Comments on: Ecuador al Fresco: Greene Av’s One-Woman Show

By: Ian Lary

Ian Lary — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:09:49 +0000

Rosa’s food sounds so good! I can t wait to try it!

By: Ian Lary

Ian Lary — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 18:06:20 +0000

I have recently been certified as a food handler by the New York Department of Health and have worked in the food service industry for most of my life, so while I recognize that the information about food poisoning and cross-contamination you present is true, and I understand your desire for some kind of quality control, I would much rather eat at this woman’s house than 80% of restaurants out there. Just because an establishment is regulated by the city (which is tough, yes) does NOT mean it is clean. Taco Bell anyone?

By: Bonorella

Bonorella — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 21:54:56 +0000

All I can say is, clean or not, the food and service were both excellent. If in the area, I highly recommend giving it a try.

By: Janitza

Janitza — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 15:55:59 +0000

Chillinoncentral — maybe you just have a weak stomach.

By: chillinoncentral

chillinoncentral — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:08:50 +0000

Captain, I’m just applying a little more common sense to the issue than you might be. I never said that food poisoning cannot occur in any environment… nor did I say that “street food by nature is unsafe.” My comments can stand on their own without your assumptive interpretations because it is absolutely true that the chances for poisoning are increased dramatically when eating food prepared by a street vendor. I should not need to find stats for you, it’s only an observation based on what I’ve seen and on common sense. Professional, I have no doubt the best of restaurants can also cause poisonings… and I never meant to defend them… but I am not convinced that a street vendor has equal opportunity or as favorable odds to perform as a restaurant establishment might. Allow me to become as creatively argumentative as you guys with the following: The National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse (NDDIC, look it up) offers that the foodborne illnesses of 76 million people annually could be avoided by preventing cross-contamination caused by bacteria spreading from one food product to another on cutting boards, knives, sponges and countertops… ready to eat foods should be kept away from raw meats, poultry and their juices. Do you think for a moment that a street vendor’s serious lack of space and minimal power (electric or battery) contributes towards his/her ability to prevent cross-contamination anywhere near as well as an established restaurant? Do you assume that a vendor has opportunity to wash his/her hands for any reasonable period of time with warm, soapy water before handling raw meat or poultry? Do you think that a vendor can successfully keep cold food from hot food and maintain hot cooked food at 140 or higher consistently or re-heat already cooked food at 165 or higher? Did you know that food in a refrigerator should not be too packed because cool air must circulate to keep food safe? Don’t assume that there is no significant danger simply because a vendor has no intent to make people sick. Millions of people are effected diagnosed and undiagnosed events of nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Contaminated water contains viruses and parasites that cause bloody diarrhea. Yes, food poisoning does happen, and can happen anywhere… I’m only stating that the odds are greater for occurrence at a street vendor’s site than at a restaurant… do you disagree? Suit yourselves because I dont really care where or what you eat, but in my opinion the odds are against it; it’s only common sense.

By: Professional Alternative

Professional Alternative — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 17:35:09 +0000

Honestly, I have worked in restaurants and if you think they follow the health codes all the time to the letter, you should never step foot in a kitchen — you’d be horrified. The fact is, food simply isn’t that dangerous and the rules are stricter than is truly necessary. If it were a significant danger, that is, if people got food poisoning from eating street food even 1 out of 10 times, they’d all be out of business. They have no interest in making people sick, and so the chances are far more often than not that they will take the proper cleanliness and temperature precautions. Which sucks because the meat is always overcooked from the halal cart!

By: Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 23:31:42 +0000

Chances of being poisoned increase dramatically when eating from a street vendor? Can I get some proof to back up this statement? Improperly handled food can occur in any environment. I think assuming that street food is by nature unsafe or dirtier than restaurant food is wrong. Visibility forces street vendors (the good ones) to maintain sanitation…you can watch their hands, their work space, their cleanliness. For all you know, the cooks in proper restaurants are dipping fingers into your food and cross-contaminating the chicken that’s been sitting out for hours, all behind closed walls.

By: chillinoncentral

chillinoncentral — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 21:13:41 +0000

I’m not talking about a stomach ache… I’m referring to a very unpleasant experience called food poisoning. Your chances of being poisoned are increased dramatically when that chicken is prepared for you by a street vendor (even a licensed one)… for example, bacteria grow to unsafe levels when chicken is kept in temperatures above 40 degrees (or below 135 degrees) for too long… a common event on the street. Limited space or overstocking meat, chicken, etc can also cause cross-contamination. Unlike a street vendor, a restaurant also has running water that can be used to wash utensils, hands, etc thoroughly. You want to tempt fate? Go right ahead… as for me, I’ve seen the effects and I’d rather limit my street vendor purchases to boring drinks and to snacks that are already packaged. =]

By: Captain Sensible

Captain Sensible — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 18:36:43 +0000

So you are going to deprive yourself of all the glorious street food offerings, all of the carnitas tacos, mangos on a stick, and halal chicken rice on the chance that you might get a stomach ache? Booooooooring!

By: chillinoncentral

chillinoncentral — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 15:06:24 +0000

If you eat a meal at a conventional restaurant establishement, and you get sick, you have very few problems compared to getting sick from eating from an illegal street vendor’s cart. An illegal vendor will not respond to an insurance carrier who will eventually push you to sue the vendor privately for compensation. The city will not offer any resources to help you against an establishment that, in their eyes, doesn’t exist. Illegal vendors do not follow simplistic rules… that may include ignoring food storage procedures, preparation, clenliness, etc… be very careful where you eat.