Dear Restaurant Owners and Staff:
 

Thank you in advance for wiping tables clean and NOT sweeping the crumbs and debris from them onto the chairs and floor so that the next patron sits down or steps in the previous customers' garbage! :look:

Thank you also for wiping spills off the seats and drying them so the customers don't sit in a wet spot.

and please...
 

.....don't use the same towel to wipe off the seats that you will use on the table!!

Kind of embarrassing when your menu sticks to the wet table, because it was neither washed with hot water and a clean towel, but was not dried either. I was at a restaurant one night when the waiter left his paper pad on the table to pick up a water jug. When he went to use it, the paper that was on the table tore off and stuck :laugh:

Yes, I made a comment.

Verbatim.

"How do you think we feel about it?"

Yeah, but don't be too nasty. . .
 

Or your server will insult you in front of the other patrons, grab a few beers, slide out the back door, and become an international folk hero.

-- Sky :D

But then he/she will ask for his job back! :emb:

Yes please do not spray cleanign solutions on the tables around me when cleaning them becasue it is in the air and spreads just like a air freshener

I do not feel like eating Windex or fantastic as a condement on my meal

And please don't discover your personality at the very moment you put the bill on the table. It is embarrassingly obvious to everyone. We enjoy talking with you if you have time. Not essential but we have really met some very nice people over the years. My lovely bride has taught me an awful lot about starting conversations with strangers over the just about anything.

And thank you in advance for knowing how much to talk, and when not to get too personal.

And thank you so much, after hovering around all during my meal for not dissappearing for a half hour after I take my last bite, and make me wait for my bill.

Yup
 

Thank you for telling me how much another party enjoyed my daughter's entree that was errantly delivered to their table while the waiter spent his time talking to the bartender instead of actually paying any attention to us.

Well, at least where you go, they actually use a cleaning solution to clean the table and hopefully disinfect the surface. Most places seem to just use a wet rag that has probably picked up many other germs along its travels. I'm sure at the start of its journey through many dirty tables, this rag was probably clean and full of hot, soapy water; but not towards the end of the journey... :eek2:
I wouldn't mind a little ammonia smell (as long as its not too overwhelming) knowing they are cleaning the right way and disinfecting.

A nice clean new tablecloth always makes me give thanks : )

Most restaurants use a bleach water solution (tested by the board of health) to soak bar towels between uses.We got permission to switch to a solution of water and Dawn with bleach because it's easier on the hands.
I think many of you would feel much better about eating out if you could be fly on the wall (pun intended) durring an inspection by the state.
They arrive unannounced and test everything.....temps on all hot foods (must be 140 or higher)cold foods and all refrigeration must be in the high
30's.They take swabs of all cutting/food prep surfaces.Final rinse in the dishwasher must be 180 degrees.They test bleach solutions for the bar and kitchen towels.
Soups and sauces that have been recently made and are cooling must have temps recorded on a chart....first,using a freezer paddle to shock the product from boiling to cooling......nothing thawed at room temperature.
They check all kitchen utensils,plumbing,insect/rodent control,lighting,hygienic practices,water source......inspections are thorough and they have no mercy.........and it's a good thing for the business.I'm no fan of big government but this is one agency that really serves the public well.
As long as there are people...mistakes will be made and some try to bend the rules,but generally,even older restaurants that might look a little shabby,have the same tough testing as the newer chains.
And finally.......I know people like to tell horror stories about restaurant kitchens but most of them are just that...stories.No restaurant owner in his right mind would allow a cook to drop something on the floor and then serve it or do anything else unsanitary.It would destroy your business.
Hope this helps.
Hope this helps.

I grew up in the restaurant business, my Dad owned or ran restaurants his entire life. He had one simple rule, if it's dirty where you can see it, it's worse where you can't see it. So that's always the first thing I judge a restaurant by.

He convinced me early on, by making work in several of those places, that it was hard work. The hours are long, and when everyone else is having fun, you're working. I respect a well run restaurant, but I picked a different career.

180 degrees?
 

Final rinse in the dishwasher must be 180 degrees

Wow, that doesn't make me feel safe eating at home now. I think our water heater doesn't heat water over 130 degrees. Do dishwashers step up the heat for the rinse cycle Samiam? Sorry for getting off track.

Don't worry Pineedles......household washers have a longer cycle and run at 140 degrees......140 kills all bacteria.
Commercial machines have a two minute wash and about 1 minute rinse.They do make low temp machines withn a bleach rinse....those work too.

Dear owners, thank you for taking the time to make sure you package the right items in to-go boxes. We recently drove 15 minutes home to find that we had a burger bun, lettuce & tomato slices instead of our appetizer...

As for wiping down tables, I know some restaurants that I am familiar with keep rags in a bucket of disinfectant from their dispensor that regulates the chemicals to appropriate standards and use those to wash the tables. Also there are high and low-temp type dishwashers, the latter uses a chemical disinfectant vs. heat to kill bacteria, etc.

Dear Patiently........please don't brand us all from one bad experience.......it's a little insulting to address your complaint to "dear owners" as though all of us don't know what we're doing. I have a solution for your problem. Stay at home ......cook dinner in your own kitchen.

Pineedles,
Some home dish washers do heat the water. They also have dry cycles that are pretty hot and steamy. Most home hot water is not above 140F.

Warning, off topic comment...do not read if easily upset by such behavior.:)
Our latest cloths washer also heats the water. A bunch of cloths really kill the temperature of the wash water on a front loader which uses little water. The company I work for has washing machine test of the products we make. Even the old top loads would loose about 10 degrees when the water had to heat the steel tub and cloths. We would have to fill with 150F to achieve 140F for the test wash.

SAMIAM: Good to know, about the bleach water, thanks!
I'm not worried about your place - you definately do things the right way - thank you!

wishing
 

wishing that i could post a similar thread titled "Dear Restaurant Patrons..."

Turn about is fair play
 

Go ahead...it would be interesting.

Jetskier:cool:

I hear that!
 

So true! After years and years in the business, I could think of quite a long "letter"!

Understand
 

I understand Samiam's frustration. This thread started with a broad brush, some restaurants are like those described throughout the thread, but many more are managed properly including being cleaned and disinfected properly.

Conversely, the same critique about restaurant patrons "Dear Restaurant Patrons" would be implying all patrons tipped, squatted, acted, etc (or whatever the replies read) the same. It would be unfair to the majority of patrons that are good.

Now if the threads were titled "Crazy people or things I've seen at restaurants" some good stories would result!

Me too,JMO......35 years in biz and lots of stories.

what VB said
 

Conversely, the same critique about restaurant patrons "Dear Restaurant Patrons" would be implying all patrons tipped, squatted, acted, etc (or whatever the replies read) the same. It would be unfair to the majority of patrons that are good.

Exactly. But boy, would it be fun to participate in that thread:laugh:

I vote with VB and support SAMIAM's position. He's one awesome restaurant owner!

To all that have posted, Is McDonalds, Wendys, Burger King, KFC, Taco Bell...... a better place to eat?

If I do not like a place I do not go there. Doesn't seem to hard.

I can't stand seeing people with long hair that's just hanging down their backs, not securely tied back - handling food. Ditto for long, painted fingernails. That's just bogus and nasty... yuk! :eek:

Agreed, but I'm not a fan of poly cutting boards (wood boards are MUCH more sanitary but not approved by NSF for political reasons).

Ate at Town Docks today. Excellent all around.

Edit: Samiam, which restaurant do you own?

Samiam owns the Village Kitchen and Red Hill Dari.

But, I only know one person that uses a wood cutting board and properly treats it with the correct oils. The rest just swipe around some oil, whether it is veg or peanut, etc. Absolutely the wrong product for a wood cutting board, just breeds bacteria. That is more than likely the reason for not allowing wood boards in a commercial kitchen.

There are cutting board politics, who knew?

Something about the "plastic" cutting board manufacturers got the NSF to only allow poly boards in kitchens. A guy I worked with told me about it once.

What happens with poly boards is as they wear out (and dull knives like crazy), bacteria start to grow in the knife grooves. This is OK in a restaurant kitchen with a hot dishwasher, but in a home setting (with "low temp" dishwashers), it can get pretty unhealthy.

With a wood board, bacteria are absorbed into the wood, where they can't multiply, and die.

I work at a lakes region restaurant that serves burgers, seafood, ice cream, etc. and have been reading this forum for a few years now. I've seen and heard enough things from customers to go on for days, so this post is too tempting to pass up. Here are a few stories and pet peeves:

-When you complain about the price of the food (especially seafood): Seafood is expensive and we're not just going to give it away. If you know of a place where you can get about the same amount/quality of food for less money, then why aren't you going there to eat? Eating out is a luxury, not a necessity. If you feel that you aren't able to afford the food you've ordered, then get something that's less expensive - there are always options - or cook your meals at home.
-When you say not-so-nice things under your breath thinking that I can't hear you. My hearing is excellent - I hear it ALL.
-Think you can do it better? Then open your own restaurant... just remember that it's a ridiculous amount of work. Be prepared to be the cook/janitor/electrician/plumber/accountant and then some.
-When you don't give me enough money to pay for your food. This isn't at all a problem when you make an honest mistake in counting, but when I nicely tell you that you're missing X amount of money and you stare at me blankly expecting a $20 bill to materialize? That's annoying. And reaching into the tip cup to make up the difference, as some have tried to do, isn't going to happen.
-The restaurant has been here for a while... we know what works and what doesn't. Your unsolicited business advice won't be needed.
-A little over a month ago on one of the hottest days of the summer, a woman ordered an ice cream cone and went to sit in the sun to eat it (instead of going inside with the AC). She came back 10 minutes later and requested a refund because her ice cream had begun to melt. Am I wrong in thinking that that's the nature of the beast? :confused:
-When you treat the restaurant like a gift shop and just take things. Like framed pictures, knick-knacks, and the like. Not to mention the bathroom mirror and the soap dispenser.

The scene that this description paints made me laugh out loud. Glad I am the only one in the office.

I need to go start one of these threads in the Home Repair section. You restaurant folks think you have it bad, try chasing down 3K from a customer that feels like they have "Paid enough", with a signed fixed price contract on a remodel job! If only the state would let us take the cabinet doors until the final is paid.

The things that some folks do. Priceless.

Too funny .... but it happens.

poly boards
 

they make a cutting board scraper that will take out the knife marks and stains, this makes the cutting board good as new, fyi

Wood Cutting Board Care
 

Now you know two. ;) Peanut oil on a restaurant cutting board is a recipe for disaster. So many of us are allergic! Why risk killing someone? Yes, there are some that are that sensitive.

Not to mention that any of the plant based oils go completely rancid. :liplick: Folks just look at me like I am crazy when I mention it, oh well.

That peanut allergy seems like a tough one to keep a handle on. It's one thing if you are in control of the preparation process. Going out to eat a new restaurant must be stressfull.

Use mineral oil!
 

You should use mineral oil (available in the drug store's laxative aisle No Kidding!)

It won't go rancid and is inert.

Correct. That is the product that is recommended for preserving the wood boards. Much cheaper than the "upity" stuff that some places try to sell you.

All this talk and I never mentioned that. Thanks for bringing that info forward SteveO123

fyi the proteins are extracted from the peanut oil and one would not have an allergic reaction, but most people are not aware of this

Sorry but this isn't true with cold-pressed peanut oil - why take the risk? There's some folks that go into anaphylactic shock when they encounter peanut products. It's just not worth it...

Make that Three!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

I, too, prefer wood boards.......... ;)

The board of health frowns on wood cutting boards.....I happen to like them.They should not be oiled......they should be bleached after use.

Wood cutting boards...
 

....count me in as a fan of wood. Properly maintained, not only will you find no germs...but you will also find no dead germs. And they play so much better with knives than does stainless steel!

ENR-Love your post
 

Laugh out loud-and SAMIAM - you are the best. I used to work in Boston for Creative Gourmets, when they were a startup shop back in the 1980s. Thought I wanted to open a restaurant since I love to cook. Being a cook/manager disabused me of that notion .... helped turn my hair gray, but I was really skinny! We had people stealing the utensils, even stealing the food. I had to install cameras... OMG the stories... Anyway, I do use the poly cutting boards at home, and wood also... guess I better ditch the poly, although I do bleach it. Truthfully, I would rather cut raw chicken on a china plate - it's not absorbant at all. Raw chicken is icky.

You use stainless steel cutting boards? That's got to be a typo...

This is about the best, and most reasoned explanation I've seen to date. It also backs up what a lot of the food guys on this board have said.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...-a-plastic-one

Oops
 

More of a senior moment than a typo. I prefer wood over plastic.
And on another note...I clearly remember my mother cutting chicken, beef, pork, fish, vegetables, etc...all on the same surface....Hard to believe I'm still alive!!!:laugh::laugh:

^^I honestly think (albeit with no scientific evidence) that this "sanitation" craze is unnecessary for anyone with a two-digit age. Sure, nobody would use the same cutting board on chicken (or one of a certain batch of-400-million eggs :laugh: ) and then go straight to cutting lettuce for a salad.

Barring that, anyone with a decent immune system can handle the typical amount of bacteria in a rare piece of beef or even undercooked fish or chicken. Poached eggs have never caused anyone I know problems, either. We get bent out of shape when traces of bacteria show up in that piece of tuna under a microscope.

However, the reason health codes are so strict is because restaurants could be cooking for somebody with a less than healthy immune system (no examples nevessary). But most of us capable of posting of this forum will be far from getting poisoned while eating out. It is much more likely at home, though still somewhat hard to accidently do.

Remember: the bacteria are more scared of you than you are of them... :D

Very good points, Winnipesaukee.

A sterile world is not always best
 

Exsposure to bacteria is a good thing in my book. I want my body to build resistance to those guys. There is a limit though. I won't be licking the bathroom floor.

25 Things Chefs Never Tell You
 

Good Article:

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/guest_bl...-tell-you.html

Jetskier:cool: