NEW YORK CITY — Vermin, dirty dishes and poor personal cleanliness — restaurants across the city have dirty secrets they'd rather not share. But New York City's Health Department is watching.
Every year, inspectors arrive unannounced at more than 25,000 restaurants to examine health and safety standards. Most eateries pass inspections, but some fall short of the city's standards, accruing violation points for everything from broken light bulbs to "public health hazards," like vermin and failure to follow food safety protocols.
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Restaurants hit with non-food-safety violations might get a fine or a lower letter grade, with zero to 13 points warranting an 'A' and violations totaling 28 points or more earning a 'C' (this system is criticized for its efficacy by some gourmands).
Public health hazards that can't be resolved on the spot, like a mouse or fly infestation, pose a bigger issue: immediate closure.
Here's all the eateries that the Department of Health closed down since August 14:
Manhattan
Annapurna Bhavan (615 9th Ave.)
Violation Points: 32
- Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage associated with (FRSA) flies or other nuisance pests in establishment's food and/or non-food areas. FRSA flies include houseflies, blow flies, bottle flies, flesh flies, drain flies, Phorid flies and fruit flies.
- Contract with a pest management professional not in place. Record of extermination activities not kept on premises.
- Pesticide not properly labeled or used by unlicensed individual. Pesticide, other toxic chemical improperly used/stored. Unprotected, unlocked bait station used.
- Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
Bedford Falls (206 E. 67th St.)
Violation Points: 45
- Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Insufficient or no hot holding, cold storage or cold holding equipment provided to maintain Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods (TCS) at required temperatures.
- Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
Salt & Pepper Gourmet (10 E. 23rd St.)
Violation Points: 28
- Insufficient or no hot holding, cold storage or cold holding equipment provided to maintain Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods (TCS) at required temperatures.
Wimpy's (23 E. 109th St.)
Violation Points: 10
- Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
Brooklyn
Yun Nan Flavour Garden (5121 8th Ave.)
Violation Points: 64
- Cold TCS food item held above 41 °F; smoked or processed fish held above 38 °F; intact raw eggs held above 45 °F; or reduced oxygen packaged (ROP) TCS foods held above required temperatures except during active necessary preparation.
- Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Insufficient or no hot holding, cold storage or cold holding equipment provided to maintain Time/Temperature Control for Safety Foods (TCS) at required temperatures.
- Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer's refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
- Live roaches in facility's food or non-food area.
- Contract with a pest management professional not in place. Record of extermination activities not kept on premises.
- After cooking or removal from hot holding, TCS food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal temperature is reduced from 140 °F to 70 °F or less within 2 hours, and from 70 °F to 41 °F or less within 4 additional hours.
- Thawing procedure improper.
Queens
Bhatura King (241-23 Braddock Ave.)
Violation Points: 118
- Evidence of mice or live mice in establishment's food or non-food areas.
- Anti-siphonage or back-flow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly. Condensation or liquid waste improperly disposed of.
- Establishment is not free of harborage or conditions conducive to rodents, insects or other pests.
- Food, supplies, or equipment not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display, service or from customer's refillable, reusable container. Condiments not in single-service containers or dispensed directly by the vendor.
- Food, prohibited, from unapproved or unknown source, home canned or home prepared. Animal slaughtered, butchered or dressed (eviscerated, skinned) in establishment. Reduced Oxygen Packaged (ROP) fish not frozen before processing. ROP food prepared on premises transported to another site.
- Food Protection Certificate (FPC) not held by manager or supervisor of food operations.
- Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
- Non-food contact surface or equipment made of unacceptable material, not kept clean, or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
- Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
- Properly scaled and calibrated thermometer or thermocouple not provided or not readily accessible in food preparation and hot/cold holding areas to measure temperatures of TCS foods during cooking, cooling, reheating, and holding.
- Contract with a pest management professional not in place. Record of extermination activities not kept on premises.
- No approved written standard operating procedure for avoiding contamination by refillable returnable containers.
- Design, construction, materials used or maintenance of food contact surface improper. Surface not easily cleanable, sanitized and maintained.