Foreign Objects in My Food

[beachgirl54]

So, twice in the past week, I have found things in my food that shouldn't have been there. Bad luck on my part? I think I handled things properly but am curious - what should one do in these situations? I'm particulary curious to hear from those in the industry.

First time, I was at a conference buffet luncheon at one of the nice downtown hotels (actually, my preferred chain). When I sat down next to a high ranking government official and started to dig into my salad, a live moth stared up at me. I gasped slightly, and used my napkin to gather the moth into it without saying anything to my luncheon companion. I found a server and handed him the napkin. A catering manager came over to my seat profusely apologizing, and brought me a large, new salad which I ended up taking home. The manager also took away the salad from my plate. Definitley an "ew" factor.

The second time was last week, having breakfast at a casual restaurant that is a favorite on this website. Felt something funny in my mouth and it was a 1/2" sliver of tinfoil. I gave it to one of the restaurant workers, said it was understandable and gingerly finished my breakfast. Manager came over and profusely apologized.

I know these things are inevitable but it was a lot for me in such a short time period. Thoughts?

[Ericandblueboy]

When I see hair, I pick it off and keep eating.

[DonRocks]

Sure beats seeing a roach crawl across your son's arm!

[TedE]

Sure beats seeing a roach crawl across your son's arm!

Or seeing a baby one struggling to emerge from the depths of the hollandaise covering your benedict - AFTER you'd taken the first bite! (Note: from a long time ago, and a place far from the DC area that was shut down not long after this event for other reasons more than just tangentially related to this. It still haunts me.)

[Sthitch]

I can think of far worse.

[Banco]

Once I found a staple in my Pho. Obviously, that could've ended very badly. And once in Germany I found part of a plastic bag in my pasta, probably belonging to the bag in which it had been cooked. Really makes you wonder what goes on in the kitchen, but I always try to be very hush-hush about it with the server. People make mistakes; no use alerting the whole dining room (or everyone will want one, etc., etc).

[TedE]

Once I found a staple in my Pho.

I hear this a lot, mostly related to people finding staples or metal in their hamburgers. While obviously dangerous and to be taken seriously, the one common reaction is an incredulous "How in the hell did a staple get there if they weren't trying to deliberately injure me?!?!"

Some people have never seen fat tubes of service pack ground beef before. Without knowing how they are packaged I can easily see somebody inferring intent where only sloppy prep work is to blame.

[qwertyy]

I knew I'd been in Asia too long when a cockroach crawled out of the condiment dish and it didn't even occur to me to tell anyone.

[beachgirl54]

Sure beats seeing a roach crawl across your son's arm!

Which he would think was so much fun, and I would have the look of Edvard Munch's The Scream.

So it's not a huge deal but the moth was a little alarming. The good news is that I was at the same hotel today for yet another conference (tis the season in DC) and nothing peered out at me from my food.

[thatguy2009]

My girlfriend and I ordered pizza from a popular national chain. I thought I was chewing on a "extra chewy" piece of pepperoni- spat it out. Nope. It was somebody's bandage. My girlfriend even called to file a complaint and they just hung up on her while I was soaping my mouth out. That's why I stick to neapolitan pizzas now!

[DC Deb]

So, twice in the past week, I have found things in my food that shouldn't have been there. Bad luck on my part? I think I handled things properly but am curious - what should one do in these situations? I'm particulary curious to hear from those in the industry.

First time, I was at a conference buffet luncheon at one of the nice downtown hotels (actually, my preferred chain). When I sat down next to a high ranking government official and started to dig into my salad, a live moth stared up at me. I gasped slightly, and used my napkin to gather the moth into it without saying anything to my luncheon companion. I found a server and handed him the napkin. A catering manager came over to my seat profusely apologizing, and brought me a large, new salad which I ended up taking home. The manager also took away the salad from my plate. Definitley an "ew" factor.

The second time was last week, having breakfast at a casual restaurant that is a favorite on this website. Felt something funny in my mouth and it was a 1/2" sliver of tinfoil. I gave it to one of the restaurant workers, said it was understandable and gingerly finished my breakfast. Manager came over and profusely apologized.

I know these things are inevitable but it was a lot for me in such a short time period. Thoughts?

I think you did the right thing by telling them quietly. In both cases, the management came and tried to make things right. Freaky things happen, especially when people are in a hurry and not paying attention. I don't think staff intentionally try to harm customers.

RE: the hotel salad incident: The kitchen staff may have put the salad aside for the banquet staff to put it on the buffet. The moth could have flown in then. It doesn't make it right or less gross, but I can see how that might happen.

[ktmoomau]

I once had a giant caterpillar stare up at me from the wilted lettuce salad my grandad made. I couldn't eat another bite of it. My Mother understood, my Uncle poo poo'ed my immediate lack of appetite. It was a big one though. I know fresh produce is grown from the ground were lots of things have access to it, I mean I garden myself, but the thought of this big guy popping in my mouth just grossed me out.

[PollyG]

I once had a giant caterpillar stare up at me from the wilted lettuce salad my grandad made. I couldn't eat another bite of it. My Mother understood, my Uncle poo poo'ed my immediate lack of appetite. It was a big one though. I know fresh produce is grown from the ground were lots of things have access to it, I mean I garden myself, but the thought of this big guy popping in my mouth just grossed me out.

A salad filled with tiny white spiders from a neighbor's garden still haunts me. It was all too obvious that the lettuce hadn't been washed at all, and my mother was elbowing me and telling me not to make a fuss. Live fricking spiders. Thanks, Mom.

I've always done what Beachgirl54 did at restaurants--had a quiet chat with the waiter. The waitstaff is far more likely to believe that you didn't introduce the offending item/creature if you're low key about it.

[ktmoomau]

A salad filled with tiny white spiders from a neighbor's garden still haunts me. It was all too obvious that the lettuce hadn't been washed at all, and my mother was elbowing me and telling me not to make a fuss. Live fricking spiders. Thanks, Mom.

Wow, you are brave. I couldn't have done it.