Restaurant Confidential

[kjohn]

Tony,

What do you think of the Center for Science in the Public Interest nicking your title? Their new book is called Restaurant Confidential.

But seriously, do you have any thoughts about the stricter food labeling and information disclosure the CSPI would like to see chain restaurants compelled to provide?

[bourdain]

I am absolutely against increased food labelling. It's getting completely ridiculous when restaurants give you a written warning/release form if you order a rare steak or an egg over easy. To eliminate risk is to eliminate pleasure. The pendulum has swung waaay waaay too far into antiseptic and fearful. There should be no implication of absolute safety when approaching food. With fast food, people should be smart enough to assume the worst. This idea that we are never responsible for our own choices and behavior--that the govt. or somebody should be responsible for removing all danger and all risk from our everyday lives is the root of all future evil. I think people should choose not to eat fast food. I do not need--nor do I want to know everything that goes into what I put in my stomach. Next step? Grilling grandma before Thanksgiving dinner.."Did you cook that stuffing seperately? "

As understanding as I am of the very reasonable curiosity about what might go into Mickey D's secret sauce--I think that one thing leads to another--and you require Ronald and crew to list every molecule--and you'll soon be saying goodbye to foie gras, good cheese, stak tartare, Caesar salad, eggs over easy, bone marrow, any kind of good game, all raw shellfish, sushi, and a lot of good sausage. Know your enemy. He's a smiling, happy, sincere health or legal professional--with all the best intentions.  And he's coming for you.

[John Whiting]

There's a difference between labeling packaged food and labeling restaurant menus. If we lost the former, we'd be totally at the mercy of the manufacturers.

Next step? Grilling grandma before Thanksgiving dinner

Now there's an ingredient I'd want to be positively identified!  

[Gavin Jones]

And with what is Grandma customarily stuffed?

[bourdain]

Ideally, prepared food should be labelled with all ingredients listed...restaurant food ingredients perhaps, available on request--as with shellfish tags.  I think any move to include complete information as part of the ordering process would be a step down the road to hell.  Where does it end? "Coffee is hot." " Bones Inside Fish May Lodge In Throat" " Sushi May Contain Parasites--and lead to Blood In Stool." " McNugget--If Chewed Improperly, May Lodge In Throat"  "Pineapple--If Inserted Rectally--May Cause Painful Swelling and Itching.""

[John Whiting]

"Pineapple--If Inserted Rectally--May Cause Painful Swelling and Itching.""

Or as a Berkeley friend of mine used to say, "If the shoe fits - cram it up your ass!"