Recent Darien Health Dept Inspection Reports

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:

Palmer's Market — April 5
State rating: 96
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's Remarks: "Boxes with food items on floor of walk-in cooler—bakery; service all fan covers—fan covers in produce and bakery not clean; heavy soot and grease build up on wall and on ceiling tiles in bakery department above oven"

Vavala's Delicatessen/Caterer — April 8
State rating: 93
Darien rating: "Fair"
Inspector's Remarks: "Thermometer need in display cooler; bread uncovered at service line; boxes with food items on floor of walk-in cooler; numerous broken-down cardboard boxes not discarded"

Heights Pizza  — April 8
State rating: 93
Darien rating: "Fair"
Inspector's Remarks: "Thermometer not calibrated—corrected in my presence; mixing bowl stored/left in container of pizza sauce—bare-hand contact of other than ready-to-eat food; food dispensing utensil not properly stored—see #9 [previous note] above; wall and ceiling in dry storage area in disrepair; Inspector comments: Improved condition in dry storage area—nice job. However, wall and ceiling are in need of repair—this has negatively impacted your rating. These conditions have been cited on numerous inspections."

Abello's Deli — April 8
State rating: 97
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's Remarks: "Interior lower-shelf food spillage build up; apron heavily soiled with wiping cloth stuck in apron string."

Chuck's Steak House  — April 9
State rating: 93
Darien rating: "Good"
Inspector's Remarks: "Food container stored on floor—food cart with milk; sanitizer not available at any station; single service articles not inverted—not properly stored in basement; pre-set tableware."