Someone Posing as Bill Kim and Cranking Restaurants

Someone in Chicago is apparently calling restaurants, saying they're Urban Belly and Belly Shack chef/owner Bill Kim and then spewing obscenities to the person on the other end of the phone.

Kim posted a note to his Facebook wall Tuesday night alerting his friends and followers to help spread the word that it isn't him. The interesting twist? He posted that the number that comes up on caller ID, 773-252-1466, is actually the number at Schwa in Wicker Park.

Kim emailed us Tuesday night to say that calls had been made to Girl & The Goat, Boka and Hot Chocolate, all restaurants where Kim is friends with the chefs and owners. He said the person was belligerent and vulgar and added, "Do you know who I am! I am Chef Bill Kim! Google my name and you will find out who you're dealing with!"

Kim said he's called Schwa a number of times to try to speak with owner Michael Carlson, but he keeps getting the voicemail, which is full. "[I] would definitely like to get to the bottom of this [and] just want to clear this up," Kim said. "I have worked very hard in this business and take great pride in the friendships that I have made along the way. Michael [Carlson] and several of the people who work with him at Schwa have been to our restaurants. We have always been very gracious to them."

We're not sure if someone at Schwa has a vendetta against Kim or if they're trying to be funny or if maybe someone, somehow hacked into Schwa's phone line and is making the calls from a third location. Regardless, the calls have been insulting. Hot Chocolate owner Mindy Segal told us that she wasn't at the restaurant at the time, but the person asked for her and then swore at her mother, who answered the phone.

Does anyone have information about this? Either way, if you're a restaurant and "Bill Kim" calls and starts yelling at you, Kim wants you to know it's not him.

Bill Kim [Photo: Sun-Times]