Sanitary Conditions

[dodge621]

"I was up all night in the bathroom, throwing up," says Katy Martinelli, who says she came down with food poisoning last summer after dining at Wild Ginger in Englewood.

While Zagat's raves about Wild Ginger’s "inventive, exotic sushi," health inspectors weren't so flattering: on a spot inspection to investigate Martinelli's complaint, they found uncovered bowls of raw shrimp and lobster sitting on the floor, and food workers preparing salad with no gloves, both serious contamination risks.

"I think it's disgusting!" says Martinelli.

Two more inspections last year found toxic insecticides improperly stored in the kitchen, and live roaches in the dining room. Although Wild Ginger did score "satisfactory" on its last inspection in April, the chef admits they still have problems:

"Sometimes you still see roaches?" asks Palmer.

"Yeah," answers the chef.

"Is that acceptable?" Asks Palmer

"Not always," the chef answers.

http://cbsnewyork.com/investigates/StoryFo..._192559305_html

[dodge621]

more to chew on

http://cbsnewyork.com/investigates/StoryFo..._829197095_html

[chopjwu12]

Who wears glove sto make a salad? Have you seen how many violations all the famed restaurants get nailed for. A place like Nobu has like 14 violations every year or something.

[TheBoatMan]

Have you seen how many violations all the famed restaurants get nailed for. A place like Nobu has like 14 violations every year or something.

Does that make it ok? Makes me feel ill

[tommy]

Does that make it ok?  Makes me feel ill 

you should probably just cook at home, where no doubt the kitchen is free of harmful bacteria.

[Stone]

A while back, my favorite restaurant in Chinatown was the Ju Shiang House of Noodles on Doyers street. I took a friend there once, and while we were digging into plates piles high with delecate shrimps, tender beef and oodles of noodles, a family of six or so cockroaches scuttled by the wall next to us. We shrugged and ate on.

Next year, 1986 if I recall correctly, about ten of us were down in lower Manhattan for the 4th of July celebration and the reopening of the Statue of Liberty. I thought another trip to the House of Noodles was called for, but alas, the damned health inspectors got there before we did. Just two days earlier, the place was padlocked by the Board. The fuckers.

[ivan]

If you suspect a restaurant may be unsanitary, then you should do what I do: bring your own meal. Be prepared, of course, to be charged a "fork fee".

[dodge621]

[Who wears glove sto make a salad? Have you seen how many violations all the famed restaurants get nailed for. A place like Nobu has like 14 violations every year or something. ]

- guess Nicholas is not following sanitary conditions. Sad that restaurants cannot even follow a few simple codes.

[dodge621]

[A place like Nobu has like 14 violations every year or something.

]

that is the exact point. why not be aware of them. You guys who love Wild Ginger and laugh at this well I guess you have no sympathy for Kelly Martinelli. An innocent diner goes out to eat and she gets sick. why because of pure laziness, lack of concern for the public, why?

[Rosie]

It is very easy for a restaurant to be in violation. If they open the back door and a fly comes in they are in violation. A few years ago the Star Ledger posted the # of health violations received by the top 24 NJ restaurants listed in Zagat. Only 4 were without any violations. The Bergen Record posts restaurant health violations each week.

CLICK HERERestaurant Violations

This page is updated weekly.

[ngatti]

It is very easy for a restaurant to be in violation. If they open the back door and a fly comes in they are in violation. A few years ago the Star Ledger posted the # of health violations received by the top 24 NJ restaurants listed in Zagat. Only 4 were without any violations. The Bergen Record posts restaurant health violations each week.

CLICK HERERestaurant Violations

This page is updated weekly.

Rosie and others,

There is a big difference between a mere violation of the specific code and a failed inspection. (Conditional, Unsatisfactory).

The Bergen Record publishes the results of failed inspections, fines levied for gross or repeated violations or successful reinspections of previously failed restaurants, *not* violations of Health Codes.

I'll try to post more later regarding my experiences with various health departments both in NYC and NJ.

Nick

[dodge621]

[ they open the back door and a fly comes in they are in violation. ]

- this is grossly inaccurate. Check your sources in the future.

[Rosie]

My source was the Star Ledger. I'll try to find the article.

[ngatti]

I don't doubt your source, Rosie. But with as with any controversial subject, there tends to be a fair amount of confusion and a bit of misinformation on both sides of the argument. All I can do is post my anecdotes about dealings with the various boards of health. I can give my take on how to deal with an inspection (yes, they are stressful and we *deal* with them), and what I think it takes to keep as violation free as possible within the constraints of actually trying to run a business.

Nick

[tommy]

I don't doubt your source, Rosie.   But with as with any controversial subject, there tends to be a fair amount of confusion and a bit of misinformation on both sides of the argument.  

Nick

clearly.

it's all about sensationalism.

you would probably agree that anyone who is offended or surprised at these "reports" would probably not eat out at all if they knew what goes on at just about every restaurant. nor would they cook in their kitchen if they had a report of all of the nasty stuff around their sink, sponges, and in the fridge. ignorance is truly bliss, in this regard.

[chefb]

All restaraunts are in violation. Some are worse than others. Ever buy a bagel sandwich or a slice of pizza?? These guys never wear gloves. Then I see deli personal wearing gloves but never taking them off or changing them. Smoking with there gloves on handling money with gloves then touching food.

"three second rule" for all you kitchen folk

In morristown, NJ a chinese rest. was closed down because they were sleeping people in the dinning room after hours. They caught them because the water company thought they had a leak from all the water consumption used in showering these people.

Choose wisely.

[ngatti]

Ah coincidence. I was about to start a thread on the very subject. Prompted by the third straight appearance of a local Bergen County restaurant in the health violations column. This restaurant has also been cited three times earlier this year. In fact there appears to be a small coterie of Bergen County Restaurants, which wait until they fail an inspection (often two or three) before finally cleaning up their act…that is until the next inspection, where the Health Department pas de deux starts all over again. I don’t understand why these places are allowed to remain in business. There are at least two other restaurants that I know of, whose names regularly appear in “The Record”, not because of advertising dollars, but instead, due to the various town health departments failing them for assorted health code violations in order that they may achieve the dubious distinction of having their names printed in Monday’s “Health Checks” column.

Some background:

There are three levels of Health Code ‘achievement’. The most sought after is the “SATISFACTORY”. Let me say here that there is no such thing as an “Excellent” or a “Good” rating. The highest ‘rank’ one can attain is the “Satisfactory” rating. It merely means that you’ve been inspected and are in compliance with the vast majority of the local codes and ordinances. Some problem areas may have been found, but has been deemed to be, for the most part, minor (Rosie, here is where your backdoor flies come in). There may have been a major violation discovered (I myself have had sudden problems with the temperature of the final rinse on my dishwashing machine, which would be considered major), but depending upon the judgment of the individual inspector, your relationship with him/her and past track record fixing violations, you may be given a pass (with the understanding that the problem be repaired by next visit).

Next is the “CONDITIONAL”. This is for all intents and purposes a failed health inspection. You get one of these if you have one or more serious violations. You must display the “Conditional” sign in a prominent place and an appointment is made to reinspect the restaurant, with the primary goal being to make sure that the cited violations are addressed.

The third health rating is the “UNSATISFACTORY”. Now I have always thought that restaurants that receive this rating are subject to immediate closure. I may be wrong about this and would encourage anyone with more knowledge than I to post a clarification. In any event the things that would cause this rating are (I suppose), open sewage running through your kitchen preparation areas; repeated failure to fix your “CONDITIONAL” violations; being absolutely overrun with various and sundry vermin, and/or complete indifference to fundamental health standards and gross incompetence regarding basic safe food handling/storage knowledge and techniques as demonstrated by the obvious condition of the kitchen in question.

Having described some of the criteria involving the various ratings, let me state for the record that a health inspection is an inherently stressful thing. Even if you feel as if you’ve done everything possible to meet code, it is possible that you may have missed something important. Wait staff may be hiding four gallons of three weeks out of date milk along with a dozen out of date yogurts in their lowboy pantry refrigerator (“That’ll be $50.00 per violation, Chef Gatti”). Your night cleaner may have forgotten to pour bleach down the drains the previous evening, resulting in maggots suddenly crawling out of them (“sorry Chef, but this a major violation and we are going to shut you down until you can demonstrate that the maggot problem has been addressed to our satisfaction”). Someone in haste may have stored raw chicken above the cooked roast beef (a major no no, this raw above cooked thing is, “That will earn you a conditional. “We’ll be back in a week to see if you’ve moved the chicken, Chef.”). You may (gasp!!) get a guy you’ve never seen before and he’s got a…HAT FETISH!!! (“Sorry, Chef Gatti but I see 7 cooks, none of them wearing hats. That’ll be $50.00 per lack of hat”). You get the idea.

What can one do? Well first and foremost, be polite. Not obsequious, but polite. Seem interested in what the inspector is doing. Offer to escort him around your kitchen as he performs his inspection. If he declines then make it clear that you will be available if he finds a problem that needs immediate attention. Offer him a cup of coffee and perhaps a piece of Danish (but that’s all, propriety and appearance are important to these people). Allow the inspector a quiet place where he can complete his report. Do not argue any point. I stress again. DO NOT be contentious. Your job is to listen to the inspector and implement his suggestions either immediately or as soon as humanly possible.

Some specifics:

Dodge: I don’t believe that there is a glove law in NJ (I could be wrong). This doesn’t mean that people shouldn’t use them. We go through 1800 latex gloves per week at the club! I require them for all food that is going to be served cold without any further heat processing. You go to the bathroom? Remove your gloves and throw them away. Having a cigarette? Remove your gloves first, AND make sure you wash your hands before returning to work...etc…etc…I myself use approx. 100 gloves per day. I am of the opinion that all salad prep guys and garde mangers should wear gloves AND change them frequently.

Health departments, love cooked food to be stored above raw. Do so!! It takes very little effort. In fact, do what I do. The entire bottom shelf of a rack in one of my walk-in refrigerators, are reserved strictly for raw poultry. Inspectors love to see that all food storage is off the floor and on dunnage racks. Inspectors like to see that a copy of the last health inspection report is close at hand, with all listed violations addressed. Remember that this report must be surrendered for inspection to ANY member of the public who asks to see it. In addition the rating sign (SATISFACTORY/CONDITIONAL etc…) must be prominently displayed.

Restaurant kitchens don’t have to be registered HAACP facilities (though I don’t see anything wrong with that), but it does not take much effort to keep a place reasonably clean and in compliance. Who needs the grief and bad publicity from making people sick? Finally, I must agree with Tommy. If you want to know where all the real problems are, try taking a look at your very own kitchens at home.

Thanks for listening

Nick

[tommy]

[Rosie]

Thanks Nick.

[Rosie]

The Bergen Record Restaurant Violations for 9/23 can be found here.

Restaurant Violations

[rozrapp]

If you want to know where all the real problems are,  try taking a look at your very own kitchens at home.

"Contaminated Kitchens! Report at 11." This type of topic has been a favorite of our local news channels during past sweeps weeks. A reporter went to someone's home where the kitchen counters were tested using some sort of special lighting which showed how germ-infested the counters were, even after having just been cleaned. This then gave rise to the sale of anti-bacterial soaps and cleaning products. But then we learned that over-use of these products can lead to a rise in resistant germs (much like what is happening with drug-resistent strains of bacteria in our bodies because of needless use of antibiotics).

[TCD]

[Who wears glove sto make a salad? Have you seen how many violations all the famed restaurants get nailed for. A place like Nobu has like 14 violations every year or something. ]

- guess Nicholas is not following sanitary conditions.  Sad that restaurants cannot even follow a few simple codes.

Like almost everyone else, I probably average at least one meal per day outside the home. To my recollection, I have never become ill from something I have eaten at a restaurant and know very few people who have.

With respect to Restaurant Nicholas, they exhibt only the very highest standards in quality, service and professionalism. I would be very surprised to find that they were in violation of health code regulations in any serious manner.

[Ron Johnson]

[i guess you have no sympathy for Kelly Martinelli.

I thought it was Katy Martinelli. Which one are we supposed to be having sympathy for again?

[ngatti]

The Bergen Record Restaurant Violations for 9/23 can be found here.

Restaurant Violations

I should have been clearer. They only list individual violations if serious enough to warrant a fine. You were quite correct, Rosie, if I read your implication correctly. Individual violations (and it is a very rare establishment that gets *NO* violations) are not listed if the establishment gets a "Satisfactory" rating. Otherwise only failed *inspections* are listed (Conditional = failed inspection, to my way of thinking), or 'Satisfactory' if achieved upon reinspection.

On another note, I see one of the 'Conditionals' is making an appearance for (at least) the fourth time this year.

Nick

[Deacon]

If you suspect a restaurant may be unsanitary, then you should do what I do: bring your own meal. Be prepared, of course, to be charged a "fork fee".

Even better: bring your own cockroach. You won't get charged at all.