The Sanitary Fish House: Morehead City: She Doth Protest too much

We arrived in Morehead City N.C. around lunchtime. The city faces out to Hogue Sound and, at a short distance, a thin barrier reef lined with a string of beeches. Once again we opted for the restaurant with the most cars in their parking lot. It was a seafood place called The Sanitary Fish House. The unusual name stirred my curiosity. It was a good choice, the food was excellent and we met Barry at the next table. He was down from Raleigh N.C. on business. 

This was his favorite place on the water, every time he traveled here, and he has been doing so for many years. Barry was an OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) inspector. He visited work places and checked for compliance with governmental health and safety standards. We had a pleasant chat about traveling before he had to leav e . 

When next our waitress came over, the place had quieted down a bit and I asked her about the restaurants puzzling name. She explained with some enthusiasm how this place had previously been a fish processing plant and so when they wanted to become a restaurant, years ago, they had to convince different audiences that very strict health standards would be in effect to protect customers. Originally, all the wait staff were required to wear clean white laboratory like coats and gloves. In addition they took on the word “Sanitary” in their name to reinforce their new emphasis on cleanliness. It continues to this day. 

Upon reflection upon our total experience there I wondered whether Barry may have  

been part of that original conversion process and whether he may have given the final stamp of approval from the government.

On the way out I was struck by, and took time to examine, the pictures of famous visitors virtually covering the walls in the corridor and of the prominent outspoken notice to drunks. “We would rather have one sober customer than a hundred drunks”. It seems to me that this principled, but overstated proclamation, was consistent with the owners still remaining sensitivity to any question regarding “doing the right thing” in all matters. That emphasis since the inception will probably always remain.