From filth to flies — some restaurants across Harlem have dirty secrets they’d rather you didn’t know or think about. Fortunately for the diner’s well-being, New York City’s Health Department is watching.
Every year, inspectors go unannounced into more than 24,000 restaurants in the city. Of them, the majority are fine, but some fall disgustingly short of the city’s cleanliness requirements.
The most common violations, according to the city, are food stored at wrong temperatures, vermin, “plumbing” issues (the mind boggles) and basic food safety protocols not being followed.
Every week, the good folks at Patch will tell us which restaurants have gotten the chop – try not to read over your lunch break.
Inspection scores above 28 earn eateries a C grade and extra close monitoring from the city’s health department – which could decide to shut it down.
These are the restaurants closed down since September 14, 2019, according to the Department of Health:
El Paisa Tepeaca,1548 St. Nicholas Avenue
Violation Points: 64
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
3) Food not cooled by an approved method whereby the internal product temperature is reduced from 140º F to 70º F or less within 2 hours, and from 70º F to 41º F or less within 4 additional hours.
4) Food worker does not use proper utensil to eliminate bare hand contact with food that will not receive adequate additional heat treatment.
5) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
6) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions are conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
St. Nicholas Food & Café, St. Nicholas Food & Café
Violation Points: 35
1) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
2) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
3) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
Click here to the list of closed restaurants in other parts of the city.
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