re: Chef John Folse: Why is he such a hated figure in Southeast Louisiana?

I worked for Uncle John at White oak Plantation and at the old Lafitte's Landing. I also graduated from CJFCI at Nicholls.
He has done and said so many a-hole things I cannot begin to count. I always found him funny in this regard, just because it's the way he is. He just talks shite constantly, it's rarely anything personal. The ole Grandpa's paddle story is pretty normal behavior that I've seen first hand. His knack for bullshite is why JF had the blue haired ladies buying into everything he said.
As a chef, he knows more than most and hires wonderful chefs to make him look great (which is a trait of every successful person). He is a cheap arse which is another trait of successful a-hole people.
The only time I was ever pissed at him was at Lafitte's one night. He and a group of impressionables were dining and drinking heavy. He showed his arse by going down to the kitchen, telling everyone how piss poor cooks they were and made a complete mess of the line. He was straight slinging food across the kitchen, then stumbling out yelled to clean this shite up.
Overall, I have really great memories of working in his restaurants. Mainly because of the people and experiences. Like I said before, there are tons of a-hole stories. Ever since my time in his employment, I see him as a businessman, not a chef. He is a shite talking showman who is smart (or cheap) with business.