Since it opened in 2013, Carbone in New York City’s Greenwich Village has been a venerated hotspot for celebrities, social climbers, and anyone looking to see and be seen. Pop culture icons like Drake, Justin Bieber, the Kardashians and Adele have all graced the Italian-American haunt with their presence, and Ye even directed a photo shoot in the dining room. A three-star review from The New York Times and a spot on the coveted Michelin Guide surely demonstrate the use of the highest quality available ingredients, right?

Not so, according to Scout Master, the anonymous founder of the Seed Oil Scout app, who is waging war on what he and an increasingly vocal movement view as poisonous cooking fats. He believes Carbone and fine dining establishments like it are cloaking health destroying, low-quality food in strong branding and an Instagram-ready setting. His mission is to stop them.

Like many New Yorkers, Scout Master used to eat most of his meals out. When COVID closed down the city, he was forced to cook for himself, which meant taking a closer look at the ingredients in his diet. After going down the rabbit hole on Twitter, he became a “radicalized seed oil truther” and completely cut out ultra-processed foods and fats. Almost immediately, the new diet seemed to solve his longstanding digestive issues. Then, he had an idea.