643296 Sun Aug 09 15:57:08 -0700 2009 17 29 Not About Food 0 4931397 I make it a practice to take advantage of the fact that most California counties fulfill their obligations to post restaurant inspection results by doing so online. This may be true in many other states--don't mean to slight anyone, just don't know. I realize for many food nuts this is not a topic they wish to include in their selection process; however, for those of us with compromised and/or aging (or already aged) digestive systems, it can be an illness-preventer or even a life-saver. Sun Aug 09 15:57:08 -0700 2009 11036 Fine 1 4931486 I don't really do it. If a place has an A or B, I'll eat there. Sun Aug 09 16:28:54 -0700 2009 4931397 197037 mrfood16 2 4931581 But that wokrs only for those places that post their grades in a prominent place! I know all LA restaurants seem to, but not necessarily so elsewere. Sun Aug 09 17:08:18 -0700 2009 4931486 11036 Fine 1 4941639 Never. While I no longer believe that A=American, B=Better and C=Chinese, I trust my own senses to suggest to me whether the place got gigged for storing the vinegar near the detergent or for black mold in the walk-in. If a place seems a little dodgy an A will reassure me, but if it's all sparkly and smells good a C will not send me packing. And I don't bother looking until we get there, and usually not then. Wed Aug 12 18:31:28 -0700 2009 4931397 11478 Will Owen 2 4957820 What you said. Good grief, we're Californians. Not the faint of heart :) Tue Aug 18 19:44:08 -0700 2009 4941639 131001 c oliver 1 4941649 If it ain't closed yet by "you know who" I ignore the rating and eat there. Wed Aug 12 18:33:15 -0700 2009 4931397 11914 monku 1 4942069 A good friend of mine refuses to eat in Chinese restaurants that have an "A" rating (LA County). He figures they spend too much time cleaning up, and not enough time on the food! Wed Aug 12 21:27:46 -0700 2009 4931397 13700 ricepad 1 4943917 As my always logical mother has pointed out to my neurotic grandparents, "how do you know the restaurant didn't get a low A? and another one might have a high B?" Not much difference in a 89% and a 90% from where I stand! Thu Aug 13 12:11:47 -0700 2009 4931397 72532 rds246 2 4949620 I read the actual reports, which are often accessible online, and find what was tagged and determine for myself how serious a concern I think it is. The numerical grades, not just alphabetical ones, are included. Sat Aug 15 17:26:04 -0700 2009 4943917 11036 Fine 1 4945034 it's really not much of an issue since the vast majority of places (thanks to the grading system) have As or Bs. i have no problem with eating at a B. and i rarely venture out to a place and arrive to find it has a C -- but if it looks like there's turnover and not sketchy, i'll eat there. i've never felt ill after a C meal. i have felt ill after an A meal. Thu Aug 13 18:21:37 -0700 2009 4931397 11446 dtud 2 4949628 For many years I ate primarily at hole-in-the-wall ethnic joints--that was my passion. Two changes occurred: I got older (and therefore my system inevitably became less able to deal with "assaults" it could have laughed off when I was younger), and bugs that used to cause no more than a day's upset evloved into far more dangerous critters. I suppose I could add that a lot more info became available on how cavalierly foods are handled--from our own meat processing to various Chinese adulterations +. Sat Aug 15 17:32:56 -0700 2009 4945034 11036 Fine 1 4945203 Bourdain said that some of the best food around LA was at places in strip malls with a C rating. Thu Aug 13 19:27:53 -0700 2009 4931397 12603 ScubaSteve 1 4946010 Remember that score is only a point in time. I've eaten great chow and some real dives or hole-in-the-walls, just because the ambiance is a little worn doesn't mean that the kitchen or the chow is the same. Fri Aug 14 07:06:12 -0700 2009 4931397 149836 cstr 2 4949626 I know of no health dept that grades on either ambiance or appearance, but rather on whether or not foods are kept at safe temps or soap, water, and towels are provided for employees to wash their hands. Sat Aug 15 17:28:35 -0700 2009 4946010 11036 Fine 3 4950697 exactly my point. Sun Aug 16 10:56:09 -0700 2009 4949626 149836 cstr 3 4951501 They also grade on whether cleaning agents and food are stored near each other, even if it's canned goods; whether someone is seen washing his hands in the dish sink or a cup in the prep sink; and heaven help you if any living mammal other than human ones are to be found on the premises. Now, I don't think the cook ought to bring his cat to work, but would YOUR kitchen pass the test? Okay, I'm not selling my food, but I certainly share it a lot, and my kitchen would be shut down instantly and permanently. Sun Aug 16 17:44:56 -0700 2009 4949626 11478 Will Owen 4 4951541 You nailed it. To answer the OP's question: I don't factor in grade. I will eat in a C-rated restaurant. Hey, C's get degrees in the UC system! ;-) As cstr said, that grade reflects a mere slice in time, which may not be representative of the restaurant's overall quality. And, as Will Owen pointed out, a restaurant can be dinged for conditions that wouldn't directly impact the digestibility of the food itself, or even be considered icky if folks knew the facts behind the grade. I think there can be a false sense of comfort that people attach to high-end, well-graded restaurants. The only time I ever got gut-sick was at a very highly-regarded restaurant in the '80s. All the taco trucks, holes-in-the-wall, etc., since then have done me just fine. Luck of the draw? Perhaps. Sun Aug 16 17:57:46 -0700 2009 4951501 10592 LicketySplit 5 4989806 Or perhaps the places you've frequented played by the rules! As for a "mere slice in time," safe food practices aren't supposed to be occasional, haphazard events. My point is that diners can see exactly what the violations, if any, were and decide for themselves whether or not they find them alarming, if they're willing to take a moment to check the Health Dept site. I once sat at a counter and watched a cook cut up raw poultry and ready-to-serve foods on the same board without even giving it a swipe with a rag--in a very famous and popular place. If this went on where the diner could watch .... (Yes, of course I reported it.) I knew this would hit a nerve with a lot of folks, but I don't see why: At least in San Francisco we can look up any violations (and the restaurant's longterm history of any) on the SFHD's web site and decide for ourselves whether it sounds a bit too risky for our personal health profiles or those of folks we may be taking out to eat.. Please remember that what may not cause much if any problem to a healthy young or middle-aged person can wreak havoc with kids, the immune-impaired, and older folks. Sun Aug 30 02:33:52 -0700 2009 4951541 11036 Fine