Cooks with unsanitary habits, dead roaches among issues in some Bloomfield restaurant inspections

Roach carcasses, flies, rodent droppings and cooks with unsanitary habits such as taste-testing sauce on a hand and scratching a scalp without handwashing were just a few of the problems found at Bloomfield restaurants by health inspectors for the West Hartford/Bloomfield Health District.

The Courant obtained the public records through a Freedom of Information request that was fulfilled quickly and with a charge.

The records show at least eight restaurants/eateries in Bloomfield failed the inspection, but corrected the most serious violations by a re-inspection two weeks later or by a second re-inspection about a month later.

Aimee Krauss, director of the health district said the surprise inspections carry a “snapshot in time” and “we know people make mistakes.”

The purpose of the inspections, she said, is to keep the public and workers safe, as well as to educate restaurant owners on safe practices.

Krauss said that since the COVID-19 pandemic the employee turnover in restaurants has been high, so owners have to keep training.

Krauss said there’s an important collaborative and educational component to inspections, as inspectors work through problems with owners for as long as it takes.

“That’s an opportunity for restaurants to ask questions,” she said. “Our goal is to protect the public’s health,” as well as that of employees.

None of the restaurants on the Bloomfield fail list were closed permanently, although some may have closed for a few days to correct problems, Krauss said.

Records show Bloomfield restaurants/eateries that failed inspection from August 2022 to February 2023 include:

Isaac’s Bagel Cafe, 16 Mountain Ave., failed inspection on Oct. 17, 2022 with a score of 67 and two four-point violations, including hot and cold holding temperatures.

The inspector detailed violations and noticeable elements in notes, including: flies throughout the kitchen; rodent droppings in a dry storage and back kitchen area; unclean walls throughout the kitchen; missing air thermometers; tomatoes not washed before being sliced; coffee in coffee filters stored uncovered across from an ice machine; food stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler; fly control devices hung throughout the kitchen in food areas; melons stored on rack with cleaners and bleach across from a meat slicer; mold growth on the interior of the ice machine.

They were re-inspected again on Nov. 8, 2022 and failed with a 79, but passed on December 8, 2022 with a 97.

No one at the eatery could be reached for comment.

Sweet Delight Jamaican Cuisine, 715 Park Ave., failed inspection Dec. 6, 2022 with a score of 42. They had five four-point violations, including two for incorrect temperatures of food and one in a category that requires food to be “wholesome/ non-adulterated/safe.”

The inspector’s notes were extensive and included: a “cook used hand to lick sauce off of a hand to taste test;” “cook washed hands without soap after using his hand to lick sauce off of while taste testing;” rotten red peppers in the four-door reach-in cooler; a large pot of rice being held on the kitchen counter, which was ultimately voluntarily discarded; a pot of cod fish stored on a prep table; food uncovered in the reach-in cooler; bananas and ox tails stored on the floor of the kitchen. The inspector also noted several areas of uncleanliness.

Sweet Delight Jamaican Cuisine was re-inspected on Dec. 28 and failed with a 46. It included similar violations with a few added such as “Evidence of roaches, including roach carcasses found in kitchen;” “white chicken and ox tails being store at room temp on the kitchen floor; non-food related items stored in food prep area, including perfume and medications.

The eatery passed inspection the next time, but the record was not available.

A man who answered the phone at the restaurant, but would not identify himself said of the violations, “It’s already addressed. We’re back on track.”

Wah’s Garden, 22 Mountain Road, failed the inspection Sept. 16, 2022, with a 43 and six four-point violations, including for toxic items that must properly stored, labeled and used, and food temperatures.The inspector included numerous typed notes of detail, including that a cook dropped raw shrimp on the floor, picked the shrimp up off the floor and threw it back into the pile of shrimp to be cooked. The shrimp was later voluntarily discarded from the pile.

Also noted by the inspector was that the cook working shrimp did not wash his hands before he started working with food orders. The cook was also cleaning shrimp with bare hand contact, the notes state.

Other problems cited in the inspector’s notes include: thermometer issues; raw eggs stored above mushrooms in walk-in cooler; raw meat stored above sauces in walk in cooler; boxes of chicken stored on the floor of the walk-in cooler; sauces stored on floor under prep table; several unclean areas such as tops of prep tables; interior of rice cooker, interior of freezer; beef and fish thawing at room temperature in a three-bay sink flies in area of mop sink and grease trap.

Wah’s Garden was re-inspected Oct. 3, 2022 and failed with an 86, including three four-point violations. Then it passed with a 96 on another re-inspection Oct. 17, 2022.

A person answering the phone at the restaurant declined comment.

Carbone’s Kitchen, 6 Wintonbury Mall, failed inspection Dec. 22, 2022 with a score of 52, including four four-point violations that included incorrect temperatures and food cans not in good condition.

The inspector noted: severe black mold build up on walls in wash area; missing and broken thermometers; pastrami stored uncovered in the cooler across from dessert in cold holding unit; bare hand contact with food by cook preparing seafood; bare hand contact by cook putting cooked pasta into strainer to reheat; bare hand contact by server putting bread in the oven; back blade of deli slicer unclean; inside cabinets under deli slicer unclean. Carbone’s was re-inspected on Jan. 31, 2023 and passed with a 85.

The owner could not be reached for comment.

Chosen 1 Cajun Seafood, 772 Park Ave., failed inspection Dec. 28, 2022 with a 68, including two four-point violations, one of them for toxic items being improperly stored, labeled or used.

The inspector’s notes report a food worker rinsed hands in a prep sink with no soap and also over chicken thawing in water.

A food worker also did not wash hands “after scratching scalp and was going to attempt to prepare food,” the inspector wrote.

The inspector’s notes for Chosen 1 Seafood also state: No training documents for food workers; food containers on the floor of the walk in and dry storage area; wet, unclean cloths throughout the kitchen; no sanitizing buckets set up; toxic chemical stores next to lemon juice; mouthwash stored in ware washing area; dish soap stored in the floor next to onions and rice; unclean floor under equipment throughout kitchen.

The eatery was re-inspected on Jan.19, 2023 and passed with a 90, but at that time the inspector added a few things to the list including: the presence of fruit flies in bar area; flour, seasonings exposed, uncovered.

The owner could not be reached for comment.

Thai Palace, 18 Wintonbury Mall, failed inspecttion on Dec. 21, 2022 with one four-point violation for hand wash facility issues.

There were few notes by the inspector, which included: No individual training records for employees; interior of reach-in cooler units unclean; raw chicken and pork stored over containers of sauces in walk-in

They subsequently passed re-inspection, but the record wasn’t readily available.

Thai palace owner Jackie Sisavath said she and her husband are new owners and without the knowledge of how things should be done, took the guidance of the previous owners. Everything is now up to date, she said.

Naatiya Indian Restaurant, 8 Mountain Ave. failed inspection Dec. 8, 2022 with a 69, including two four-point violations one of them related to food temperature. There was no list of notes in the inspection received by the Courant.

They were re-inspected on Dec 28, 2022 and passed with a 92.

The manager could not be reached for comment.

Gino’s Pizza and Ranch House, 497 Cottage Grove Road failed inspection on August 8, 2022 with a score of 90 and one four-point violation that was temperature related. There were just a few inspector’s notes and one states, “small rodent feces under shelves in back room.” The restaurant was re-inspected on Sept. 6, 2022 and passed with a 96 and no mention of rodent droppings.

The owner could not be reached for comment.

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