Dining with Der Fuehrer

You know, I don't understand why anybody would possibly be offended by this.

A new restaurant in India's financial hub, named after Adolf Hitler and promoted with posters showing the German leader and Nazi swastikas, has infuriated the country's small Jewish community.

'Hitler's Cross', which opened last week, serves up a wide range of continental fare and a big helping of controversy, thanks to a name the owners say they chose to stand out among hundreds of Mumbai eateries.

"We wanted to be different. This is one name that will stay in people's minds," owner Punit Shablok told Reuters.

"We are not promoting Hitler. But we want to tell people we are different in the way he was different."

So, the restaurant is named after Hitler, has pictures of Hitler and swastikas all over the place, but they're not "promoting Hitler." Yeah, that makes sense.

I must say, though, that Hitler certainly was "different." If, by "different," you mean "megalomaniacal" or "genocidal." Anyway, back to the Hitler non-promotion:

Posters line the road leading up to it, featuring a red swastika carved in the name of the eatery. One slogan reads: "From Small Bites to Mega Joys."

A huge portrait of a stern-looking Fuehrer greets visitors at the door. The cross in the restaurant's name refers to the swastika that symbolized the Nazi regime.

Nope, no Hitler promotion there. Not at all. But for some unfathomable reason, the Jewish community in India (yeah, who knew?) is upset about this. Baffling, I know.

Perhaps it's the slogan. That is a really sucky slogan.