True story.  About two years ago I ate at a Red Lobster in Piscataway, New
Jersey.  For all of you outside of the states, Red Lobster is a chain
resturaunt which serves generally tasteless and over cooked seafood usually
in places which do not have seafood resturaunts.  Anyway, I ordered the
baked fishermans platter with an assortment of shellfish, shrimp, fish,
etc.  The baked scallops came in a small dish covered in butter.  As I was
eating this, I bit into one and nearly broke a tooth.  It was hard as a
rock.  Upon further inspection, I noticed that it was a brachiopod shell,
both valves, same color and general shape as the cooked scallops.  What was
I to do?  Complain to the management?  No I stuck it in my pocket and took
it home.  I will always remember the Red Lobster as one of the more exotic
places that I had ever collected.  Where would these scallops have come
from originally where brachs could also be found?  I don't think Florida.
Perhaps NZ or Japan?

Michael Reagin
Easton, PA