"it is outrageous to think that the individual thought they had the liberty to make that kind of comment to a patron."

Outrageous? That's a bit extreme.

I agree that the employee handled it badly. The only correct response to such a situation is to smile politely, ignore the comment and pretend it didn't happen. But Mr. Kidd's behavior was no better. 

When people are serving you, it's part of their job to set aside their own emotions and take what you give (within reason) with a smile, even when they strenuously disagree. Part of the deal is that customers should not abuse that dynamic by (knowingly or not) baiting their servers. Mr. Kidd stepped over that social line.