Tag Archives: Flies

Fancy food ain’t safe food: Waldorf Astoria edition

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DNA Info reports that a banquet kitchen at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria hotel was shut down by the Health Department on Monday when inspectors discovered it was overridden with flies.

waldorfOne of eight banquet kitchens at the tony 301 Park Ave. hotel was forced to close for violations including presence of filth flies, storing food at unsafe temperatures and failure to protect food from potential contamination, according to online records.

The hotel was reinspected and allowed to reopen on Wednesday, according to the DOH.

Waldorf Astoria New York has four restaurants and bars that remained open while that particular kitchen was closed, according to a spokesman for the hotel.

The hotel has 40 banquet rooms for parties with up to 1,500 guests.

A spokesman for the hotel defended cleanliness at the Waldorf Astoria, and said staff worked quickly to address the issues raised in the recent inspection.

“Along with the safety of our guests, the cleanliness of our hotel is of the utmost importance and is a focal point of our operations,” said a spokesman for Waldorf Astoria New York.

Falafel Feast fails 3 NYC inspections in 2 weeks with flies

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A Kips Bay falafel restaurant failed three inspections in a row this month, after Health Department inspectors found live roaches, filth flies and pesticides that were misused, city records show.

Falafel Feast, at 413 Second Ave., was initially shut down Jan. 6, when inspectors slapped it with 56 violation points for problems including roaches, flies, misuse of pesticides and Falafel Feastfood that was not protected from contamination, according to Health Department records.

During the inspection, the DOH found a can of King Pine Ant and Roach Killer under a sink, earning the restaurant violation points for using a prohibited residential pesticide in a food preparation space, the agency said.

The restaurant was inspected again on Jan. 10, but inspectors decided it should remain closed and issued another 20 violation points for similar issues, including roaches and flies, plus a failure to maintain the plumbing system, according to records.

The Health Department returned a third time on Jan. 14 but found that Falafel Feast was still plagued by roaches and flies, records show. Inspectors issued 37 violation points and ordered that the restaurant remain closed.

The eatery was gated as of Wednesday afternoon, and the phone number had been disconnected.

You want flies with that? Closed Popeyes leaves disgusting mark on east New York

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The Daily News reports East New York residents are crying foul over a shuttered chicken joint that reeks of rotting food and is covered in dead flies (right, exactly as shown, photo from Daily News).

"It smells like a dead animal has been in there a while," said Maryann August, a clerk at Strauss Discount Auto store next door to the closed-down Popeyes.

People in the neighborhood said it is a mystery why the once popular fast-food franchise closed down suddenly.

When the Daily News visited yesterday, the doors to the restaurant were padlocked shut. Hundreds of dead flies were piled up on dining room tables and window sills.

A trash can in front of the restaurant was overflowing with garbage and two Dumpsters in back were filled with trash.

On warm days, the rotten stench coming from the place gets so strong that it can be smelled for blocks, neighbors said.

Popeyes spokeswoman Karlie Lahm said the franchise’s owner, NY Inner City Chicken Inc., is in bankruptcy. Officials at NY Inner City Chicken couldn’t be reached for comment.
 

Luxury hotel infested with flies because dyslexic chef couldn’t read use-by dates on food, owners fined

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I used a variation of the headline in today’s Daily Mail, but it would appear there were additional food safety issues at this fancy-pants hotel.

The luxurious Mellington Hall Hotel, in Wales, describes itself as a ‘hidden gem’ nestling in 280 acres of beautiful parkland and serving only the finest food and drink.

But when environmental health inspectors arrived they found a ‘significant fly infestation’, mouldy strawberries and cream past its use-by date.

The Victorian gothic mansion, which boasts on its website that it offers ‘a combination of the finest food and drink savoured in elegantly furnished surroundings with an attentive and knowledgeable staff to make your meal with us unforgettable’, was closed immediately and deep-cleaned following the inspection last July.

But after a second visit this month also found mouldy food, it emerged that the chef was dyslexic and had been unable to read the use-by dates.

Lance Thomas and his wife Vanessa, with whom he runs the hotel near Church Stoke, Powys, Wales, were fined a total of £6,750 at Welshpool magistrates for the breaches of hygiene. They have now adopted a colour-coded system so that the unnamed chef can identify the food that is going off.

Court also heard health-types found trays of cooked meat and vegetables on the floor of the chiller, flies landing on food preparation surfaces and on open food left uncovered in the kitchen, and unwrapped brie on top of moldy strawberries.
 

Would you like flies with that?

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Although it’s winter in New Zealand, back in North America it’s summer, and summer means flies. I distinctly remember eating dinner at my camp with sticky fly traps (pictured right) hanging above the dinner table, dead flies stuck to it, daring to drop onto my cob of corn.

Chicagobusiness.com reports that Dunkin’ Donuts on West Madison St. has had its food license suspended after a recent inspection reported a fruit fly infestation.

The Department of Public Health had cited the Dunkin’ Donuts on June 8 for the health code violation and gave the restaurant management a week to correct the problem. A follow-up inspection on Monday found “dozens of fruit flies” in the kitchen and dining area…

The location also was cited for a poorly maintained and overflowing garbage bin and gaps in its front door that were large enough to allow rodents and insects to enter the premises.

The restaurant will face a fine that could total $1,000 and will be required to appear at an administrative hearing on July 23.

Restaurant inspection results for Chicago are available online, found here or here, with the latest inspection for Dunkin’ Donuts showing as a pass in October, 2007.