Rats! Several restaurants in downtown Delray Beach were shut down last month for sanitation and safety violations that involved rodent infestations.
Blue Anchor Pub, MV Take-Out Restaurant and Gou Lakay & American Taste were closed for service after state inspectors failed them for extreme violations.
All reopened within days of closing, after reinspections found only minor infractions.
Now they’ll have surprise inspections four times a year, based on the closures, said Barry Goldman, a recently retired inspector.
Otherwise, most restaurants get looked at twice a year, at random intervals, unless there are complaints.
“We can show up anytime during the day,” he said.
Goldman inspected restaurants in Broward and Palm Beach counties for the state’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation, restaurant and hotels division.
He also taught food safety as a chef-instructor for the former Florida Culinary Institute in West Palm Beach. His résumé includes executive chef positions at several hotels in Miami Beach, including the Fountainbleu, and Hollywood’s Diplomat. He also was chef at New York City’s Playboy Club.
Although the presence of live creature activity — rodents or insects — gets a restaurant shut down immediately, it’s not always the biggest threat to diners’ health, he said.
“The biggest way people get sick is from the people who handle the food. You’re not getting sick from the hamburger, but the way the guy makes the hamburger.”
Common violations involve cooks who cross-contaminate fresh foods and raw proteins.
“Someone’s working the grill, and puts a raw burger patty on the grill, then with the same hand — gloved or not — grabs a bun. Or picks up cheese. Now the bun or the rest of the cheese is contaminated with raw meat. It has to be thrown out,” Goldman said.
The storage of raw proteins over fresh products eaten raw, such as raw chicken stored over mushrooms or lettuce, is a serious violation.
If a restaurant has extreme violations, it’s shut down. The owners/operators can correct the problems and call for an inspection right away. If inspectors are satisfied, the restaurant can reopen, often the next day.
Temperature is vital
A number of violations can add up to citations, fines or closure, Goldman said.
Temperature problems are one big red flag.
“Somebody orders a piece of fish. It must be cooked to a minimum of 145 degrees. We get out our needle and check it,” he said.
To prevent any arguments over readings, the inspector’s thermometers are calibrated to the restaurant’s, Goldman said.
Reheated cooked foods must be warmed to 165 degrees then held at 135 indefinitely. They should be cooled to 41 degrees to hold overnight, then brought back to temperature.
Italian restaurants are terrible about taking care of leftover soups or pasta sauces to be reheated the next day, Goldman said.
“Where is it? ‘In the walk-in,’ they say. We go in, it’s in a big pot. Stick in the needle. They’re not under 41 degrees, so they’re not legally edible. It has to be thrown out.”
Checking a list
Inspectors have an 82-point checklist in their comprehensive sweep of a restaurant.
From the temperature of the coolers and foods, to the condition of holding containers, to the sink handles, tongs for bar condiments, and ice machines — inspectors have a lot to look at.
They bring flashlights and gloves to inspect inside, over, under and around equipment.
“We’re looking outside the restaurant for flies,” Goldman said. “They’re almost worse than cockroaches. Flies transmit bacteria. They eat anything and everything and spit it on food.”
Cardboard is a breeding ground for roaches in the kitchens, he said. “Cockroaches have their own spas, we say.”
Removing grease buildup on hoods and stoves and sanitizing sinks and drains are important. Certain dish sanitizers must be used, and hot water must work at handwashing sinks.
Every restaurant owner is aware of all these things, Goldman said, through the state’s required training and certification for safe food handling and serving.
“Every single manager of a restaurant has to go to training. It’s a ServSafe manager’s certification. The managers must then teach all of their employees, and they get a certification as well.”
The employees have 90 days after hiring to get the certificate, or to bring one from a previous restaurant that’s dated. Certificates for managers are good for five years; for servers and food handlers, three years.
A restaurant is required to have a certified manager on duty at all times — and managers must present their certificates when an inspector pops up.
Step by step
Inspections are random, Goldman said.
“We can go in at lunch. The servers say, ‘But we’re right in the middle of service.’ That is usually the best time to see how food is being handled and served. We can observe the cooks surreptitiously while writing on our notebook,” Goldman said.
He starts with the appearance of the place, and the staff.
Cooks must have hats or hairnets — even bald cooks, and if beards are long, beard guards.
No jewelry, including watches, is allowed in the kitchen. “They harbor bacteria that can be transferred to the food,” Goldman said.
And no fake nails are allowed in the kitchen.
“Servers can have fake fingernails. They aren’t touching the food,” Goldman said.
Aprons should be reasonably clean. The floor can have pieces of food, especially during service times.
“We’re not looking for something that was dropped during prep. We’re looking for food that was kicked under a table or stove and not cleaned up,” Goldman said.
All equipment is inspected. Slicers are problematic, because the guards frequently get dirty. That merits a citation and can result in fines if enough violations pile up.
Bars get inspected, as well. Dairy products, such as heavy cream, must be stored at under 41 degrees and not left out behind the bar. Lemons, olives and onions have tongs or spoons for serving — no bare hands should touch them.
And, “the bartender is the only one who can touch a bare straw,” Goldman said.
Every bar must have a three-compartment sink, for dumping, washing and rinsing glasses. They are then air-dried.
“Think of towels used to wipe the glasses — they’ll wipe the bar and spread all the bacteria. So no. Air-dry only,” Goldman said.
In restroom inspections, the smelly ones get immediate attention. The odor has to do with drains backing up by not being sanitized properly.
“We go to some restaurants, they have an Out of Order sign on the door. They say it’s to keep outsiders from using their bathrooms. That’s illegal. Every restaurant must have working public facilities,” Goldman said.
All of this is to protect the diner, he said, not to punish a restaurant.
“We work for you. We represent the consumer.”
The public can anonymously report restaurants to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation online if they suspect problems. Inspectors are sent out for every report, Goldman said.
If three or more reports come in from people reporting food-borne illness, it’s turned over to the county Health Department and is considered an outbreak. An investigation follows.
But the inspectors do a lot to keep the public safe and prevent this. Goldman said, “You’d be amazed at what we catch.”
Food and Wine series at Delray Beach Open
The Delray Beach Open is stepping up its popular Food and Wine series, with more chefs and mixologists coming to the culinary tent at the Tennis Center.
The tournament celebrates its 34th year Feb. 13-22.
New this year is “Serve & Savor: A Taste of Italy,” a tasting event on Feb. 21 featuring wines from official partner Caymus Vineyards. Returning are longtime fan favorites, including “Game, Set, Pour,” “Burgers, Bourbon & Brew,” “Tacos, Tequila & Tennis,” and the extravagant “Grand Tasting.”
All are ticketed events that sell out quickly.
Events involving more than 40 restaurants and beverage partners, with curated tastings, specialty cocktail offerings, and appearances by ATP players are scheduled.
Tickets and more information are online at Delraybeachopen.com/en/food-and-wine. Events are rain or shine; no refunds or exchanges. Most Food and Wine events are limited to people 21 and older.
Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.
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