The System Works?! - A food poisoning story

[Medym]

I wanted to share this story because I was absolutely amazed, grateful and disgusted all in one event that happened just earlier this week.

On New Year's Day my daughter, wife, and I finally took a much needed breather to relax from the holidays.  My inlaws had headed on home, our house was moderately calm and quiet once more. Tired of  left over turkey, potatoes and the like we opted to order in.  My 9 months pregnant wife informed me that Greek food with a health portion of garlic was the only choice.  Like the wife-fearing man I am, I rang up the local Greek restaurant and ordered us some food.  About forty minutes later our meals arrived with extra chicken and sauce ready for us to dig in.  My daughter, in toddler instincts cast her plate to the floor in disgust.  These were not the 'nums' she was looking for.  We finished dinner, went through the evening routine and finally took some much need time to relax on the couch with a little Netflix recommended comedy.

By 11:00 my stomach was starting to churn, little did I know what I had in store for me that night.  From 11:00 until 8:00 am my wife and I took turns running to the bathroom.  

Let me say - that was a rough night.  Thank god she didn't go into labour, if she did the ambulance would have needed to come and get her because I was useless.

In trying to figure out what the hell had happened to us, we kept coming back to the take out.  It was the only thing that fit.  So, thinking that it was food poisoning, I called up the City of Ottawa and spoke to the Public Health unit which relayed me to a food inspector.  After taking some of my information down I expected to be thanked for my call and be entered into some government spreadsheet.

I was amazed at what actually happened though.  The inspector on the phone advised me that it was likely the flu so not to get my jimmies all russled, but that the city would do a Food Inspection that very day to the restaurant in question.  Then they were sending someone by my house to collect the leftovers for testing!  We will get results back in a couple weeks!

I never never expected that response at all!

But, did you know the City of Ottawa allows you to access the results of inspections?  I didn't until this morning a coworker pointed it out:

http://app06.ottawa.ca/cgi-bin/search/inspections/q.pl?ss=home_en&qt=fsi_en


I checked out the Innes Greek restaurant to feel my stomach churn once more!  A huge list of violations in food safety and cleanliness!  

Whether it was flu or food poisoning, we won't be going back, that is for sure!  So if you ever find yourself thinking you might have gotten food poisoning, report it, you never know what they might find!

edit- Sadly I don't think there is any recourse for us to take, but it is very refreshing to see our ever rising tax dollars work

[Greatwhite]

Hmmm. I think I know the Greek place you are talking about and I have to say that I have always been suspicious of their cleanliness when I ate there. I have been lucky the few times I've eaten there i think.

A (normally awesome) shawarma place on st Joseph knocked me on my butt though.

[Stussi613]

Guys lets keep the names of the restaurants off the forum please.

OVAS is responsible for the content of its website, and as such disseminating information that could be potentially injurious to a business' reputation is contrary to forum rule 2.10, and specifically the Libel and Slander Act of Ontario.

Stuart
Head OVAS Moderator

[Medym]

Well two people are suggesting that I am pushing the slander and libel laws.

Regardless I encourage everyone to visit the city of Ottawa site I linked. Very eye opening! (That is public record too!)

[Darth]

this is why when I order out, I only eat subway LOL

[Greatwhite]

this is why when I order out, I only eat subway LOL

I love Subway... But every place has someone who might have a bad day...  This was what I pulled off a sub once.  For the record, when I complained - they made it right (and that guy got fired, not just for this)

Yes, 5 slices of tomato... and all 5 were butts.  I could understand 1 slipping past the tomato slicer, but... 5...? 

I bought a lottery ticket that day... didn't win

[Greatwhite]

Regardless I encourage everyone to visit the city of Ottawa site I linked. Very eye opening! (That is public record too!)

I hate that site you linked...  My favorite restaurants in the area had had some "not too nice" inspection results.  But really, when you go to a place because the food tastes better than the place looks - that's probably to be expected.  At least my favorite Pho place only had issues with "walls and ceiling not looking great" and those were resolved in 2 days.

Back when I worked fast food, the inspection days were NOT fun for anyone.  I think my boss had someone on the inside though, because he'd come running in first thing in the morning and call in a few more people to feverishly clean & wipe down EVERYTHING.

[lucius]

My favourite shawarma place is on the corner of Innes and Tenth Line, behind the MacDonald's.  Never had any issues after eating there except for garlic breath. 

[Darth]

I love Subway... But every place has someone who might have a bad day...  This was what I pulled off a sub once.  For the record, when I complained - they made it right (and that guy got fired, not just for this)

Yes, 5 slices of tomato... and all 5 were butts.  I could understand 1 slipping past the tomato slicer, but... 5...? 

I bought a lottery ticket that day... didn't win

this is an oddity the guy either had it in for you or any other customer the odds of you getting 5 ends of a tomato are slim conisdering how they are stacked, they must have been put aside, and on the flip side no one got ill from eating tomato ends 

[Greatwhite]

My favourite shawarma place is on the corner of Innes and Tenth Line, behind the MacDonald's.  Never had any issues after eating there except for garlic breath. 

OH NO!!! That shawarma place is not nearly as good as -- uh -- the one on Trim & Innes by Sobeys..  Wow... not saying restaurant names is tough.

The best shawarma place BY FAR closed a couple months back...   Marroush on Elgin...  The rent was too high, and he refused to raise his price.  I have never had a better shawarma, and I've had them all over.  He was looking at a new location (cheaper) up Elgin some, but I haven't heard if he got in there no not.   He used to buy Jamaican hot peppers for me & my friends (and another brave enough to try them)...

But now we've strayed off the topic.   I've never even thought of reporting restaurants for potential health violations.  In fact, I didn't even know there was a place TO report them.  Now that I know, I'm going to be a lot more vigilant in keeping the restaurants of Orleans safe!!

The worst food poisoning I've ever had was from Dominoes pizza in Mumbai India. (I said the name because it's not likely that anyone from that particular location will read this, and it adds to the value of the story).    I was there for 3 weeks and ate food that I think was cooked on someone's car engine on the long drive in, and I drank sugar cane juice out of a ziploc bag.  The ONE time I crumbled and walked over to the Dominoes across from the hotel, I ordered their meat lovers pizza.  It had "new keema" on it,which I later found was goat.  I have a feeling that's what did me in.  I should have just stuck with the delicious chicken tikka, korma, etc that I was having EVERY other day.....  It's a good thing for the "cement mixers" that the travel dr prescribed

[Nerine]

My brother in law ate at a restaurant in November...next day came down with what he thought was food poisoning...then was ok. Over Christmas he was VERY sick, ended up in the hospital with the flu, and then they sent him home and said he was ok. He started to feel better, except he kept loosing weight, he's a big guy and he dropped several inches from his waist (and he wasn't fat, he is very fit!) Went back to hospital and it turns out he has Trichinosis!! yuck!

Always be careful and NEVER eat food you think is suspect at a restaurant!! might end up with parasites! He's on heavy meds now and is mostly sedated as it's very painful!

Food poisoning is horrid!!!!

[sas]

All these stories are creeping me out .
I'm a grandmother now, was a stay at home mom and I'm still a primary care giver for a senior.
I get so tired of cooking and like to eat out occasionally to take a break, but wow don't feel like eating out anymore .

[Darth]

The best shawarma place BY FAR closed a couple months back...   Marroush on Elgin...

yeah marroush was the best shawarma place hands down!!!!

[androo303]

My favourite shawarma place is on the corner of Innes and Tenth Line, behind the MacDonald's.  Never had any issues after eating there except for garlic breath. 

Best Shawarma in town if you ask me.

[daworldisblack]

Shawarma Palace on Rideau! :p

[masoud100]

Just noticed this post and have  90% idea of what Greek Place you are talking about. I will give all forum members some information. I have worked at over 5 different food types of places from Greek, Burgers, Subs, etc. And there is a lot of dirty things happening in areas customers cannot see. Since I believe we are not allowed posting names of places and slandering them I will therefore not mention names.

1. Added water into hot sauce bottles in order to save money
2. If someone incorrectly got bacon or pork meat on their sandwich, burger and asked for another one, employees would jus take out the pork and give it back to customer.
3. In many places I have worked including the one I work at now many times food or items intended to touch food have fallen in the ground and were picked up by cooks and sent to the customer with just a hand dust off of the dirt.
4. I have dropped lemons once and my boss made me just put water over all the cut lemons and started serving them

Many more things that happen in restaurants and I currently work in one of the most famous and busiest locally owned franchises/restaurant

[Nerine]

It's all soooo true!! I was at a place and saw someone DROP my food on the floor and wipe it off...and it wasn't the kind of food you can wipe off...I made them make a new one and let them know HELLO I can SEE what you're doing AHHHH