Del Ray Restaurant Violations: Tongs Stored On Unclean Pipe

Every wonder how clean your local restaurants are? City of Alexandria restaurants regularly undergo health inspections, with the frequency depending on the type of food served and how it is prepared. While violations like malfunctioning refrigerators and food that's not warm or cold enough often pop up, health inspectors sometimes note more critical violations.

“In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," notes the Virginia Department of Health.

Here are full results for Del Ray area restaurants through the last half of August, which includes restaurants that passed with no violations. Among these violations was a pair of tongs stored on a pipe that isn't cleaned at South China Restaurant. This violation was corrected during the inspection.

Click on the violations to see each restaurant's results. Full reports are usually available five to seven days after the inspection on the health department’s website.

Violations

Bella Napole: 1310 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 22

violations: Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw veal stored above cooked chicken in reach-in cooler in the back (corrected), nonfood-contact surfaces of the following equipment had accumulations of grime and debris: interior of reach-in freezer, and the exterior of mixer, soup well and fryer, exterior door is kept open for ventilation but the opening is not protected against the entry of insects or rodents, items that are unnecessary to the operation or maintenance of the establishment are being stored on the premises in the back storage room

IHOP: 3425 Jefferson Davis Hwy A, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: Aug. 21

violations: Food items were measured at improper temperatures: scrapple (47 F) and diced ham (50 F) in the delfield upright refrigeration unit

Kaizen Tavern: 1909 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 16

violations: Unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: multiple blank squeeze bottles in kitchen (in and above flip top unit, next to stove) and blank spice shakers, dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: ice scoop near restrooms is stored in ice machine, in contact with ice, food containers for cooling food are arranged so as not to allow for maximum heat transfer: tightly plastic wrapped containers of cut lettuce and beef in process of cooling, handwashing station in the kitchen is being used for purposes other than washing hands: observed staff fill glass container (for tea/coffee) with water in the designated hand sink (corrected), no test kit located in the facility for monitoring the concentration of the chemical sanitizing solutions, door gaskets of the following unit are damaged: True 2-door unit in the back area

Lena's Wood-Fired Pizza & Tap: 401 East Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 16

violations: The following food items were measured at improper temperatures: ham, caramelized onions, and beef short ribs all found on the pizza prep cold table; Also, meatballs, lasagna, eggplant parmigiana, breaded chicken, raw chicken, and marsala sauce were all found to be above 41 F in the WIC, equipment/utensils were observed soiled to sight and touch: the big pasta machine in the pasta room (both corrected), WIC can appropriately hold at 41 F however the two doors are not properly sealed and hot air is entering through

South China Restaurant: 1302 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 22

violations: Raw animal food holding in a manner that may cause cross contamination of ready-to-eat food as follows: raw pork stored above cooked chicken, vegetables in 3-door reach-in refrigerator, unlabeled food containers with the following food items that are not easily identified by appearance: sauces, spices, oils, dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: tongs were stored on pipe below wok (an area that is not cleaned or sanitized and is subject to contamination from cooks as well), in-use wiping cloths used to clean tables are being used for other purposes as follows: under cutting boards where prepping of meat and vegetables occur, cooked chicken observed in a large container, tightly covered with plastic wrap cooling in refrigeration unit, and cooked breaded chicken observed cooling in a closed bag in reach-in cooler (all corrected)

St Elmo's Coffee Pub: 2300 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 15

violations: Dispensing and/or in-use utensils improperly stored between use as follows: observed utensils in water at 106 F (next to the coffee machines), food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is being used as a control was not cooked, served or discarded by the expiration time as indicated: no time stamp for the milk and creamer on the self service counter (corrected)

Toppers Pizza: 3827 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22305, last inspection: Aug. 28

violations: The person in charge has a food manager certification from an accredited program, but does not have the Northern VA Certified Food Protection Manager certificate (photo ID card), food item(s) for which time rather than temperature is being used as a control was not marked or otherwise identified to indicate the time that is 4 hours past the point in time when the food is removed from temperature control: pizza sauce and salsa found on the pizza prep table, working containers of poisonous and toxic materials are not properly labeled with a common name (corrected)

No violations

Charlie's on the Avenue (pre-opening): 1501 Mt. Vernon Ave, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 22

violations: none

Express Subs & Pizza: 2320 Jefferson Davis Hwy, Alexandria, VA 22301, last inspection: Aug. 22

violations: none

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