Cheese Truck Gets Top Marks

Two food popular mobile food carts snagged ace scores in city health inspections: Caseus Cheese Truck came back with a 98, and the Lalibela Ethiopian food cart scored a 96.

Some wheel-less restaurants didn’t fare so well.

Sanitarians at the city’s health department inspect all New Haven’s restaurants and groceries, from upscale bistros to the food carts at Long Wharf, anywhere from once to four times a year. Restaurants with a grade of 80 or below are given two weeks to improve before a second inspection visit. The department can close a restaurant regardless of score in the face of immediate dangers to public health.

Inspectors also check on public school food operations twice a year.

The sites below were inspected by New Haven’s Environmental Health Department from April 11 — April 14.

April 11, 2011

The Graduate Club, 155 Elm St.
Score: 86/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Clean and sanitize hand sink
• Provide thermometers inside all cold holding units
• Properly label food product out of original containers
• Clean exterior of equipment, fronts, sides, etc.
• Clean inside reach-ins
• Replace stained/pitted cutting boards
• Clean bottom of stand up fridge inside
• Clean walls near dish machine
• Clean floors under and behind equipment
• Clean floor in back storage room and basement
• Properly store cleaning equipment, hang mops, brooms
• Chipping paint on skylight casing
• Store single service articles inverted
• Provide liquid pump soap and paper towels w/ a holder at bar

Lalibela Food Cart #1, 176 Temple St.
Score: 96/100
• Missing hand washing equipment
• Missing thermometers for cooler and meat (corrected onsite)
• Rusty grille top
• Missing cooler for refrigerator item holding

The Cask Republic, 179 Crown St. 
Score: 63/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Don’t store food or drink directly on floor
• Don’t store hollow straws on bar unprotected/invert single serve containers
• Label toxic items in spray bottles/don’t store foods under toxic items (corrected onsite)
• Clean tracks on slide doors
• Need thermometer in warmest location in coolers holding pre-heated food
• Refill paper towel dispenser @ hand sink
• Invert glasses on tables (no pre-set tables)
• Hang up mops & brooms
• Clean interior of ice bin, coolers, freezers, etc.
• Clean floors under & around equipment/touch up defective flooring/seal floor-wall junction
• Touch up defective walls/clean air vents/clean ceiling tiles
• Don’t store food product under condensation
• Keep shellfish tags with product until used & then for 90 days after
• Clean shelves/don’t wrap equipment with tin foil
• Clean exterior of equipment/touch up exterior of defective equipment
• Replace missing ceiling tiles
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution
• Label product not in original containers
• Clean gaskets in drains/fix defective gaskets in doors
• Don’t use plastic cup as scoop
• No eating in food prep area
• Lower hot water in public bathroom to 110 to 115 degrees (now 140)
• Replace defective food contact equipment (i.e. strainer)
• Separate utensils for easy sanitary access
• Add consumer advisory to special menu for items that can be or are served under-cooked (addressed onsite)
• Need formal documented training program for staff
• Clean buffets on hood system

April 12, 2011

Manjares, 838 Whalley Ave.
Score: 71/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Don’t store raw eggs next to ready to eat foods
• Don’t store utensils jumbled
• Touch up defective equipment, clean exterior of equipment
• Clean shelves
• Replace defective cutting board
• Fix defective gasket on doors/clean gasket on doors
• Hair restraints for food employees
• No drinking from open containers in a food prep area (corrected onsite)
• Clean floors under and around equipment/fix defective flooring
• Need no smoke sign on entrance
• Touch up defective build structure
• Hang up mops and brooms
• Move thermostat to warmest location in coolers holding preheated food
• Need soap and paper towel at bar hand sink
• Don’t use cup as a scoop in food product — corrected onsite
• Seal floor/wall junctions
• Need consumer advisor on Tapas menu: advisory statement provided on prior inspections (re: carpaccio & ceviche)
• Don’t store medicines with food product — corrected onsite
• Need second re-inspection fee ($100)

Stop & Shop, 150 Whalley Ave.
Score: 91/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Replace stained ceiling tiles
• Provide light shields on bulbs in butter and egg cooler
• Clean floors in dairy walk-in near fences and around edges
• Clean ceiling in dairy walk-in
• Slow draining hand sink in meat department
• Bakery freezer threshold damaged
• Repair corner wall panel in bakery
• Clean shelves in deli walk-in freezer
• Thorough cleaning of equipment prior to opening
• Eliminate all unnecessary articles

D’Amato’s, 423 Whalley Ave.
Score: 87/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Improper re-heating procedures: re-heating must first be to 165 degrees (chowder: 98, bisque: 100)
• Missing thermometer in low reach-in and tall reach-in fridge
• Knife wedged behind equipment
• Warmer not hot — needs to be hot to hold hot food
• Bait in basement — pellets need glue board

April 13, 2011

Manjares, 838 Whalley Ave.
Score: 90/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Need thermostat in warmest location in coolers holding pre-heated food
• Touch up defective shelves/clean shelves
• Add soap and paper towel to bar hand sink
• Seal floor and wall junctions
• Fix defective gasket on doors/clean gasket on doors
• No open (uncovered drink containers in food prep area
• Clean interior of freezer
• Second inspection fee paid

Caseus Cheese Truck, 93 Whitney Ave.
Score: 98/100
Corrections due: ASAP
• Food should be properly labeled if not in original container

Crown St. Bar & Grill, 201 Crown St.
Score: 71/100
Corrections due: 2 weeks
• Clean interior of microwave and beer coolers
• Invert single serve containers/hollow straws on bar not protected
• Touch up flooring/clean floors/remove exposed bolt on floor
• Clean air vents/fix defective walls/replace missing ceiling tiles
• Need self close door on bathroom in basement
• Fix defective stalls/need covered trash can in women’s bathroom in basement
• Touch up defective building structure/fix defective ceiling tiles/water stained ceiling tiles
• Touch up exterior of defective equipment/clean exterior of equipment
• Fix defective tracks on slide doors/clean tracks on slide doors
• Empty beer ​“bus” bucket in basement
• Touch up defective shelves/clean shelves
• Rodent droppings present — seal exterior openings
• Seal floor/wall junctions
• Fix defective window pane by dance floor/fix defective seat covers/clean walls
• Fix defective top on beer/clean fan cover
• Need no smoke sign on front entrance
• Fix defective carpet/clean carpets
• Need paper towel at kitchen hand sink
• Label product not in original container
• Fix defective gasket on doors/clean gasket on doors
• Fruit flies in liquor bottles — destroyed onsite
• Toxic items in spray bottles — corrected on site
• Raise hot water at employee hand sink to minimum 100 degrees

April 14, 2011
Geronimo, 271 Crown St.
Score: 88/100
• Fix defective plastic inside freezer
• Fix defective gasket on doors/clean gasket on doors
• Need thermometer in warmest location in coolers holding pre-heated food
• Clean interior of cooler & freezer
• Fix defective exterior/clean exterior of equipment/clean buffet on hood system
• Label product not on original container
• Replace damaged fan blade/clean wallboard
• Clean floors under and around equipment/touch up defective flooring
• Store wipe cloth in sanitary solution

Louis Lunch
Score: 93/100
• Replace missing light shield
• Hair restraints
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution
• Invert single serve containers
• Clean air vents/touch up defective building structure

BAR, 254 Crown St.
Score: 80/100
• Seal gaps on exterior doors
• Fix defective counter tops/don’t line shelves with towels
• Fix defective glass wall light/touch defective walls & ceilings/replace missing ceiling tiles
• Clean tracks on slide doors
• Add soap & paper towels to hand sink
• Touch up defective shelves/clean shelves/fix defective top on storage table
• Touch up flooring/clean floors under and around equipment (basement area)
• Touch up defective gaskets
• Touch up exterior of defective equipment/clean exterior of equipment
• Clean air vents/clean air vent covers/clean fan blades/fix defective glass window pane on front windows/clean wall boards/fix defective wallboard and junctions
• Hang up mops & brooms/clean dumpster area
• Need light shield on exposed bulbs/cover exposed food product
• Don’t line shelves in freezer with cardboard/replace defective dough bins
• Clean floors under and around equipment, fix defective flooring, seal floor and wall junctions
• Need self close door on women’s bathrooms/replace missing top on toilet/need covered trash can in women’s bathrooms
• Ensure thermometers are in the warmest locations in coolers holding pre-heated food
• Clean interior of coolers & freezers
• Lower hot water in bathroom to between 110 and 115 degrees
• Label product not in original container
• Touch up defective shelves in coolers & freezers/clean shelves in coolers & freezers

Aladdin Crown Pizza, 260 Crown St.
Score: 81/100
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution
• Hair restraint for food employees
• Don’t store utensils ​“sheath” style
• Clean fan blades/fix defective ceilings/fix defective wall tiles/fix defective wall
• Clean buffets on hood system
• Cover exposed food product/fix defective light shield end cap
• Don’t line shelves in cooler with paper/don’t line equipment with paper
• Fix defective flooring/clean floors under & around equipment
• Clean interior of coolers & freezers/clean soda & juice racks in coolers
• Clean tracks on slide doors
• Need extra bay on 3‑bay (one bay being used for hand wash)
• Fix defective plastic on chest freezer/clean rim on chest freezer
• Clean air vents/fix defective window pane on front window
• Touch up/clean shelves in coolers
• Touch up/clean dry storage shelves
• Fix defective light fixture in bathroom
• Don’t use small cap as scoop
• Seal floor/wall junctions
• Touch up exterior of defective equipment/clean exterior of equipment
• Touch up defective build structure

Richter’s Cafe
Score: 82/100
• Touch up defective flooring/clean floors under and around equipment/seal floor & wall junction
• Touch up defective walls/clean walls/fix defective interior of cooler (i.e. shelves)
• Touch up defective gaskets on doors/clean gaskets on doors
• Touch up exterior of defective equipment/clean exterior of equipment/fix defective shelves/clean shelves
• Fix defective carpet/fix defective wall tiles/clean fan blades/clean air vents
• Fix defective bathroom stalls/don’t use cardboard as mats
• Touch up defective shelves/clean shelves/fix defective table tops
• Hang mops and brooms
• Store wipe cloths in sanitary solution/need auto soap dispenser
• Label product not in original container
• Need paper towel @ hand sink
• Hang up mops & brooms
• Cover exposed food product/fix defective insulation on cooler door
• Keep front door closed or install screen
• Touch up defective building structure