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Not on the Menu Gruesome complaints and bizarre things allegedly found in food, brought to you, from the files of Environmental Health! Here are unedited excerpts from Environmental Health Dept. reports: "Customer alleges finding an insect 'bug' inside a bread order upon arriving home." --Florentine Restaurant, Cupertino (2/23/2000) "Poor foodhandling practiced by employees, including re-use of contanimated food and poor hygiene." --Fish Market, Palo Alto (7/23/1999) "18-yr. Old female found a live worm on sandwich ..." --McDonald's Restaurant #14679 (4/12/2000) "Condom packages discovered inside To Go bag after arriving home." --Taco Bell, San Jose (5/3/2000) "Kitchen workers eat out of the food pots. One worker plays with her eyebrow piercing and then goes back to the food. Workers have long fingernails they are always cleaning (picking stuff out from under nail)." --Mountain View High School (4/6/2000) "Band-Aid was found in a spicy chicken sandwich." --McDonald's, 2352 McKee Road (2/1/99) "On 9/23/98 (pm) caller allegedly found several flies in her eggroll." --Ocean Palace Chinese Restaurant (9/29/98) "Two loaves of rodent chewed bread found on bread rack." --Ed's Fine Foods (2/23/99) "Live insects found throughout this facility" ... "employees refused to go inside bakery." --The Cafe @ Tresidder Hall, Stanford (7/14/99) "Reusing salsa from containers put on tables--removing and reserving [sic]" --Palo Alto Sol (8/2/99) "A wing nut was found after biting into the Conchiglie Al Pollo. ... Manager was very rude to the kids." --Il Fornaio, Palo Alto (10/20/98) "Several bottles of alcohol poured out (VC&D) due to adulteration from fruit flies." --Casa Valencia, Los Gatos (11/30/99) Introduction: Bottom Feeders. Making The List: The methodology and ratings. Wok on the Wild Side: Asian restaurants still get disproportionately high rate of poor inspection reports. Chew Fly, Don't Bother Me: Tory's Restaurant in Cupertino. A Fowl Feeling: Mai Garden Restaurant in San Jose. Fast Food Frightmare: Mr. Chau's Chinese Fast Food in Palo Alto. Overly Greasy Spoon: Bob's Surf 'N Turf in San Jose. Not Cool Enough: Gordon Biersch in Palo Alto. Pastor Its Prime: El Mexicano Taqueria in San Jose. How Fresh? Fresh N Healthy Vegetarian in San Jose. Chill Is Gone: Nola in Palo Alto. How Now Stale Bao? Thanh Mai in San Jose. Coffee To Go, Please: My My Coffee and Sandwiches in San Jose. Vermin in the Vermicelli: Florentine Restaurant in Mountain View. Off-Screen Horror Show: Century Capitol 16 Theaters in San Jose. [ San Jose | Metroactive Central | Archives ]