When we lived in Utah, we loved using our Entertainment Book coupons to get buy-one-get-one-free meals. (We have one here in San Antonio, but don't use it as much because the town is much bigger and most of the coupons are for really far away). Anyway, while we loved it, often times we found the places shut down. Sometimes we left feeling like we got a little bit of food poisoning. We would joke that if it wasn't owned and operated by immigrants, they didn't have their children watching TV in a corner, and we weren't the ONLY patrons in the establishment, then it wasn't for us!
Well, I just found a website that would have rocked my Utah world. It's a direct link to all the Salt Lake Valley restaurant inspections. SERIOUSLY! I just quickly checked out some of my old faves...Cafe Rio, for the most part, does okay, but NEVER go to the one on Fourth South. Really bad score. Su Casa on State Street, by our old apartment (TJ, I hate to say this, I know it's one of your faves) not so good, either. Cucina Deli on 2nd Avenue, fairly good.
What's cool is that you can read what each violation is, and how serious it is. What I saw a lot of in my short search is a LOT of dirty ice machines. Ewww....that grosses me out.
Anyway, if you've got a little bit of OCD in you, like me, this will probably not be very good for you. Thank goodness I didn't know about this when I lived there! Hopefully Texas inspections aren't so readily available.
Search here at your own risk!
Eeew!
ReplyDeleteI'll never forget the time I had a nice big fountain drink... got to the bottom of it only to find a big bug FROZEN IN AN ICE CUBE!!! Not only that... I left it there while I ran into a store for something, came out and the ice had melted and the bug was ALIVE and crawling on my cup!!!!
dirty ice machines are a VERY common problem...we go through it at the pub...it's because it's so moist in there someimes it gets mold growing in there!! YUMMY I know..you really gotta keep up on it!!!
ReplyDeleteOk Sally this grossed me out a bit but then Rachel's comment makes me want to hurl. Bleck.
ReplyDeleteYuck. I watched an episode of 20/20 about the dirty ice machine issue. For the longest time I wouldn't get fountain drinks because of it. Then I forgot about it. So, thanks for the reminder. I think.
ReplyDeleteI am very disturb!!! I don't know that I can ever eat out, or get a drink anywhere ever again.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, especially since we are moving back to Salt Lake. I love stuff like this but Josh says I am a little paranoid about germs, sanitation, etc. I'll admit I am- but only because I had to take a food safety/sanitation 3 credit course in college. I never go anywhere without my hand sanitizer and I usually cringe, or if I'm feeling brave, ask the people at Subway to switch gloves if they touch something else while they're making my sandwich. :)
ReplyDeleteYou're right. I better not visit the site. Darn!
Oh- we just ate at su casa- now i want to barf!!! Thanks for the info though!
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is that 95% of all food poisoning cases come from food prepared and consumed at home. It's frightening how little people know about food safety...and usually the ones who are educated have restaurant or other food service experience.
ReplyDeleteRestaurants have to comply with standards, but the regular people don't. I feel that much safer eating out than I do going to someone else's house for dinner.
Another comforting fact: most major chains pay a private health inspection company, such as EcoSure, whose standards are well above state standards and who does surprise inspections. For those chains, when the state inspector comes, they are above and beyond compliance.
Yikes! The bug story makes me want to wretch. I would have passed out I think. Reo's Ribs here in Hillsboro would be on the do.not.go.to.that.restaurant page. Fruit flies crawling on the punch barrell, rusty salad. So sick and wrong and my hubby loves it. GROSS!!!
ReplyDelete