The owners of a New Orleans restaurant are speaking out after a fashion blogger posted a negative review—and allegedly left without paying a nearly $300 bill.
Bella Blue and her husband, Andrew Principe, co-own Pulcinella!, a 7th Ward restaurant, and the upstairs burlesque lounge, The Original Nite Cap. They claim that Diane Kronstad, editor of the fashion blog Fashions Digest, reached out via Instagram DM to arrange a visit for content creation.
In a video shared to Blue’s Instagram account, she says she responded by asking whether Kronstad expected the restaurant to cover the cost of the visit.
A screen recording posted by Blue appears to show a message from the Fashions Digest Instagram stating: “No payment necessary for this visit. Just need to select from the food and and drink menu to review and shoot photos/reels. There will be two people myself and content creator.”
According to Blue and Principe, Kronstad and her guest consumed nearly $300 worth of food and drinks at Pulcinella!—then refused to pay.
Kronstad later left a Google review claiming the food was “average at best, yet priced like a fine dining spot in a much nicer part of New Orleans,” and described the location as “sketchy.”
“We’re a neighborhood joint. We take service very seriously, so a two-star review really stands out,” Principe told PEOPLE. “And I was like, ‘I’m not going to take this anymore.’”
Principe replied to Kronstad’s review noting that he filed a police report regarding the unpaid bill. However, he says both the initial and a follow-up report were rejected, classified instead as a civil matter. The couple says they’re still waiting on a detective to visit the restaurant.
After his response, Kronstad edited her review, calling Principe’s reply “completely unhinged.”
Principe said the party arrived late and ordered “pretty much everything on the menu,” including multiple alcoholic beverages. He noted that a typical bill for two guests runs about $80, making this one “quite a feat.”
When the check arrived, he claims the duo refused to pay. Principe says he ultimately discounted and paid the bill himself, tipping the server. He also claims the pair attempted to leave without tipping, returning only after being confronted again outside the restaurant—leaving a 10% cash tip.
Principe said the situation gained traction after a Pulcinella! chef posted about the incident on Instagram, which led to discussion on platforms like Reddit’s r/NYCinfluencersnark and local New Orleans forums.
“People don’t know what it’s like to own a restaurant. There are so many pitfalls, and influencer culture is one of them,” he said. “We will gladly work with ethical influencers, but to tell us you don’t need anything from us and then run up one of the largest tabs we’ve ever seen—it’s offensive.”
Kronstad later issued a statement to PEOPLE, explaining her side of the situation. She said she frequently contacts local businesses while traveling to “spotlight the vibrant local scene through photos, videos, and honest storytelling,” and that she never charges restaurants for coverage.
Kronstad stated that after a delayed flight, she called the restaurant to push back her reservation. Upon arrival, she said she received a “confusing and cold” welcome.
“There was no introduction from the manager or owner, which is typically how these types of visits begin—especially when it’s known that I’m there to cover the experience,” she wrote. “If someone had come by to set expectations or even just say hello, I’m confident the confusion about billing and hosting could’ve been avoided.”
She claims she was surprised to learn that only the dessert had been comped and was not informed in advance.
“To be clear, I never expect free meals—I expect clarity,” Kronstad wrote. “But in the world of restaurant PR, it’s common practice for food and drink to be comped in exchange for high-quality content, especially when creators offer photography, video, social media exposure, and storytelling that restaurants can reuse.”
She also said the tone “shifted dramatically” once Blue and Principe approached her table. According to Kronstad, they told her the meal would be covered if she left a tip, which she described as a standard arrangement. “We absolutely intended to tip, but at that point, the situation felt unsafe and unpredictable,” she claimed, alleging that Principe raised his voice and followed them to their car.
Kronstad said the situation has escalated online, leading to harassment.
“Since that night, I’ve received thousands of abusive and threatening messages across multiple platforms,” she wrote. “Regardless of how it began, no one should be subjected to that kind of attack—especially over what could have been a simple conversation or clarification.”
She concluded, “I love discovering local restaurants. I respect the work that chefs, staff, and owners put into creating beautiful dining experiences. I’m not sharing this to stir controversy, but to defend my name and the integrity of what I do—and to speak on behalf of many other content creators who navigate these blurry lines every day with care, respect, and professionalism.”
