it would be decided at a later date if they could continue using it. That was just a motion, we haven't even had a hearing as far as the embezzlement and fraud charges against the Elder's are concerned. I am assuming the judge will have a final ruling on their right to use the name then.

I hope they will stop using the name, in my opinion, they should not allowed to use the name

[Rover]

This thread is just turning into Angelo Custinos ad campaign.

Knowing some of the inside players, my recommendation is: go try one or both. If you like the experience, go back. If you don't, then don't go back. Don't go or not based on what you are reading here or on their ratings...they are manipulated propaganda.

Personally, I don't think either will be around long. They are focusing on vendettas and not on their food or customers. This should be about serving quality food in a pleasant atmosphere, not personal conflict. Whole thing is stupid and petty.

[RadicalModerate]

I sort of agree with Rover . . . But isn't "vendetta" authentically Italian? Or is that just cultural stereotyping?

As I have stated previously: My first visit to the "faux-custinos" over by Giovanni's Gelato resulted in a positive impression. The Drive-Thru Lasagne was very tasty and there was a lot of it, especially for the price. The next time we attempted to eat there, some guy said the AC was out, it was hot, and we didn't want to go in. The next time we tried it, we dined inside and, while the food was passable, everything else from decor to a sense of the staff having a clue as to what they were doing sucked. This is why I suggested the drive-thru as the better option: You didn't have to see the interior of the place.

Haven't been to the "Authentic Custinos on May" yet. I would hope they at least have checkered tablecloths and a hologram of a big, fat, Italian grandmother stirring a big pot in the virtual kitchen. (That image was from The Best Colacci's Restauant in Louisville, Colorado, c. 1966 . . . Where they served authentic Italian coal miner food to the sons and daughters of former authentic Italian coal miners. The Colacci Family had about three restaurants in that small town and apparantly only The Blue Parrot survives. They once featured a "Wop Burger" that was highly controversial. Some over-sensitive Soprano types put a vendetta on their ass regarding that label.)

[angelocustino]

I agree with Rover, other than the restaurants sticking around. I hope we are both is business for a long time. I'm requesting this thread should be taken down. If you have any questions feel free to stop by. I will no longer be responding to this thread.