The Chester County Health Department decided to start the year with a bang – or rather a series of infractions. Eleven local restaurants were found out of compliance this month. Check the list below for your favorites. I’m guessing at least one is there.
Chris’s Pizza, 633 S. Walnut, out, 8 violations including a refrigerator not cooling to safe temps, pizza slices left sitting at room temperature without a record of when they were put there, and the cook line and refrigeration areas in need of a good cleaning.
Pizza West Chester, 136 E. Market St, out, 10 violations including undated cheese, a heavy flour-like debris found on the floor throughout, and prep tables, ice maker, storage shelves, sinks, and sink surrounds all in need of a good scrub. The inspector, also, wasn’t impressed with Pizza West Chester’s signature presentation. “Pizzas being boxed and sliced on front counter with no splash guard,” the report read. It seems the inspector has no appreciation for showmanship.
Vano’s Pizza and Restaurant, out, 12 violations, including employees touching rolls with bare hands, raw eggs stored above ready-to-eat foods, pizza left at room temperature without a record of when, and a bunch of cleaning tasks from the dough sheeter to the meat slicer to the floors below.
Kooma, 123 N. Church St, out, 2 violations including live cockroaches found in the storage closet behind the dishwashing area, and, perhaps even more surprising to me concerning a sushi restaurant that has been in business for more than 20 years, no approved plan for the acidification of its sushi rice. Sushi rice is mixed with vinegar to lower the pH and “acidify” it. It is a common industry practice without which the rice must be kept refrigerated.
The Social Lounge, 145 W. Gay St., out, 6 violations including ready-to-eat foods without a datemark and a gap observed below a door from the kitchen to outside. Gaps under doors easily lead to pests in the kitchen. “Fix immediately,” the inspector suggested.
Market Street Grille, 6 W. Market St., out, 18 violations, including prepared foods not being properly reheated and stored at an adequate temperature. These foods were discarded onsite. Thermometers were also noted missing in the kitchen and on the refrigerator. In addition, the cafe was left with several cleaning and repair tasks.
Thomas’ Dairy Queen, 703 E. Gay St., out, 4 violations, including not having a certified food manager onsite and employees washing hands in sinks not designated for handwashing.
Paoli Pike Sunoco, out, 3 violations, including a broken freezer not keeping food cooled to a safe temp, and non-food contact surfaces showing accumulated dirt and soil.
West Chester Golf & Country Club, out, 5 violations, including a citrus press and ice scoop in need of cleaning and two cartons of whipped cream held more than a week past their sell-by date.
Dutch Family Meats, Westtown Amish Market, 1165 Wilmington Pike, out, 5 violations including containers labeled “Raw beef dog food” found in the display freezer alongside consumer packaged meats and “clean” pans marked with noticeable food residue. These were re-washed during the inspection.
Fisher’s Salad, Westtown Amish Market, 1165 Wilmington Pike, out, 7 violations including raw turkey stored over macaroni salad, pre-made puddings without an ingredient label, and pans of stuffed peppers, mashed potatoes, ham and beans, stewed tomatoes and more not properly cooled and stored. “Pans of food were discarded on-site,” the report states.
Pretzel & Log House, Westtown Amish Market, 1165 Wilmington Pike, out, 3 violations including soda cups on a prep table without a lid, a ranch dressing bottle being re-used for marinara sauce, and marinara sauce stored on top of the pepperoni. All of which leads me to conclude, we get way too into our pretzels around here.
However, it wasn’t all bad news for the Amish Market: back in were Emma’s Healthy Choices, H&L Grill, J&R Bakery, and King’s Garden.
Also, facing a second month of scrutiny, Ground Provision. While down to just 2 violations, the vegan eatery on Old Wilmington Pike seems to be at odds with Chester County Health Inspectors over a date marking process. “Foods requiring date marking were beyond the date-marking and required discarding,” the inspectors wrote before also noting the facility is to submit documentation on foods kept longer than seven days. This leads me to believe there may be some disagreement over what should be considered acceptable storage length.
You can find all the restaurant inspection reports here. Search by location for more details.
Originally published on Feb. 2, 2024
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