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Health Inspectors Pass 18 Of 22 Eateries

by Allan Appel | Jul 30, 2012 8:15 am

(3) Comments | Commenting has been closed | E-mail the Author

Posted to: Food, Health

Allan Appel Photo Nadine Tracey was storing Callaloo, a Jamaican variant on collard greens, at room temperature to keep it moist. Then she learned: That’s a health department no-no.

Tracey (pictured after preparing a lunch of curried chicken, rice and beans, and cabbage) learned that when a city health inspector came to her restaurant. So she changed her ways, if not her thinking.

As a result, her year-old Island Spice food nook on Winthrop just north of Whalley rated 94 out of 100, the second-highest score, in the most recent batch of restaurant inspections.

Between July 17 and 23 city inspectors visited 22 food enclaves.Only the venerable Louis’ Lunch did better than Island Spice, scoring 95 on its routine inspection.

City sanitarians inspect all of New Haven’s restaurants, groceries, bars, and any other establishment that serves food between one and four times a year. Establishments 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.

Island Spice had received an 80, a minimum passing grade, on its routine inspection on July 12. Sanitarian Roslyn Hamilton revisited because the violations had serious enough implications for public health. Those violations included the temperature at which foods are served and stored.

Keeping the callaloo at about 125 degrees enhances the taste and texture, Tracey said.

After a series of conversations and emails with Hamilton, the Jamaican restauranteur accepted the inevitable: that stored foods must be kept between no higher than 45 degrees for the frozen and no cooler than 140 degrees for the hot.

“Anything else is a danger zone,” said Hamilton. Keeping food at room temperature is all right for your home, but not for the public, she added.

She characterized Tracey’s challenges, which included citations from the Internet, as productive because they showed she is involved and cares. “Inspection is an educational tool,” Hamilton said.

The Winners

Of the 22 restaurants since July 17, 18 passed. The four that did not were ordered to make required changes within two weeks. The following received passing grades:

7/17/2012: Portofino, 937 State St., Score: 83; Cave A Vin, 973 State St., Score:  80; Marjolaine Pastry Shop, 961 State St., Score: 83

7/18/2012: Aladdin Crown Pizza, 260 Crown St., Score: 86; Geronimo, 271 Crown St., Score: 82; Bar-Crown Street Bar, 254 Crown, Score: 80; Louis’ Lunch, 261 Crown St., Score: 95; Island Spice, 459 Winthrop, Score: 94

7/19/2012: Grimes Center, 1354 Chapel St., Score: 93; Frio Gelateria, 838 Whalley Ave., Score: 81; Fellowship Place Inc., 441 Elm St., Score: 90; Broadway Pizza, 185 Derby Ave., Score: 81

7/20/2012: Pizza Haven, 34 Howe St., Score: 92; Howe Mini Market, 96A Howe St., Score: 94; Net Work Mini Mart, 49 Howe St., Score: 81

7/23/2012: Cody’s Diner, 95 Water St., Score: 86; Resurrection Lutheran Church, 158 Davenport Ave., Score:  85; Tomatillo Taco Joint, 320 Elm St., Score: 85

The 4 Needing Improvement

During the July 17 to July 23 period, the following four failed their inspections:

Box 63
338 Elm St.
Score: 70
Due: 2 weeks

• Hand sink must be accessible at all times, eliminate articles blocking sink
• Clean plumbing pipes
• Clean floors throughout in basement
• Clean and sanitize sinks, tables, mixer, etc in basement
• Broken chairs
• Heavily soiled walls in basement
• Light shield full of flies in basement
• Thermometers must be provided inside all cold holding units
• Wilted brown herbs in walk in coolers
• Clean floors in walk in coolers
• Food containers must be stored off floor
• Shellfish tags must be kept with shellfish
• Chipping paint on floors
• Rodent droppings present
• Rusty storage shelves
• Provide light shields on overhead bulbs
• Clean and sanitize staff bathroom
• No cover on trash in staff bathroom
• Damaged ceiling in trash area
• Stairwell stairs dirty
• Clean walls throughout
• Hot water in bathroom exceeds 115 degrees
• Broken bus bucket with duct tape, eliminate
• No reuse of single service articles
• Damaged beam in ceiling in 3-bay sink area
• Fruit flies present
• Replaced pitted/stained cutting boards
• Clean ceiling in 3-bay sink area
• Thorough cleaning of equipment, ceilings, walls, necessary throughout
• Ceiling hole
• Hole in wall near mop sink
• Damaged ceiling tiles
• Wiping cloths must be stored in sanitizer when not in immediate use
• No hand soap at sink in grill area
• Replace broken refrigerator gaskets
• Soiled wiping cloths inside refrigerators/walk in coolers
• Missing grate on reach-in, very dirty
• Seal wall edges and wall board
• Bare wood under outside bar
• Provide air curtain at outside bar
• Wall and floor at outdoor bar not smooth and cleaned
• Unfinished sheet rock at bar
• Provide floor wall/juncture where missing
• Secure hand sink in dishwasher area, wood holding sink up
• Leaking plumbing at hand sink
• Clean exterior of dishwasher
• Damaged ceiling in dishwasher area
• Broken light shield above beer/wine walk in cooler
• Flies present
• Ice machine does not close properly

Leon’s of New Haven
501 Long Wharf Drive
Score: 66
Due: 2 weeks

• Keep shellfish tag with product until used and then 90 days after
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution
• Clean gaskets on doors, fix defective gaskets on doors
• Wipe and clean coolers and freezers
• Touch up defective shelves, wipe shelves
• Move thermometer to warmest location in coolers holding potentially hazardous food
• Touch up defective flooring, clean floors under and around equipment
• Hair restraints
• Clean vent covers, clean ceiling and walls in walk in
• Fix defective flooring in walk in
• Fix screen on rear door, keep rear screen door shut
• Need light shields on exposed bulbs, don’t store food or drink on the floor, cover exposed food products
• Water-stained ceiling tiles, fix defective ceiling tiles, defective walls
• Seal floor/wall junctures
• No drinking from an open (uncovered) glass in a food prep area
• Clean wall board, clean air vents, touch up columns
• Don’t line shelves with towels, don’t line speed rack with towels
• Don’t store utensils in stagnant water
• Touch up defective exterior of equipment, wipe exterior of equipment
• Don’t use hand sink for any other purpose but hand washing
• Touch up defective laminate on equipment
• Don’t store toxic items with food products (i.e., insect spray and polish on speed rack at bar)
• Eliminate fruit flies at bar area
• Need soap at bar hand sink
• Fruit flies in liquor bottles - destroyed on site—
• Lower hot water in bathroom to between 110-115 degrees F (i.e., second floor bathroom)
• Clean can-opener, blade holder, and frame
• Fix handle on ice chest
• Hang up mops and brooms
• Fix laminate in bath stall
• Don’t use plastic cup to scoop ice
• Wipe inside ice machine bin

Go Go Food Mart
36 Howe St.
Score: 74
Due: 2 Weeks

• Hand sink falling off wall
• Plumbing not attached under hand sink
• No liquid pump soap or paper towels at hand sink
• Damaged floor tiles
• Dirty shelves under stainless table
• Coiled up extension cord on floor near sink
• Cardboard and duct tape around air conditioning
• Leaking pipes under 3-bay-sink
• Clean overhead light shields
• Bottom front grill of stove fallen off, clean
• Eliminate all unnecessary articles
• Store single service articles inverted
• Patched ceiling, must be smooth and non absorbent
• Broken refrigerator gaskets
• Provide thermometers inside all cold holding units
• Clean floors under and behind equipment
• Properly store cleaning equipment, hang mops/brooms
• Chipping paint on baseboard in bathroom
• No liquid pump soap in bathroom
• Broken switch plate in bathroom
• Bare wood behind hand sink
• Large hole in wall covered by piece of wood
• Provide light shields on overhead bulbs
• Damaged wall board near front cold case
• Thermometer inside front cold case not operating properly
• Shelves lined with foil inside cold unit
• Unfinished door casing
• Damaged walls, clean walls
• Defrost reach-in freezers
• Freezer holding food for kitchen must not be accessible to public
• Missing floor/wall juncture
• Missing ceiling tiles
• Broken light shield in grocery area
• Provide proper extermination program
• No Qualified Food Operator

Manjares
838 Whalley Ave.
Score: 69
Due: 2 Weeks

• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution
• Clean baffle on hood system, clean tracks on slide doors
• If rear door is keep open, need screen, eliminate flies
• Cover exposed food products
• Clean wall board, clean walls, clean vents on A.C. unit
• Hang up mops and brooms
• Don’t store food or drink on the floor
• Don’t line shelves with towels
• Don’t store raw eggs over or next to ready to eat foods
• Touch up shelves, wipe shelves
• Need thermometer in warmest location in coolers holding potentially hazardous foods (i.e., small fridge)
• Don’t use plastic cup as a scoop on food products
• Don’t use hand wash for any other purpose but hand washing
• Fix defective flooring, clean floor under and around equipment
• Clean air vents, clean metal wall behind grill
• Invert single serve containers, hollow straws on coffee bar not protected
• Wipe inside of coolers and freezers
• Label products not in original containers
• Touch up defective exterior on equipment, wipe exterior of equipment
• Minimize bare hand contact with ready to eat foods
• Touch up defective building structure (door case, door jambs, etc), clean building structure
• Don’t store toxic items with food products (i.e. bottle of glue in food shelf)
• Add soap and paper towel to bar hand sink
• Eliminate sharp edge on garbage chute at counter (metal)

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Comments

posted by: Ladybug on July 30, 2012  8:32am

I really like this series of informing the public @ food places…Do the inspections include food pantry ?? Which they did inspections for service and courtesy..

posted by: Walt on July 30, 2012  8:58am

Congratulations, Cody’s!

Shame,  Leon’s!

posted by: Kari on July 30, 2012  9:28am

Go Go Food Mart scored higher than Leon’s?  Bad news, Leon’s!

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