Why You Should Always Let Restaurant Management Know If A Foreign Object Is In Your Food - Tasting Table

"Even when you encounter an unpleasant surprise in your restaurant meal (like a piece of plastic or a small pebble), it's understandable if you don't want to cause a fuss. Shy diners might even refrain from telling their server. But according to Michael Cecchi-Azzolina, the owner of Cecchi's restaurant, during a conversation with Tasting Table at the New York City Wine & Food Festival, neglecting to report a foreign object in your food does a disservice to both yourself and the restaurant's management."

"Not only does the manager want to make the situation right for you, but they'll also want to figure out if it's the result of a bigger issue in the kitchen. It could be an isolated incident, but if there's a root cause - like a bag of veggies that hasn't been prepped properly - you'll be doing the kitchen, management, and other customers a favor by calling attention to it."

When a foreign object appears in a restaurant meal, diners should notify staff immediately. Reporting protects personal safety and reduces the risk of injuries such as broken teeth. Reporting enables staff to correct the dish and investigate whether the object signals a larger kitchen problem, such as improperly prepped produce. Polite, calm communication makes it easier for staff to resolve the issue and avoids unnecessary antagonism. Ignoring stray fragments can endanger other diners and allow recurring hazards to persist. If a foreign object is found in takeout at home, do not simply pick it out and continue eating.

Read at Tasting Table