Northgate Sizzler Back In Business

Elna Morgan was ready for lunch before many people were even out of bed yesterday morning.

She walked by the Northgate Sizzler around 10 a.m. and returned an hour later when the restaurant opened for the first time since Aug. 27. That's when health department officials linked an E. coli outbreak to the restaurant's salad bar.

Her reason was simple.

"I like their food," said the 73-year-old Northgate resident, a regular customer for about three years.

What would she order?

"Probably the salad bar - that's my favorite."

Morgan was one of many customers at the restaurant yesterday, saying they supported the restaurant and were not fazed by the recent E. coli contamination.

So far, at least 10 cases of E. coli 0157:H7 have been confirmed in people who ate from Sizzler's salad bar between Aug. 14 and 18. Three victims are children. Health officials believe a 87-year-old King County woman will become the 11th confirmed victim.

Only one victim required hospitalization for dehydration, resulting partly from a diet she was on. But the bacteria can cause hemolytic uremic syndrome, which led to the death of three people earlier this year in Washington. Two of those deaths were among 500 illnesses linked to contaminated hamburger sold at Jack in the Box outlets.

After an inspecting the salad bar preparation and storage yesterday, health-department officials allowed the Sizzler to reopen.

"There's no reason for us to keep this particular establishment closed," said Carl Osaki, chief of environmental health for the Seattle-King County Health Department. He said his office would conduct periodic inspections there.

Health officials have narrowed down the source of the E. coli to the salad bar with lettuce, shredded cheese and ranch dressing as the leading suspects. Osaki said he doubts his office will identify a definitive reason.

Northgate Sizzler owner Steven Lowe said he is "bewildered" the contamination occurred.

He said staff use many precautions to keep meat and vegetable preparation separate, including color-coded cutting boards with corresponding knives, separate utensils, different meat and vegetable preparers and separate sanitization processes.

He added that reports of E. coli outbreaks at Jack in the Box in January and contaminations at some Oregon Sizzlers heightened everyone's sensitivity. The management often reviewed procedures with employees.

"We were operating almost at a level of paranoia," he said.

But patrons weren't.

Sid Lykes, a West Seattle resident, stopped for lunch at the restaurant with two friends, saying it was convenient and that the three had long patronized the Northgate Sizzler and others in the area. With all the recent attention, he was sure there was nothing to worry about.

"You figure this has got to be the cleanest store to eat in now," he said.