BY BILL MARLER
I met the love of my life years before I became a bit
too paranoid about dinning out. Yet, with my thoughts on the six foods I do not eat going
viral world-wide, I was asked recently how to protect your Valentine’s Day date
from barfing or experiencing diarrhea – clearly, neither a great start to a
romantic evening.
So, here are the things that are available to the romantic diners in all of
us:
Before you make the reservation:
1.
Check Yelp, Urban Spoon, Facebook, Twitter – social
media is a great way to figure out safer places to eat – if people are
complaining, look somewhere else for that date place.
2.
Perhaps go the day before Valentine’s Day – having a
packed house is not necessarily conducive to a safe food evening.
3.
Online Health Department Inspection Reports – more and
more cities and counties allow you to see past inspections of the restaurant –
here the past is a good indication of the quality of your meal.
When you show up:
4.
Score on the Door – it is not hard to get an A in the
restaurant business, and if there is not an A on the door, walk away.
5.
If you are the only ones there – perhaps someone knows
something you do not – again, walk away.
6.
Is the restaurant clean – and, if the lights were
turned up, would it still look clean – if not, walk away.
If you are still there, order drinks and excuse yourself to the bathroom:
7.
Is the bathroom clean and well supplied and does the
bathroom door open out (so you do not have to touch the handle) – if not, have
your drink and ask for your check.
Ok, if you made it this far and your date has not left you:
8.
Order things that are simple – well done meats and
cooked vegetables, and a good glass of wine.
The good news is that even if you have ingested a pathogen, the incubation
period (time from ingestion to first symptoms) is days and not hours.
Here is to romance without vomiting and diarrhea.
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