What types of finish are considered foodsafe?  What can I use to finish a salad bowl that will retain it's shine and produce a hard finish?   Any recommendations?

Technically all finishes are foodsafe when they have fully dried/cured. Some finished, varnishes for example, take longer to finish drying/curing. Maybe as much as a month. Laquer can also take time to fully cure. Just because you can recoat or handle does not means the finish is fully cured/dry. The rule of thumb is if you can small the finish it is still outgassing and not yet fully cured.

Doug