Allan Appel Photo
Corcoran & fellow teacher Karissa Stolman sample fries at Delaney’s, one of 24 eateries inspected last week.
Bridget Corcoran won’t be nervous about sampling the French fries at Delaney’s, now that the Westville restaurant avoided a shutdown by the health department by scoring a nearly perfect 99 on a third-try inspection.
After two low health inspection scores in two weeks, Delaney’s was given one day to make more improvements.
The rapid turnaround from food devil to food angel reflects two points, according to city Director of Environmental Health Paul Kowalski. First it indicates that inspections are only a “snapshot” in time. And it shows that inspections can be very effective in getting restaurants to clean up their acts, especially when a restaurant is threatened with closure.
Between one and four times a year, city sanitarians inspect all of New Haven’s restaurants, groceries, bars, and any other establishment that serves food. Places that score less than 80 usually have two weeks to make the recommended corrections. The health department can also close a restaurant regardless of its score, if the sanitarians suspect an immediate danger to public health.
Delaney’s Restaurant & Taproom was one of 24 eateries inspected between July 24 and July 30. Of those, all but two passed, with half of the group scoring in the mid- to upper-90s.
On July 24, Delaney’s scored 77. That score was an improvement from the the score of 52 the restaurant earned during an inspection on July 11. At that time, the restaurant had been given two weeks to fix some 50 violations.
Problems included minor problems like “Dumpster left open outside” and “bottle caps on the floor in the rear” to more serious offenses, like “sterilizing product placed near food.”
Serious violations affecting public health are four-point deductions. City sanitarian Roslyn Hamilton said Delaney’s still had not fixed some of them by July 24.
“We told them if they don’t fix them, we’ll close them down,” she said at the health department offices this week.
“We’re not in the business of putting facilities out of business, but protecting public health,” said Kowalski.
Peter Gremse, owner of Delaney’s and the soon-to-be-open Stone Hearth restaurant at Whalley and West Rock.
The following day, Hamilton returned. All the recommendations had been implemented.
Delaney’s owner Peter Gremse said he had not been there when the July 24 inspection took place. “I got the report. I yelled at my employees, and we got the score up,” he said.
Delaney’s usually scores in the mid-80s, said Gremse.
The Delaney’s inspections come as Gremse prepares to open a locally sourced, farm fresh restaurant, complete with a 668-pound wood-fired brick hearth in the fall. He’s decided on the name Stone Hearth.
One of the recent violations had been for having a can of insect repellent on the premises. Gremse did not know that was not permitted, anywhere. Now he does.
Inspectors come and tell us, and we make the changes, he said. On the July 25 report, which scored a near-perfect 99, the only deduction was for a gasket that needed to be replaced in the reach-in refrigerator. Gremse said he’s ordered it. It should be arriving in the coming days.
22 of 24 Pass
The following restaurants received passing grades:
7/24/2012: Tomatillo Taco Joint, 320 Elm St., Score: 95; Popeyes, 317 Kimberly Ave., Score: 98; Power Gas, 884 State St., Score: 91; State Fish Market, 892 State St., Score: 85;
7/25/2012: Widdy’s Grille, 200 Conrad Dr., Score: 92; Amity Brick Oven Pizza, 144 Amity Rd., Score: 88; Delaney’s Rest, 882 Whalley Ave., Score: 99
7/26/2012: Yale New Haven Hosp Kitchen, 20 York St., Score: 92; Main Kitchen Catering YNHH, 20 York St., Score: 90; Walter “Pop” Smith Little League, PO Box 3258, Score: 92; Yale New Haven Hosp. — Pavillion, 20 York St., Score: 97; Yale New Haven Hosp. Atrium, 20 York St., Score: 94; Yale New Haven Hosp.- Park St. Caf., 20 York St., Score: 96; Yale New Haven Hosp. Overlook Cafe, 20 York St., Score: 95; Yale New Haven Hosp., Psych Hosp., 184 Liberty St., Score: 95; Yale New Haven Hosp., NH Cafe, 20 York St., Score 92
7/27/2012: Pho Haven, 77 Whitney Ave., Score: 96; Dunkin Donuts, 189 Forbes Ave., Score: 96; Chabaso Bakery, 360 James St., Score: 97; El Poblano Mexican Food, LLC, 383 Forbes Ave., Score: 96
7/30/2012: Stop & Shop Supermarket Co., 112 Amity Rd., Score: 88; State Garden II, 1452 Whalley Ave., Score 97
The following restaurants failed:
7/24/2012
One Stop Mart & Deli
831 Orange St.
Score: 71
Due: 2 Weeks
• Provide a Qualified Food Operator
• Provide a hand sink in cooking/prep area
• Clean back area, eliminate all unnecessary articles
• Provide light shields on overhead bulbs
• Properly store cleaning equipment, hang mops/brooms
• Broken glass on cold case
• Clean tracks and inside of cold case
• Replace stained ceiling tiles
• Provide liquid pump soap and paper towels at hand sink
• Eliminate tape on spray nozzle at 3‑bay sink
• Repair damaged walls
• Bare wood under oven legs
• Don’t store utensils against walls
• Provide a screen on wall vent fan
• Bare wood around wall fan
• Eliminate damaged/unused equipment in drawer
• Rust inside drawer, rusty table legs
• Bare wood under pipe near grease trap
• Don’t hang fly strips over prep areas
• Eliminate damaged equipment/utensils
• Clean inside cabinet doors, bare wood
• Properly label toxic items and store properly
• Properly label food product out of original containers
• Replace broken refrigerator gaskets, clean gaskets
• Provide thermometers inside all cold holding units
• Clean walls
• Clean under and behind equipment, properly lay lay floor tiles so they are not loose, grout where necessary
• Clean and sanitize slicer
7/25/2012
Mary Mart
521 Ferry St.
Score: 69
• Front door propped open
• White shelves storing spices not clean
• Storing anti-freeze with food equipment in kitchen
• Bleach stored with food
• Containers of Raid by rear door
• Screen door not tightly sealed
• Candy shelves wrapped with cloth (blue), not smooth and easily cleanable
• Cardboard lining shelves of deli cooler
• Wood entry way to kitchen not finished and no sealed wood, finish entry way
• Retail canned goods not clean
• Missing light shields on beverage cooler lights
• Missing thermometers in several refrigerators
• Box of spices stored on floor in front of retail shelves
• Attached fans in beverage reach-ins
• 2 qts of whole milk, expired 7/19/12 (destroyed)
• Packages of pastries stored under retail shelves
• Missing “Smoking Prohibited” sign at entrance
• Missing QFO certificate for food worker
• Floor near milk cooler missing floor tiles
• Inside toaster over, shelf, not clean
• Toilet room not clean
• Missing designated alternate QFO
• Missing food worker training logs
• Note: No cooking allowed until QFO certificate supplied and corrections made
It's reassuring as a customer of so many of these establishments, to know the health dept is making sure consumers are safe. Hats off!
Sally's makes the best pizza in New Haven and in my opinion, probably in the US, Rachel Ray's magazine ranked their pizza in the top 10 in our country. Unfortunately Sally is not the cleanest of restaurants. Along with the long lines & occasional poor service, all are frequent comments made about Sallys.
A glance behind the counter where the pizzas are prepared, shows that area n clean as well.
I have never seen a report of Sally's from the health dept. In fact, I don't remember seeing report of any of the Wooster St. establishments. I believe it is time for an inspection,