Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Food
Bloomberg Fires Back At Restaurants Fed Up With Grading System
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 11, 2012
Modified Mar 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published Mar 11, 2012
Modified Mar 11, 2012
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
After restaurant and bar owners pushed back against the Health Department's grading system last week, Mayor Bloomberg is letting everyone know that the DOH's red pen is wielded for our own good. "Kitchens across the City are cleaner," the mayor said in his Sunday radio address, pointing to 7% jump in "A" rated restaurants within a year. Salmonella infections are also at a 20-year-low. "That’s great news for everyone who lives or works in our City, or who visits us on business or on vacation." So they can stop salmonella, but not Dorito-based taco shells?
The mayor also responded to the 68% of owners who noted in an anonymous survey that the DOH's system significantly added to the cost of doing business. "New York’s restaurant business is booming…during the first nine months of the program—the period for which we have full figures—restaurant sales actually increased 9.3 percent citywide."
Perhaps the biggest issue owners have against the system is that it's arbitrary and inconsistent. Those claims are backed by a massive study of more than 500,000 inspections performed across the country, which stated that New York City failed to maintain a clear process for tallying violations and keeping the inspections themselves consistent.
We've witnessed two Health Department inspections firsthand and can attest that different inspectors can tell managers vastly different things—from where a hand-wash only sink can be to the temperature braising meats must be kept.
Also, when an inspection team enters a restaurant, you'd think they were INTERPOL. "When they come into my restaurant, there's fear in the restaurant," Dallas BBQ owner and 60-year restaurant vet Herb Wetanson said. "Even though we're A's. There's fear, and they want to generate that…These people come into our premises as enemies, not as friends, not correcting us…they want to catch you, and that makes money for the city." Indeed it does.
In his radio address, Bloomberg largely papers over the issues of inconsistent inspections and opts for the cheesy joke. "The proof is in the pudding—and more than ever, the pudding is being prepared according to the highest food safety standards." That must KILL at the country club where everyone drinks iced beer.
Tagged
christine quinn
doh
grading system
health department
mayor bloomberg
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE food
Where are the cheapest drinks in NYC? A new report details the city's average prices.
The median price of a cocktail in the city is now $16, and $9 for a draft beer.
By
Hannah Frishberg
Published Oct 19, 2026
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
Food
North African restaurants are rare in NYC. These 10 are the best.
Egyptian, Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian food is delicious but underrepresented in the city.
By
Robert Sietsema
10 dishes that demonstrate the delicious diversity of curry in New York City
By
Robert Sietsema
Frozen yogurt is back in New York City. So are the super long lines.
By
Sonia Rao
5 NYC banana puddings as good as Magnolia's
By
Hannah Frishberg
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .