3 Fail Inspections; Tin Foils Mezcal

Ricardo Trejo is an expert on how to cook adobo de puerco. Now he has learned about the dangers of lining the shelves behind his restaurant’s microwave with tin foil.

A city health inspector found that foil in a recent visit to Mezcal, Trejo’s six-year-old Mexican restaurant on Mechanic Street. That lost him points on his inspection, earning Mezcal a failing grade.

Trejo’s restaurant, which has a sister place in Miami, has a loyal local following and is known for its friendliness. (Trejo is pictured above serving Bill Curran at last week’s Mardi Gras party at the public library.)

For most of the past six years, Trejo said, inspectors didn’t cite him for the tin foil violation, so it was news to him when he received demerits for this practice. He vowed to fix it and the other outstanding issues.

Three food establishments in all out of 27 failed the round of health inspections that were conducted between Feb. 26 and March 5.

City sanitarians inspect all of New Haven’s restaurants, groceries, bars, and other establishments that serve food between one and four times a year. Establishments that score less than 80 out of 100 usually have two weeks to make the recommended corrections. The health department can close a restaurant regardless of its score, if the sanitarians suspect an immediate danger to public health.

(Scroll down in this story for results of the latest round of inspections.)

Joker’s Wild, the comedy club in Wooster Square, also didn’t make the grade. It too was found to have committed the tin foil sin.

In this case the tin foil was not placed on shelving — which public health guidelines indicate interferes with cleaning — but was wrapped around equipment.

Inspectors stress that a low score doesn’t mean a restaurant is always failing. Nor does a high or even perfect score mean an eatery is always squeaky clean. Rather it means that at the moment of the inspectors’ unannounced visit, they found the conditions they reported. That’s why city Environmental Health Director Paul Kowalski calls each inspection a sanitary ​“snapshot.”

State public health department spokesman William Gerrish emailed this explanation for the tin foil prohibition:

The associated regulatory violations of Section 19 – 13-B42 of the Public Health Code:

(d)(1) Effective measures shall be taken to protect against the entrance into the establishment or breeding on the premises of insects…

(i) (i) All equipment and multi-use utensils, and all show and display cases or window counters, shelves, tables, chairs, and refrigerating equipment shall be so designed and of such material and workmanship as to be smooth, easily cleanable and durable and shall be in good repair.

(ii) (j)(1) All equipment shall be so installed and maintained as to facilitate the cleaning thereof and of all adjacent areas.

(o)(3) All means necessary for the elimination of flies, roaches and rodents shall be used.

(m)(1) Except during necessary periods of preparation and service, potentially hazardous foods shall be maintained at forty-five (45) degrees F. or below, or one hundred forty (140) degrees F. or above

The above sections relate to maintaining equipment to make it easily cleanable, good repair, while not providing harborage, and properly functioning as to maintain foods at the proper temperature. (Foil impedes the air circulation in a cooler.)

Trejo said the pork in his dish simmers for at least two hours, with the sauce getting its light green color from lettuce, avocado and the contribution of several peppers.

The Winners

Of the 27 food establishments since Feb. 26, 24 passed. The three that did not were ordered to make required changes within two weeks. The following received passing grades.

2/26/2013: Carmen Anthony Steakhouse, 99 Orange St., Score: 91; Pizza Corner of New Haven, 45 York St., Score: 85

2/27/2013: Mi Favorita Grocery, 52 Liberty St., Score: 85; Angelo’s Pizza, 163 Foster St., Score: 87; Sitar Indian Restaurant, 45 Grove St., Score: 88

2/28/20213: Mercury #45 New Haven, 125 Foxon Blvd., Score: 94; SCSU Engelman Hall, 501 Crescent St., Score: 90; Higher One Inc., 275 Munson St.,  Score: 89;7-Eleven, 400 Foxon Blvd., Score: 93; CFC Deli, 157 Church St., Score: 85; St. Anthony Hall, 483 College St., Score: 91; 116 Crown, 166 Crown St., Score: 96; Gotham on East Street, 169 East St., Score: 80; Gotham Cafe., 169 East St., Score: 93; Empire, 136 Crown St., Score: 86; Sweet Relief Catering, 136 Crown St., Score: 81

3/1/2013: Mada & Mia’s (Floyd Little Field), 480 Sherman Pkwy, Score: strong>92;
Slicks Market, 1312 State St., Score: 95; A&N Market, 1296 State St., Score: 81; Century Grocery & Deli, 1332 State St., Score: 88

3/4/2013: Macchu Picchu Restaurant, 101 Farren Ave., Score: 83; Conte/West Hill, 511 Chapel St., Score: 90; Fuel Coffee Shop, 516 Chapel St., Score: 90; Shake Shack, 986 Chapel St., Score: 84

The Three Needing Improvement
During the Feb. 26 to March 5 period, the following three failed their inspections:

Yolande’s Bistro and Creperie
99 Orange St.
Score: 74
Due: 2 weeks

• Invert single serve containers/hollow straws in bar not protected
• Wipe shelves
• Fix defective flooring, clean floors under and around equipment
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution between uses
• Need thermometers in warmest location in coolers holding prepared hot food - corrected on site
• Fix defective gaskets on doors, wipe gaskets on doors
• Label products not in original containers
• Fix defective corner molding on wallboard, wipe wallboard, fix water stained ceiling
• Wipe inside cabinets
• Hair restraints - corrected on site
• Fix defective exterior on equipment, wipe exterior of equipment
• Fix defective light shield
• Don’t use plastic cup as a scoop, minimize bare hand contact
• Replace missing water stained ceiling tile
• Seal floor/wall junction
• Wipe insides of coolers and freezers
• Don’t store drink or food on the ground (walk-in cooler)
• Label toxic items in spray bottles, don’t store medicine with food products
• Discard mold food - corrected on sited

Mezcal
14 Mechanic Street
Score: 75
Due: 2 Weeks

• Eliminate all unnecessary articles in hand sink, hand sink to be used for hand washing only.
• Cold water no operational on hand sink
• Wall damaged, not clean
• Single service articles not inverted
• Foil lining shelves
• Food product not covered
• Food product out of original container not labeled
•Floors not clean under and behind equipment
• Missing light shields
• Wiping cloths not in sanitizer
• Equipment and table under grill not clean
• Soiled wood on side of dish machine
• Dishwasher not operational (have 3-bay sink)
• Damaged ceiling and walls, and ceiling not clean
• Dish racks stored on floor
• Rusty drawers
• Broken floor tiles
• Dry goods’ containers exterior not clean
• Eliminate cups as scoops, provide scoops with handles
• Cups stored inside food product
• Rusty top of lift-up freezer
• Broken refrigerator gaskets
• Raw food stored over ready-to-eat food
• Broken light shield not clean
• Missing grate on bottom of three0door refrigerator
• Damaged counter around hand sink at bar
• Provide thermometer inside all cold holding units
• Chipping paint on cabinet and toilet room doors
• Thorough cleaning throughout necessary
• Broken handle on women’s toilet room door

Joker’s Wild
232 Wooster St.
Score: 70
Due: 2 Weeks

• Fix defective flooring, clean floors under and around equipment
• Clean tracks on slide doors
• Fix defective ceiling, clean air vents and water-stained tiles
• Lower hot water in bathroom to between 110 and 115 degrees
• Invert single serve containers
• Need covered trash can for women’s hygienic products
• Replace defective ceiling tiles, clean wall cover behind grill
• Seal gaps in exterior doors
• Don’t wrap equipment with tin foil, set up designated area for use wipe cloths
• Wipe exterior of equipment, touch up defective exterior on equipment
• Don’t store food or drink on the floor, fix defective light shield
• Wipe shelves, touch up defective shelves
• Label products not in original containers
• Need thermometer in warmest location in coolers holding prepared hot food
• Fix defective wallboard, fix defective walls, fix defective wall tiles
• Don’t use bucket as a scoop for ice, scoop needs handle
• Refill scoop and paper towel at dishwasher hand sink
• Hang up mops and brooms when not in use
• Follow label instructions on products that state “keep refrigerated after opening” - product discarded on site
• Label toxic items on spray bottles - corrected on site