In San Rafael, a small claims judge has ruled in favor of the unironically-named Seafood Peddler Restaurant in the case of explosive escargot. Friends and co-plaintiffs Chadwick Saint-O'Harra and Steve Righetti claimed back in June that not one - but two pieces of snail meat exploded upon being stabbed with a cocktail fork, splattering the men's faces and shirts with "hot garlic butter."
Citing a 1992 precedent involving a chicken bone in an enchilada, Judge Roy Chernus pointed out that diners should expect a reasonable degree of danger in certain dishes. From his ruling:
As unfortunate as it was for plaintiffs being splattered with hot grease, they are not entitled to a judgment against defendant as no breach of duty was established by the evidence presented," the judge concluded.
CBS5 got an interview with the two men [embedded below], who also accused the Seafood Peddler's staff of "indifference" and "friggin' rudeness." They'll have to save such harsh words for their Yelp review now, but restaurant owner Al Silvestri doesn't have much cause for concern - the appetizer has experienced a surge in sales since the lawsuit hit the news.
