Discussion of Robin Garr's Alwatan review

[Robin Garr]

We 'C' no evil at Alwatan
LEO's Eats with Robin Garr



I've been eager to get back to Alwatan ever since I heard that this lovable little Eastern Mediterranean eatery had outgrown the small space it shared with its sibling Palestinian bakery and moved into larger quarters next door. We wheeled in and grabbed the last parking spot.

Suddenly, a scream shattered the wintry silence.

"GAAAAH!" Mary was staring at the door. No, she was staring at a placard on the door. "GAAAAH!," she repeated, pointing at a large, scarlet letter. "THEY GOT A 'C'!"

D'oh! Yet, while this may surprise some of you, we went right in, enjoyed a fine Mediterranean meal and survived to tell the tale.

Was this brave or foolish? Neither, really. If we consider the realities of the Metro Department of Public Health & Wellness Food Hygiene Program, a "C" on the door may indicate that diners can eat there with confidence.

How's that again? Simply enough, assuming the failing grade is based on a "critical violation" found in a recent inspection, the inspector will be coming back for a re-check within 10 days. You can bet the proprietor is going to be ready.

Still, the red-letter score is enough to scare many of us. Even a lot of my savvy foodie friends will turn away from a "C" or even a mediocre blue "B." Some food geeks who really ought to know better simply assume that the Red C of Death reveals something like "Chef has MRSA" or "Army of rats found in basement."

In fact, with the rare exception of establishments that scored below 84 percent on the most recent inspection, virtually all "C" grades reveal the restaurateur's careless or unlucky acquisition of a "critical violation," any of about 18 culinary sins considered sufficiently unsafe or unhealthful as to warrant a painful slap on the wrist.

If you have a morbid curiosity, you can review all of the critical violations on the Health Board's website at http://louisvilleky.gov/health/aboutins ... scores.htm. "Spoiled food" will do it, for instance. So will "improper disposal of sewage and waste." Or, if you're up for this, "improper re-serving of food," which I fear may mean, "the guy before you didn't like his beef stew, so you get it."

But some violations seem awfully trivial, and a few seem to me to reflect mindlessly rigid enforcement. In short, not all "C"s are equal. ...

Read the full review on LouisvilleHotBytes,
http://www.louisvillehotbytes.com/we-c- ... at-alwatan
and in LEO Weekly:
http://leoweekly.com/dining/we-%E2%80%9 ... il-alwatan

Alwatan
3713 Klondike Lane
454-4406
facebook.com/pages/Alwatan-Resturant/303729023060737
Robin Garr's rating: 81 points

Go C ards! its all in how you display it !

[Robin Garr]

Go C ards! its all in how you display it !

That was a great response, but the Health Department made 'em stop.

Robin, I've always been a fan and hit them up once or twice a month, but why do they have such a complete lack of decorating skills. Could it be more plain and unappealing inside. As to the other issues, they have always been nothing but polite to Susi and myself. I had not see the C though. We are always in the nineties, but you are right, it could be the most mundane thing that puts you over the arbitrary line. We try really hard, but I'm firmly convinced that almost any restaurant in Louisville, on the wrong day or time, could be in the same boat. And they always come when we have a crowd out the door. Scary.