Darien Health Department Rates Town Restaurants

Darien Health Department inspectors try to visit each food-serving establishment in town at least once every three months, and more often if serious problems are found.

In Connecticut, local health inspectors use a state points system for rating establishments. Each violation deducts one, two or even four points from a perfect "100" score in the state system.

A four-point deduction (not specifically noted on this table) means a restaurant must fix the problem by a specified date; restaurants with a score of 80 or below must fix problems immediately as well. The Darien Health Department has its own ratings of one ("Poor"), two ("Fair") or three plates ("Good") based on health inspection reports. Those ratings are independent of the state system.

While individual inspection reports may vary based on changing day-to-day circumstances, the Darien ratings are based more on an establishment's longer-term practices.

A food-serving establishment may dispute statements made by local health inspectors about whether it's following state health regulations, but unless the Health Department's finding is overturned through administrative or judicial authorities, it has the force of law.

If an establishment is deemed to be unsafe to the public, it will be shut down and won't be reopened unless or until inspectors decide it is safe, Darien Health Director David Knauf has said.

That means that if you get food from any food-serving establishment in town that's open, Darien Health Department inspectors think it's safe, based on what they saw on the days they inspected. (In the table below, each time a colon (";") is used, it separates a comment (or "note") referring to a specific violation of the state health code for food-serving establishments. The inspection reports show what particular regulation was said to be violated, but those details aren't noted here.)

The following list shows what scores local food-serving establishments received under the state scoring system from Darien Health Department inspectors, the rating under the Darien system, the inspection date and comments by the inspectors as noted in inspection reports:

Scena — April 11
State rating: 96
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's remarks: "Sanitizer concentration less than 50 ppm—check strength of sanitizer more frequently; squeeze bottles not labeled; exterior of microwave not clean; no hot holding at time of inspection."

Duchess Restaurant — April 10
State rating: 94
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's remarks: "Can opener not clean—metal shards buildup between blade and gear; refrigerator filter and motor unit—heavy dust, grease and food-spillage buildup; reuse of single service article as a dispensing utensile—stored/left in food item. Food item was discarded in my presence; exterior of refrigerator not clean, heavy food-spillage buildup; noteworthy improvement in sanitation and temperature control. Also, good food handling at the cook line."

Friendly's Restaurant — April 10
State rating: 96
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's remarks: "Boxes of food items on floor of freezer—recent delivery; food dispensing utensil not properly stored—between utility line and wall surface; handle of microwave broken/missing—not matained; very good temperature: cold and hot, clean, and good food protection in cooler units."