Food tents and trucks: Who inspects them?

My blog post on Taste of Charlotte brought an interesting comment from George 10:09 AM:

"Have these vendors been inspected and certified by the state or city? If I got sick on bean sprouts and decided to go to court, would the city have a bond to cover that?"

Excellent question, George. I called Lynn Latham, the environmental supervisor for the Food & Facilities Sanitation Program through the Mecklenburg County Health Department.

The answer, George: Yes, they are inspected. Anyone selling food to the public has to meet certain requirements. In the case of festival vendors such as the restaurants working Taste of Charlotte, they first have to apply for a permit. Their application has to explain what they're making and how they plan to handle it. Food & Facilities can approve or disapprove the application, and give them notes on what they need to do to get approved.

Then there's a site inspection when the tents are set up. "We go down there, we look at the setup, we make sure it matches what was on the application," says Latham. "We're making sure they have setups for utensil washing, for handwashing, that they have proper storage of the food, there's proper temperatures, that we don't have cross-contamination issues. Once we're assured, we issue them a permit. They're allowed to operate for that period only."

In the case of a recurring event with food, inspectors go every time to check the setup.

Food trucks have to get a permit that shows their setup has been approved, and they are then subject to unannounced inspections, just like stationary restaurants. That happens about every 3 months. The trucks have to supply the health department with a route and updates, so inspectors can find them for occasional inspections.

Bonding isn't part of what Latham does as an inspector. But I recently asked Robert Krumbine of Charlotte Center City Partners to address a question about the trucks at the Thursday night food-truck rally uptown and he indicated that trucks have to be bonded to take part in that event.

Whether you can bring a case against a vendor who makes you sick is trickier, says Latham. "When it comes down to proving foodborne illness, are people willing to go to the doctor and is the doctor willing to take specimens?" Sometimes doctors are more focused on making you feel better, or people skip getting tested if their health insurance doesn't cover it.

"That's a battle we fight all the time. Without a specimen, you can't pinpoint the organism. Actually proving a foodborne illness isn't easy."

Latham emphasized that you can help by letting the health department know if you see something that you think might be a problem.

"The important thing is, if there is food for sale to the public, there must be involvement from the Health Department. They can show you their permit, which is not the same as the business license. (You) can ask to see a health department permit. If there is not one, there is no assurance that everything is approved."

To contact the health department or to see the regulations or report a possible violation, go to www.meckhealth.org and click on "Environmental Health," or call the department, 704-336-5100. It's also very easy to see the inspection report on a restaurant: http://mecklenburg.digitalhealthdepartment.com/

Who wins Taste of Charlotte?

I do! I win the endurance contest, anyway. Observer features editor Mike Weinstein and I took on the challenge this afternoon, joining several sets of judges in 90-plus heat. What a coincidence: We had to go from booth to booth and judge roughly 93 offerings.

The actual winners were announced last night. See results below.

In the meantime, a few observations about the Taste of Charlotte event if you're going:

1. It's gotten better. In the first few years, the lineup was more generic festival food. But in the last couple of years, it's really increased the number of local and non-chain restaurants. For those who remember the original Taste of Charlotte back when it was in 4th Ward Park, this is a good trend. This year's roundup included Harvest Moon Grille, Caffe Siena, Divine Pies (hi, Agnes!), Mert's, Dixie's Tavern, RiRa and Outlaw BBQ. Also, there was a good representation of international restaurants, including Woodlands, Namaste and Brazas.

2. Good turnout. I thought expected it to be deserted during the judging hours of 1 to 3 p.m. on a Friday. But even in the heat, it was pulling in a good crowd. And people seemed to be relaxed and having a good time.

3. Pulled pork. And more pulled pork. Even restaurants that aren't known for it were serving it. Understandable: It's a crowd-pleaser, and it's easy to do from a booth with steam tables. But by the 4th -- or was it the 5th? -- we were no longer squealing with delight.

4. Don't miss: Caffe Siena's Sea Bass Cake with Chipotle Slaw, Outlaw's brisket slider, Brazas' bacon-wrapped chicken, Polka Dot Bakery's Tuxedo cupcake, Flying Biscuit's BLT wrap, Mai Thai's Ginger Chicken Wing and Ri Ra's Guiness wings.

The official winners:
Best overall: Harvest Moon Grille, for Moonitas.
Best entree: Caffe Siena, Sea Bass Cake
Appetitzer, Modern Mexican, jalapeno shrimp
Dessert: Polka Dot Bakery, Tuxedo Cupcake
Most unique: Mert's Heart and Soul, Soul Roll
Display: Newk's Express.

Charlotte food news roundup: Dads, dark and a festival

whilel you're killing time waiting for the debut of Chik-Fil-A's spicy chicken sandwich this afternoon (I don't know why it's exciting either, but it's all over the blogosphere), here's a few things coming up:

Friday-Sunday is the annual Taste of Charlotte on Tryon Street between Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. and 6th Street. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday. It's a mix of family entertainment, shopping, live music and food booths featuring Charlotte restaurants. You need festival coins to buy food samples and beverages. Dunkin Donuts will give away free samples of Turbo Coffee. Get the list of restaurants and other details here.

The Vanlandingham Estate is putting on a Father's Day barbecue from noon to 4 p.m. June 20 on the grounds of the very pretty historic house in Plaza-Midwood. You can bring dogs and kids (and dads too, I presume). $10 gets you a plate with barbecue, coleslaw, potato salad, fruit salad, baked beans, banana pudding and tea or lemonade. $5 more gets you a beer. It's Dad -- buy the man a beer. Reservations are required. Call 704-334-8909 or go here.

OK, we promised dark news: Good Eats & Meets, a dining group that gets a bunch of people together for dining adventures, is doing a Dining in the Dark dinner at Andrew Blair's this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. It benefits The Foundation Fighting Blindness, and yes, you eat dinner in the dark. Which is supposed to heighten your senses. Or increase your dry-cleaning bill. It's a three-course meal for $50, and you can get details and meet up with the Good Eats & Meets group here.