Text 36472, 109 rader
Skriven 2010-04-04 18:06:23 av Ruth Haffly (1:396/45.28)
  Kommentar till text 36366 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
Ärende: Kitchen Confidential 996
================================
Hi Michael,

 RH> The Raleigh newspaper, up until a couple of weeks ago, published the
 RH> results of food inspections at local eateries around the area in the

 ML> I'd credit a taste rating before a hygiene rating. For a number
 ML> of reasons, mostly that I don't see the point of many of the hygiene
 ML> rules, which seem either OCDish or susceptible to circumvention.

Reading about places that store raw meat above cooked foods and other
not so good for my health practices helps me make a decision whether or
not I want to go to that place to eat.  Then, too, I can go to a place
like I did yesterday and get a totally unsatisfactory meal.

We decided to go to a TGIFriday's in Virginia for lunch (traveling
between NY & NC).  Walked in, the music was so loud I could hardly hear
Steve, who was standing by me, then sitting across the table from me.
They turned it down, about 2 decibles.  Then Steve ordered unsweet tea,
I asked for sweet.  When they came, I took a sip of mine; the initial
taste was not quite right, then got hit with a horrible after taste.
Steve tried his and agreed--it tasted like the container hadn't been
cleaned in months.  We were able to exchange for soft drinks.

I ordered a California Club sandwich, asking that it be made without the
honey-mustard dressing and a side of mayo on the side with a side salad,
ranch dressing (they didn't have my favorite) on the side.  I got a
salad with ranch poured on (Raunch!) and a sandwich, no mayo on the
side.  Asked for, and got the mayo so I put a bit on, cut my sandwich in
half and took a bite----of you guessed it, honey mustard.  They did take
it off the bill when I didn't want a remake and let me look at a menu
but by then, nothing else looked appealing.  They have a lot of stuff
with Jack Daniel's in it; this didn't.

Steve had ordered a wrap, no dressing but a side of bbq sauce and no
fries, side salad.  He got a wrap, no dressing, no bbq sauce, a side
salad and fries.  He didn't eat the fries and got the bbq sauce after
asking for it.  He ate his whole lunch; I had the salad, a bite of the
sandwich and about half my drink.

A couple of hours later, we stopped at a McD's for a bathroom break, M&M
McFlurries and I got a 4 piece nuggets, no sauce.  They tasted better
than the CC at TGIF. (G) For supper, we went to a Texas Steakhouse and
Saloon & had ribeyes, salad, baked potato (me) and grilled vegetable
skewer (Steve).  We shared a strawberry shortcake (the biscuit had a
sugar crunch--yummy) for dessert.

 ML>    I would
 RH> rather have a higher rating; they published both letter and number
 RH> grade, as well as the reasoning for the grade.

 RH> at risk if I eat something that should have been cooked or stored

 ML> I don't believe the inspectors and might not trust the criteria
 ML> they are supposed to use. And I am pretty confident of my immune
 ML> system, though for you caution might be a better approach.

Better to err on the side of caution.  Then, too, sometimes the least
expected thing could upset the system.


 ML>   And, yes, a lot of the A/90 (or higher) grade places we've
 RH> eaten a have not relied on prepackaged or mistreated (to the best of
 RH> our knowledge) ingredients.

 ML> I'd guess that in the big cities, the majority of restaurants rely
 ML> on prepackaged - I would say that one has a chance of getting
 ML> fresh and raw only from the very very top or the neighborhood
 ML> places in the middle that would be in B territory in price,
 ML> quality, and hygiene. And even the top has its issues - a
 ML> friend of mine who is knowledgeable in the business looked at
 ML> the menu of a Zagat top-rated place in his city and told me
 ML> immediately what product line this restaurant sourced from.
 ML> And I believe him, as his establishment does much the same.

At times, I think it would be a help to know the sources, other times,
probably just as well I don't. I've noticed a trend over the last few
years for places to get as much local as they can, and identify their
sources when they do.  By the same token I understand that a lot of
foods have to come in prepackaged from outside the local area.  As long
as it has been handled properly in all steps of processing and
preparing, I'm not as concerned about where it comes from.  But if it
hasn't been handled properly and I get sick from it, I'm less inclined
to go back to that place.

 DD> the public overwhelmingly favors the idea. In a recent survey by
 DD> my company, 83 percent of respondents said that they would like to have
 DD> grades posted.
 RH> I sure would!  It gives that bit of assurance that the food handlers
 RH> know how to do their job properly.

 ML> I don't care one way or the other - mildly against it, I'd
 ML> say, as aside from some broad principles, propriety is in
 ML> the eye of the beholder, and a false reliance on grades would
 ML> be worse than nothing.

OTOH, if I know why a place was marked down, it will help me decide if I
want to go there or not.  It's not a reliance on grades as much as an
assurance that they are meeting standards, IMO.

---
Catch you later,
Ruth
rchaffly{at}earthlink{dot}net  FIDO 1:396/45.28


... Proverbs 3:5 | ... and lean not unto thine own understanding.

--- PPoint 3.01
 * Origin: Sew! That's My Point (1:396/45.28)