An upscale restaurant in the San Francisco Bay area, California, United States, was fined USD 120,000 (EUR 112,523) for allegedly serving customers tilapia when they ordered petrale sole.
The Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, Consumer Protection Division, investigated the case and found that the restaurant, run by Michelin-starred chef Salvatore Calisi substituted tilapia for sole between October, 2014and March 2016.
“When you go out to a restaurant, you should get the food you order and pay for,” said Jennifer Deng, a prosecutor with the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s office in a statement. “The district attorney and this county are committed to protecting the rights of consumers.”
The district attorney’s office reached a settlement requiring that AS Restaurant Consulting Group, doing business as Odeum Restaurant, and Calisi pay USD 90,000 (EUR 84,416) in civil penalties and USD 30,000 (EUR 28,131) in restitution.
In addition, Odeum must offer USD 30 (EUR 28.14) gift certificates to customers who ordered petrale sole during the investigation. Depending on how many customer claims are turned in, any leftover restitution money will be provided to the Santa Clara County Department of Environmental Health, Consumer Protection Division for training, education, and enforcement.
