By Victor C. Kirk
I could not believe my eyes Monday night as we sat to dine at an excellent barbeque restaurant near Sterlington. A very close friend of mine from Monroe was returning to Monroe from abroad to begin the process of her retirement from a storied career with the U.S. State Department and particularly an illustrious experience as the President of an organization that built to her specifications, a K-12 school in Kuwait. Her journey home included unpacking and sorting through years of collected material stored between the family home here and her residence in New Orleans. But on this night, she had requested barbeque after our previous dining experience consuming a fantastic seafood dish at a restaurant in Monroe near the Ouachita River. As we entered the barbeque restaurant I was first taken by surprise at the growth of the establishment. On my last visit it was a rather small and quaint place perfect for an intimate but casual dining experience, a new restaurant just beginning to spread its wings by expanding the menu slightly beyond just barbeque ribs. This time the large expansion of the dining area was a surprise and reminder of the growth of the area and this entrepreneur adjusting accordingly. But shortly after selecting our table and scanning the expanded menu, I felt a bump against my right leg. Looking down I nearly freaked out – the establishment allowed the owners’ – I presume, DOG to run feely among the tables and it moved from one table to another even apparently basking in the touches and pats of the customers. No one got up to even wash their hands after petting. This was not a poodle or a cocker spaniel, but a fully grown brown haired big DOG who when on his/her four legs reached my shin while sitting on a tall stool. I quickly beaconed to the waitress and requested that the DOG be removed. I initially thought it had gotten loose from a customer who required the presence of the DOG. But no, it was not equipped with a harness used by the blind or visually impaired and it did not have a scarf indicating it was a comfort DOG. It was not begging for food or drooling at the mouth and did not even bark. So, one thought I had was that it was “a deaf DOG”? But no, when called by the waitress he/she moved quickly to her but soon returned to his job of freaking out customers who do not like DOGs and especially having a pet of any kind other than a Parrott in the dining area – CAGED.
I immediately thought of leaving but by now the wings as appetizers had arrived. Very shortly, I was now caught between continuing to consume an exceptionally good wing that had been smoked and fried to a unique perfection, and vehemently protesting the presence of the DOG. I am embarrassed to say the wing redirected my attention from the DOG. I was not happy about the DOG, however. I have read too many health inspections articles in the local paper reporting on rodents, raw chicken and fish on the same shelf or employee’s lunches in the frig with the supply of meat and other items for todays dining experience. Even reports of cleaning fluids placed near cooking oils or the grease trap looking like it was clogged forever. All in all, the newspaper’s health reports were to be taken as food for thought when you select an establishment for a night out with friends or just a dining experience. The cleanliness of the establishment’s kitchen is presumed to be an indicator of how thoughtful the owners were about your consumption of its foods and whether they cared or not about your getting sick. But what am I to think when an establishment allows the free movement of a big grown DOG through the dining area?? UGH!!
