The adage 'buyer beware' is one I have always taken to heart, especially when it comes to eating out.
For mother's day this year my sister and I were blessed to actually be with our mom who usually lives in Israel but is currently visiting.
I had planned for us to go to a beautiful cafe over looking the ocean that sources farm fresh eggs and in-season produce.
When I called them on Sunday morning at their opening time around 8am they told me 100 people where already lined up.
We were all hungry so decided to go and eat at the hotel dining area we were staying for $30 a person.
The hotel portraits themselves as a pretty high class establishment but when it comes to food it seems that serving a dose of fake is their guiding light.
Now listen, I would't be as upset if I was charged $12 as then I would have felt that my defensive eating choice of steal cut oats and berries would have been justified but if there is one thing that boils my blood is being taken advantage of and my blood was boiling.
I spoke to the manager and shared with him that for me factory farm eggs, jam with high fructose corn syrup, toxic farmed salmon, fake maple syrup made out of corn syrup, conventional yogurt with dyes and sugar, white flour products galore, and zero vegetables does not equate to a high quality meal.
To his credit he was very professional, went to do research to confirm all of my assumptions, and gave us a discount.
I know that businesses have to contend with the bottom line but can they at least be more transparent.
Let people know that you are serving them trash so they can at least be more informed or be able to eat defensively.
Until that day I hope more people will not simply stay silent and chew, but actually speak up and remind those in charge that fake is simply not going to cut it, not now, not ever!
The next morning we had our real mother's day meal, farm fresh eggs, tasty veggies, and a beautiful ocean view!