Zoiks! 28 diners sickened after eating at Claudia Sanders

...on Easter Sunday.

To be fair, they have an "A" from their last health inspection. I saw the owner (I'm jealous that someone that young owns such a local institution!) on the news, and, according to her, since they served over 3,000 people Sunday, that means less than 1% got sick, so it "might be an airborne virus" that caused the illnesses.
I hope for the restaurant's sake that that's the case, but even if they weren't at fault, it will be years before people forget about the incident. In the meantime the health department has quarantined their "leftovers" cooler and shut the restaurant down.

Better news: everyone that got sick has since recovered quickly, so that's something to be grateful for.

Time was that I would have probably been there for Easter dinner.....however, the quality of food and service has gone down hill (bitter biscuits, not following the traditional recipes, etc) that I don't go back anymore, and don't recommend it to visitors anymore. It's a shame because it is such an institution, and I always have enjoyed going there. I feel for the folks that were stricken. That is not fun.

Here is the lastest on this story. My daughter became ill early monday morning with all the things that go along with food poisoning. Saw the story about claudia's on 41 last night and WOW now I know what it is she has. She had lunch there sunday afternoon and got sick early monday. After going to the doctor it was confirmed that she had food poisoning. I spoke with both the jefferson county and shelby county health department and both told me they had many more reports of food posioning from sunday. It is a shame for them because they have always beeen a good restaurant and I have actually enjoyed my meals there. It just go's to show you that food sanitation should alway be taken serious. It could be a problem with a recall on cantaloupes to a storing problem in the cooler. It also could be a problem where they buy the food products and how they store it o the way it is delivered. My daughter is feeling much better but did say," NO MORE BUFFETS FOR ME". I hope they recover and also all the other people that got sick.

[Robin Garr]

Interesting and unfortunate story. I'm sure glad I am neither the publisher nor the Internet provider of that blog, though: Somebody over there needs a quick run through Journalism 101, with focus on the principles of repeating damaging and potentially actionable statements without a source.

Interesting and unfortunate story. I'm sure glad I am neither the publisher nor the Internet provider of that blog, though: Somebody over there needs a quick run through Journalism 101, with focus on the principles of repeating damaging and potentially actionable statements without a source.

I really understand your point. I actually saw the story on Fox41 when I was leaving the gym, but couldn't find a link on their website, and I hate to post a "news story" without at least some corabbaration. If this story turns out to be a rumor or vicious innuendo, I will have to fall on my sword. I don't consider Fox41 infallible by any yardstick, but I would like to think they would at least get the story marginally sourced and checked out before airing it.

That might be my mistake to think so, though.

[Robin Garr]

If this story turns out to be a rumor or vicious innuendo, I will have to fall on my sword. I don't consider Fox41 infallible by any yardstick, but I would like to think they would at least get the story marginally sourced and checked out before airing it.

That might be my mistake to think so, though.

No, you're good, Marsha. I was talking more about the original broadcast (source unclear - did the TV station quote local health authorities), and the blog that repeated the story under a big headline naming the purported source of the problem, apparently without checking.

By the time it was posted here, I'm afraid the cat was well out of the bag, and that's why I didn't even think of asking that it be removed. At that point, editorial restraint shifts over to mere censorship.

But as you know, when someone comes to this forum (or to LouisvilleHotBytes) with a new allegation of food poisoning, we try to be pretty darn careful about repeating such actionable charges unless Dr. Troutman and his good folks at the Metro Health Department say it's so.

But as you know, when someone comes to this forum (or to LouisvilleHotBytes) with a new allegation of food poisoning, we try to be pretty darn careful about repeating such actionable charges unless Dr. Troutman and his good folks at the Metro Health Department say it's so.

As is only right and fair. If the story turns out to be bogus, I will look really bad. I sort of thought it would be fair and important to post the story since it was on a main-three channel, but now I'm wondering. On the other hand, I was trying to be balanced, by quoting the owner and mentioning the small percentage of guests that became ill.

I sort of regret posting about it, but at the same time I don't feel it was out of line (nor do I think you were scolding me, Robin). But if it were my restaurant I might feel differently.

[Robin Garr]

I sort of regret posting about it, but at the same time I don't feel it was out of line (nor do I think you were scolding me, Robin). But if it were my restaurant I might feel differently.

Relax, pal. You did the right thing. From a journo perspective, frankly, I'd say the big difference is between breaking news that's un-sourced, (which is a heavy responsibility and one not to be done carelessly), and just talking about the story that everyone is already talking about.

I think the blog that headlined the one-station story on its front page was careless, or maybe more fairly, journalistically naive. I hope they don't end up in court. But by the time you got here, you were just saying, "Hey, did you guys see this?"

WLKY has a story about it on the noon news. They are still closed and are not sure what caused it...

I haven't seen any reporting, especially not the post from Marsha, that would be grounds for a lawsuit. The media can report a story without verifying its truth, they just can't report one that they have actual knowledge is false. Certainly, there is enough here for a story, and it probably is a good thing that people know what it wrong with them. Perhaps only 28-30 have reported symptoms, but there are almost certainly many more who are sick. Hopefully, it's a bug that is easily handled with some antibiotics. If it's a virus then antibiotics won't do a damn thing.

Actually in the report they had they were looking at something airborne and not food related.

Actually in the report they had they were looking at something airborne and not food related.

I hope I made that clear in my first post. If not, my apologies.

[Robin Garr]

Actually in the report they had they were looking at something airborne and not food related.

I hope I made that clear in my first post. If not, my apologies.

I think we've pretty much chewed all the flavor out of this one, Marsha. No apologies needed from you!

The point I tried to raise - and I'm glad to have Ron's legal thought on the issue as well - is that news media, whether TV or newspaper, Internet or blog, really ought to bend over a little backward to be careful about reporting accusations in news headlines unless those accusations have been checked out by reporters and/or confirmed by appropriate agencies.

But just talking about events already IN the news? As Ron says, there's no harm there, and nothing other than that has happened on this forum. No apologies needed from anyone, no censorship needed, nuthin'. Now let's all relax and have some nice iced tea and fried chicken and potato salad and deviled eggs ...

CJ just posted a story about it under latest headlines....

This story is the most accurate I've come upon. CJ or not.


http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbc ... GECAROUSEL