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[UPDATE] DOH to Slap "C's" on 6,000 Restaurants Next Week
By
Zoe Schlanger
Published Jul 19, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
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By
Zoe Schlanger
Published Jul 19, 2010
Modified Jul 20, 2010
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[UPDATE BELOW]
In the wake of Katz's Deli's 47-pointer on its most recent health inspection, it seemed like a good idea to take a closer look at what other NYC eateries will most likely be branded with the yellow C of doom when the DOH letter grades begin taking up residence in restaurant windows next week. A quick look at the DOH's complete inspection reports had some pretty terrifying news for a long list of restaurants—more than 6,000 by the Post's count—and for our collective gastrointestinal system.
Among the offenders is Think Coffee, whose Mercer St. location racked up 30 points, while their other three posts all scored in the B range but bore the grossest of violation comments: "Evidence of, or flying insects in facility's food and/ or non-food areas...Evidence of, or live mice in facility's food and/ or non-food areas." Cafe Habana on Elizabeth St. received a terrifying 64 points, and you should probably opt out of UES 69-pointer Blue Moon Mexican Cafe where the guy making your tortillas might either be "ill with a disease transmissible by food" or brandishing an "infected cut or burn on hand(s)." Momofuku Noodle Bar on 1st Ave would have escaped C status by one point with a score of 27, as would Gramercy brunch hot spot Friend of a Farmer, which seems to have a mice problem in need of correcting.
UPDATE 7/20: Momofuku's publicist has let us know that this 27 point grade is the result of a crazy mix-up that resulted from the Health Department inspector going to the wrong restaurant. They've forwarded us a copy of the letter from the Health Department, which confirms that "the 27-point inspection on June 3 has been withdrawn from the DOH records." The DOH updates their website infrequently, which is why the website is not up to date. During their previous four inspections, Momofuku Noodle Bar never scored higher than a 10, which is in the A range.
Like food safety attorney Sarah Klein told us, "Right now, a restaurant that narrowly escapes closure gets to keep that poor performance a hidden shame. No one knows how closely it came to having its doors shut." All that's about to change, so brace for a daily bout of hypochondria when you realize that great little place on the corner doesn't refrigerate their milk. But one needn't live in perpetual repulsion: all Shake Shack locations are within A-range—so now you can safely say you're standing around waiting on line for your health.
Tagged
cafe habana
doh
Friend of a Farmer
katz's deli
momofuku
Restaurant health inspection
restaurant letter grading
Sarah Klein
shake shack
Zoe Schlanger
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