1st Gen Lunchtable Thread - General Discussion

Having worked in the food industry way back at the end of high school through community college, in a place staffed with other kids the same age...lets just say its a good thing we have immune systems. Oh, and do everything you can not to irritate whoever is handling your food. I know I know, you're the paying customer...but your average angsty min wage teenager doesn't see it that way.

 

Chef here...the ice machine in the kitchen where I work is too small which I consider a good thing because we empty it everyday.

This is a perfect time to sanitize it. Just wipe down the sides and the gaskets with sanitizer and toss a bucket in there and you're good to go.

Sure emptying the thing everyday and then emptying it again when it's about half full exceeds the duty cycle by a whole bunch but it's super easy to clean. Which, I think, is more important.

Also with some dental stuff you're talking freshly opened wounds. And it's easily preventable.

 

If this is a serious concern it's best not to eat at that restaurant at all.

Edit: Just saw your other post. Lol..where did you work? Sounds awful!

 

Local deli/meat market, was a fun place but there were a couple guys there that you didn't want taking your orders lol.

Also, the health department window ratings are an absolute farce. I think a lot of counties have done away with them since back then though.

The lemon slice thing is because they're usually left out forever and handled over and over by numerous people. Especially at bars, but lets face it bars aren't exactly a place you go to expecting the best sanitary conditions.

 

I've heard stories about grocery stores. Yikes!

Yeah, health inspections are crazy subjective.
We rely more on a third party..Ecosure for inspections to gauge how we are doing.

The county health inspector is a walk in the park compared to the ecosure inspectors. They also inspect for work place safety and HACCP as well.

The nice thing is when the county inspector shows up I know I'm going to be in the high 90's. Like to me low 90's is I messed up.

I also work in corporate dining. We aren't open to the public rather we feed employees on site and are heavily subsidized. Our primary customer is also our partner. So it's very different.

 

whoops

 

grocery stores... eek

Nott really food industry specific but I remember at the start of the pandemic, wife took care of a patient who was covid+. Patient worked at a deli inside of a popular grocery store in a very upper income area. She decided it was ok to come to work even though she felt sick. She dropped at work and was taken into the hospital. Her reason for coming in to make sandwiches... 'didn't want to call in sick because they would think she had covid'. She had been making sandwiches all morning and greeting customers at the counter.

 

The things I saw in the restaurant I worked in during high school made me never go back there again to eat after I quit. One of the most popular places in this city too.

 

Yeah ours was a little shop in a plaza center, had a little outside area for eating stuff from the deli or bbq. Super popular place with the locals, had been there since the early 80s and is still there today.

I might go back now as long as I don't see the same guys I worked with there almost 20 years ago lol. Jesus it's really been that long

 

I could likely go back now too, its just the memories. You always think about that stuff but when you watch something like a piece of good food fall on the floor, get picked up, brushed off and put back on a plate...it sticks with you. Plus the kitchen crew were some dirty dudes.

 

Its like that comedy Waiting that came out in the early 00s about the food service industry....was way more accurate that most want to believe

 

Speaking of kitchen crew, when I went to school in Santa Barbara I worked at a local bakery that did breakfast and brunch on weekends. The kitchen crew was selling coke out of the kitchen right under the owners nose the entire time lol.

 

That was a good movie. Man I forgot about that.
There was a show, "Party Down," in 09 about a group of caterers that was good too.

 

Lol that sounds about right somehow

 

You make some good points I've changed my mind

 

I feel like this belongs here after our discussion

 

https://youtu.be/-KZ1h24Ydgs

 

Still a classic. I'm pretty sure I worked with all those people at some point.

 

Going camping in the Ozarks this weekend. Severe thunderstorms and tornadoes are expected tonight. The creeks should be full tomorrow for some good water-crossing pictures. I did pack my chainsaw to cut down any fallen trees.