Community Corner
Health Inspection Reports: 2 Eateries 'Fair,' 11 'Good'
In 13 recent Darien health inspections, two restaurants got a "fair" rating, then one was reinspected and joined the other 10 with "good" ratings.
In the most recently released health code inspection reports by the Darien Health Department, Two restaurants received ratings of "fair" and 11 other inspections resulted in ratings of "Good."
Wild Ginger at 971 Post Rd. and Bodega Taco Bar at 980 Post Rd. each received the middling "fair" ratings in the town's three-tier rating system. Bodega Taco Bar then was re-inspected a few days later and received a "Good" rating.
Ten other food-serving establishments (including Darien Seafood, which primarily sells fish for cooking) received "Good" ratings.
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The following list shows what scores local food-serving establishments received under the state scoring system ("state rating," in which 1-4 points are deducted for each violation, with 100 being a perfect score) from Darien Health Department inspectors.
The Health Department also gives a rating under the Darien system ("Darien rating," in which a "Good," "Fair," or "Poor" is given to restaurants that pass inspections). Also shown below are the inspection date and comments by the inspectors as noted in inspection reports. The comments, which each refer to a numbered list of state inspection elements (here omitted), are separated by semicolons (";"). Occasionally an inspector will make general comments at the end of the report.
Some of these inspection reports were done by a different inspector than is normally on the scene, and that may be why the citations of violations are interspersed with other information. In the quotations below from the reports, the other information is given after the citations in a separate paragraph. This is done so that readers don't think certain notes are violations, making the report look unfairly worse for the restaurant. Words underlined in the quotes below were underlined in the reports.
Here are the most recent reports released by the Health Department (after the Wild Ginger and Bodega Taco Bar reports, other reports are listed in chronological order by date):
- Bodega Taco Bar, 980 Post Rd. -- Dec. 16
Darien rating: Fair
Inspector's remarks: [See also the reinspection report from Dec. 19, below] "Uncovered food in storage: food items to be fried at line; spatula chipping on cook line -- replaced; unclean floors at line -- under equipment; chipped, broken lid on hot holding unit on line; [check mark, indicating these temperature notes are not a violation] meat at 174 degrees, bean at 196 degrees, ckn [chicken?] at 198 degrees hot holding unit; [other temperature notes are listed as a violation, but the inspector's note isn't entirely legible -- Patch will ask Darien Health Department for clarification]; wedging in-use knife between counters; meat slicer must be sanitized; no food thermometer available in kitchen -- must be in all refrigeration; wash at 158 degrees, rinse at 172 degrees (must reach 180 degrees in hot-water sanitizer)."
Three check marks, one against each of the following notes, indicating the inspector is not citing violations with them: "Shellfish tags must [be] kept for 90-plus days (mussels and clams); hand washing observed; quat at 100 to 200 ppm [parts per million] in bucket."
- Bodega Taco Bar, 980 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: [See also inspection report from Dec. 16, above] "Bare-hand contact on line with RTE [ready-to-eat] food; uncovered food in hot holding unit; label all spices not in original containers; unclean under grill and [illegible -- Darien Patch will ask the Health Department for clarification]."
Check marks against these notes from throughout the report, indicating that they are not violations: "Food thermometers purchased for all line chefs; rice cooling in walk-in at 167 degrees; hot holding [greater than] 140 degrees; cold holding [less than] 45 degrees; training of employees has begun -- will be completed ASAP; Quat at 200 ppm [parts per million] bucket -- prep area; dishmachine [dish washer?] was fixed -- rinse at 188 degrees; many improvements from previous inspection."
- Wild Ginger, 971 Post Rd. -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Fair
Inspector's remarks: "No soap at hand sink on line; back door open -- no screen; dirty floors throughout kitchen and walk-in; shopping bgs used in storage of raw meat; food contact surfaces unclean; [the following comment counted as two different violations] uncovered food in walk-in (large amount [of] food on floor); food contact surfaces unclean; [the following comment counted as two different violations] unclean shelving (rusting) shelving walk-in; unshielded light in walk-in; storage items in hand sink (at line and prep sink); [the following comment counted as two different violations] unclean cutting boards in various storage areas -- (X6); not sanitizing cutting boards (only soap)."
Check marks (or, in the last note, an asterisk -- "*") were made against these notes from throughout the report, indicating that they are not violations: "Rice at 155 degrees white, brown at 153 degrees; Cooking temperatures: chicken at 180 degrees, beef at 161 degrees; hot holding greater than 140 degrees, soups, wontons; wash at 143 degrees, rinse at 185 degrees, dishmachine [dish washer?]; bleach at 50 ppm in bucket; work on training all staff."
- The Goose, 972 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Various foods uncovered during storage; produce not washed before cutting; hand sink used for purposes other than washing hands; glasses, serving utensils not properly stored (not inverted)."
- Post Corner Pizza, 847 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Food containers stored on floor of walk-in; raw foods stored over RTE [ready-to-eat] foods in walk-in; cardboard used as mats in pizza prep area; no paper towels at hand sink (work line); no hair restraint on cook/solid cloth hanging from apron."
Temperature notes [not violations]: "Soups - 178 degrees/158 degrees -- OK; Chicken - 158 degrees -- OK."
- Mama Carmella's, 1981 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Fair
Inspector's remarks: "Interior of reach-in freezer not clean [noted twice in the inspection report, meaning it counted as two different violations for the same problem]; water stored on floor in walk-in cooler; no paper towel at hand sink (deli area); clothes/purses stored in prep area; granulars not labeled, not in original container; scoop with no handle used for granulars -- embedded in granular."
- Darien Seafood Market, 1941 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "No lid on trash receptacle bathroom; ice scoop not properly stored; uncovered fish in walk-in."
- Chuck's Steak House, 1340 Post Rd. -- Dec. 19
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Foil used to line shelves in reach-in cooler in kitchen; serving plates not stored inverted in service area; preset tables (items not protected)."
- Gofer Ice Cream (not on the Health Department's online listings; here's the store website), 1020 Post Rd. -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Dish-wash gloves stored in hand sink; outside of microwave oven unclean; food item not covered in reach-in (storage area)."
- Jimmy's Southside, 340 Heights Rd. -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Chicken wings not covered in walk-in; popcorn machine not clean; in-use utensils not properly stored between use (hanging from equipment); hand sink at cook line unclean (food residue); serving plates improperly stored (not inverted)."
- Ten Twenty Post, --- 1020 Post Rd. -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Chickens not covered in walk-in downstairs; serving plates not stored inverted; items stored in hand sink; oven racks stored on floor in kitchen; in-use utensils not properly stored, in-use knife stored in bain-marie."
Additional note: "All temps good. Establishment clean and organized."
- Scena, 1077 Post Rd. -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Items stored in hand sink; preset tables (items not protected); squeeze bottles not labeled; food containers stored on floor in walk-in; in-use utensils not properly stored; dustless sweeping not maintained."
Additional note: "Temperatures OK."
- Sbarro, Darien South rest stop, Interstate 95 -- Dec. 20
Darien rating: Good
Inspector's remarks: "Knife not stored properly between use (soiled and on cutting board); no paper towel at hand sink (ware-wash); hand sink (ware-wash) used for purposes other than hand washing; in-use wiping cloth not stored in sanitizer during non use."
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