It is pretty rare that we are able to get the whole Marler Clark and Food Safety News staff together in one city, much less one room.  Today, in Seattle we were able to pull most people together at one Seattle high-class restaurant – some 26 people coming in from as far away from Washington DC and Denver.  Some had chicken, some had steak, all had some good wine as we listened to some great Xmas music. 

Just before our main course, a bearded gentleman knocked on the door and asked to speak with me (see below).  He introduced himself as a Seattle/King County restaurant inspector and he wanted to meet me.  Shaking his hand, I asked how he knew we were going to be in this particular restaurant.  He said, he did not know, but saw me (how did he recognize me?) and knocked on the glass door to the private room.

We chatted a bit until I finally realized that the real reason he was at the restaurant was to inspect it.  I took his picture (inspector on left, ride along culinary student in middle and Patti Waller, Marler Clark Epidemiologist on right) and asked that he come back if he had any bad news.  I have not seen him yet.  This could only happen at Marler Clark.