A New Diet Incentive

I don't think I'll be eating out as much as I used to.  Years ago, I got in the habit of reading the newspaper every single day at work.  This included the restaurant reviews.  I learned who was clean and who wasn't keeping the roaches out.  Except that's the weird thing, we rarely had anyone bomb.  After years I got a feel for what was normal, and we rarely varied from the norm.  Until a year or so ago, when restaurants began to complain about their profit margins.

Money's getting tighter, and businesses are cutting corners.  In the last month, the Springfield News-Leader has reported meat kept eleven days past date.  That's a total of eighteen days, because they state clearly that seven days is the limit.  Pests such as gnats or rodents are becoming commonplace.  Several are using weaker cleaning solutions to stretch where they can.  A local chain that is very popular had eight critical violations, the gnarly kind.  In fact, the write-up says the employees will attend a class.

I guess I'm a bit of a worrywart, because I look at food with new eyes.  My husband is currently taking a class on food inspections and health guidelines, and I have learned more than I ever wanted to.  I'd say it was just that it's on my radar, except the headlines agree. From cafes to swanky steakhouses, cutting corners means bad food.  I've had food poisoning once, I'll pass.  We have an epic number of offenders.  I just keep coming back to eighteen days.  Dear GOD.  It's annoying enough to pay prime price for leftovers, but for spoiled death on a bun?  Sheesh.