Yet another reason to eat raw...

[curlygirl82]

I went out to dinner with my dad tonight. I asked the waiter for the large salad, told him what to leave off, and asked him to pack on any raw veggies they might have available back there. He promised to "hook it up." I was so excited (and starving), but when it arrived, all they'd added was mushrooms. Fine, I love mushrooms - but when I took a bite, I literally had to spit it out into my napkin - totally rotten!!!! Blech! Well, so then I just decided to eat but avoid the mushrooms, but after a few more bites, I decided I didn't know how bad the rest of the things were. So I just decided to wait till I got home to make a big, delicious, SAFE salad.

Now, the thing is - those mushrooms were listed on the menu on other items as sauteed. If they were sauteed in butter or oil, with herbs and stuff - you never would've known they were rotten. I looked at my Dad's meal and just wondered how bad it was. With raw, you KNOW whether your food is good and fresh or not!!!

Just thought that was kinda cool.

[Crazy Healer Lady]

Wow... Did you let them know that their mushrooms were rotten?? That's so gross. Yes, it is another great reason to be raw!

[juliebove]

I used to live on Cape Cod and most of the restaurants there closed for the winter. I guess they just didn't do the business because there were few tourists and many of the people who lived there in the summer went south.

We went to a restaurant where I had dined during the summer and I remembered the good salad. Well no so on my winter visit! I swear they saved up the lettuce, carrots and tomatoes since summer. I was astounded that they even served such a thing. My husband was mad at me because it was overpriced to begin with and I refused to eat it. Then of course I was still hungry and ate at home.

I hope things have gotten better there since I lived there, about 10 years ago. At times I found it very hard to find good, fresh produce. I wasn't on a raw diet then, but did eat a lot of raw vegetables. During the winter though I mainly lived on canned stuff and dried beans because I might get snowed in for a week at a time and that stuff would keep. Then even if I did make it to the store, they might not have restocked.

[curlygirl82]

CHL - no, I actually didn't. Normally I would have, but my Dad actually sent his food back, too! (He ordered the "chicken fried steak," and didn't realize that here in St. Louis, we have "pork steaks," so was shocked when it wasn't beef and sent it back.) I felt bad for the server, and didn't want to send both our items back. I just decided I'd pay for it and not make a fuss and go home and eat a big ole salad. Looking back on it, I probably should've told him, just for other diners' sakes... but all the food was pretty sad SAD looking, so I just gave up on the place.

[Veganforlife]

EWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!:p

[jacsam]

We don't go out to eat that often and when we do I like to call ahead of time and really talk extensively with someone to find out exactly what they have that is raw. When I go I order my salad and just tell them exactly how I'd like it prepared....I usually end up with comments from others on how good it looks. I haven't been disappointed yet.

[greenfeline]

That reminds me of the Gordon Ramsey show "Kitchen Nightmares", usually they show fould meat and days old prepared dishes. I agree you can totally hide bad food by cooking it to death.

[oai]

Double EWWWWWW!!!!!! :p:p

couldn't the restaurant get in trouble for using rotten food? spoiled? it must go against some health code or something.

[kaybee]

yeah i saw one episode where there was MOULD all over the shelves in the walk-in fridge, but the WORST was that there was a huge pan of dessert uncovered in the fridge, half gone, and it actually had finger-claw marks in it as if someone had been grabbing handfuls of it!!! the host said to the chef "is that how you do things here? do you really use your HANDS!!??" or something like that, and the chef replied "sometimes"..... ack. fingernail dirt in your whipped dessert anyone? yum.

[oai]

thank you. i now have restaurant-phobia.

[kaybee]

hehehe....sorry.... i couldnt resist mentioning this once that show was mentioned. i only saw that show once, but it stuck in my mind. ick.

[oai]

it's ok. i've had the phobia for a long time now. ;)

[curlygirl82]

I must chime in here that I've worked at quite a few restaurants now and I wouldn't hesitate to eat anything at any of them - all really top notch. it's not everywhere - most places are super clean. and the health inspector comes to inspect unannounced, quite frequently. so i don't know how any place gets away with practices like that!

[oai]

I've worked at a restaurant as well. Italian. :) Our place was pretty clean, too. It's just that the water we served came from the tap. Other than that, the restaurant food was pretty clean.

Oh. The times I had to go to the freezer... agh.... :p

I feel better knowing what's in my food, when I make them myself or perhaps maybe going to Alissa's restaurant or other raw restaurants I could trust. When are you coming to DC, Alissa????! :p