Restaurant inspections in CT towns find mouse feces in bucket of wings, staff ignoring hygiene rules

The director of health for the Connecticut district said the inspection system, changed since last year to the FDA model, puts more focus on acts of those preparing food and leaves more judgment of inspectors.

Mouse droppings in a bucket of wings, fish thawing in stagnant water, crackers stored in a cardboard box that raw chicken thighs came in and employees touching their hair, face or ear buds, phones without washing their hands.

These are a handful of violations found during separate recent restaurant inspections in the West Hartford-Bloomfield Health District.

Inspection records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act show 17 eateries in the district failed with “priority item” — or the most serious — violations. The inspections were done over the last four months.

Inspection violations generally run the gamut from scoops without handles stored in bulk food items to food being served or stored at incorrect temperatures.

The “priority” violations include those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness, health department officials said.

Aimee Krauss, director of health for the district, said the inspection system, changed since last year to the FDA model, puts more focus on the acts of those preparing food and leaves more judgment of inspectors.

None of the failed restaurants on the list present a danger to the public, as in that case the department would have used the statute to close them down, Krauss said.

“They’re not opening if it’s not safe. This inspection is a tool,” Krauss said. “We don’t want outbreaks.”

Krauss said the inspection is a “snapshot in time,” noting restaurants don’t know when an inspector will show up.

Krauss said many times the violations are corrected immediately during the inspection, such as discarding food that had stored been at the wrong temperature.

As part of that shift in inspections, “We’ve done a lot education,” with restaurant owners and that’s the most important, Krauss said.

“Our goal is to protect the public and employees,” so people will continue to frequent restaurants in West Hartford and Bloomfield and enjoy the dining, Krauss said.

The inspections don’t give a score, but rather it’s a pass/fail and includes the number of priority violations.

The district’s assistant health director, Chris Hansen, said the five major risk factors they look for in order to reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness include:

• Poor personal hygiene such as improper hand washing and/or not washing hands when necessary; bare hand contact with ready-to-eat foods, food service employees working while ill, rns on hands and wrists.
• Food from unsafe sources, including food received from unapproved food sources and/or prepared in unpermitted locations.
• Improper cooking temperatures and/or methods, including reheating, freezing.
• Improper holding, time and temperature.
• Food contamination, including use through use of equipment, poor employee practices, improper storage or preparation, exposure to chemicals.

Since these inspections, all of the restaurants have passed reinspection, Hansen said, including Plan B Burger Bar, which failed its first reinspection.

Here are the restaurants that failed inspection in the last four months:

The Place 2 Be , 50 Memorial Road, West Hartford

Had nine priority item violations. Inspector’s notes about the state of the restaurant include floors, outside of kitchen equipment, can opener blade that were unclean; shelled eggs stored in mostly melted ice by flat top grill; kitchen staff not wearing hair restraints, unclean interior of microwave; person at front service desk removed ear buds with gloves on, put hands in pocket several times without changing gloves, and changed tasks several times, pasta stored at wrong temp.

Gina Luari, owner of the restaurant and The Statement Group, released this statement: “We pride ourselves on ensuring that our staff and guests are taken care of. CT recently moved to the FDA federal code in 2023 and like many other Connecticut restaurants we had to change things to meet the new code which is why so many had a hard time passing this initial inspection. When the initial inspection was conducted they informed us what we had to change to meet the new code. We changed and adhered to the new FDA code in two weeks time and passed the reinspection. It is important to at the community understand the process before any judgment is made. Our team will continue to work hard to maintain a safe and clean working environment for everyone.”

Bonchon, 1459 New Britain Ave., West Hartford

Had one priority item violation and inspector’s notes include: Food worker eating during prep work; cooking utensil stored in hand sink; improper holding temperature for chicken; rear back door with gap for rodents and insects to enter; plastic shoe box used to store food in cooler; unclean floors throughout and under equipment.

Neither the owner nor manager could be reached for comment.

Prai Kitchen, 23 LaSalle Road, West Hartford

Had 8 priority item violations and inspector’s notes include: kitchen hand sink not working; items stored in kitchen hand sink; mold build up in the ice machine; bowls nesting on top of food in cold holding units; improper thawing of raw pork; food stored on floor of walk in freezer; using dirty dish station in ware washing area as a prep station to cut mushrooms.

Neither the owner nor manager could be reached.

Cha Papi, 150 Shield St., West Hartford

Had three priority item violations. Inspector’s notes include: employee not washing hands after changing tasks; no date markings for items in reach-in coolers; presence of fruit flies; unlabeled food not stored in its original container; fan to cool food is covered in dust.

Neither the owner nor manager could be reached.

KT Bakery, 552 New Park Ave., West Hartford

Had six priority violations. Among the conditions an inspector included in notes are: unclean hand sink; food items stored in hand sink; sticky rice stored in to go containers uncovered on shelf in front of store; fruit flies in establishment; mouse droppings in basement; rice meal stored at room temperature; leaking grease trap.

Neither the owner nor manager could be reached for comment.

Jumbo Buffet, 409 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield

Had four priority item violations. The inspector noted mouse droppings in bucket of wings in kitchen (voluntarily discarded); chicken stored on the floor in the kitchen (discarded); rodent droppings present in multiple areas throughout the establishment; unclean shelving in the walk in cooler; unclean walls and flooring throughout the establishment

A person answering the phone at the restaurant who didn’t identify themselves, said, “Everything is good. It was small stuff we had to catch up on.”

Taste of India, 139 South Main St., West Hartford

Had 3 priority item violations. The inspector’s notes include: hands not washed at proper times by kitchen staff; eggs stored over ready to eat items in walk-in food cooler; food items stored on the floor in the kitchen area; uncovered items throughout the walk-in cooler; medicine stored on kitchen shelf; rusty shelving on multiple pieces of equipment in kitchen; unclean equipment throughout establishment, stained ceiling tiles in rear dining area.

A person who answered the phone hung up on the Courant when told why they were calling.

Blue Elephant Trail, a Thai restaurant at 7 S. Main St., West Hartford

Had five priority item violations. The inspector’s notes include: cook assembling ready to eat dragon roll with bare hands (discarded); severely dented can of baby corn on can rack in dry storage area; raw pork stored above carrots in walk in cooler; food items uncovered in sliding door reach in cooler; food stored on floor in walk in freezer; shelled eggs stored above pineapple in walk in cooler; foods throughout not properly date marked; coats and personal items stored on bags of rice in the basement.

The owner did not return the Courant’s phone call.

Naaliya Indian Restaurant, 8 Mountain Ave., Bloomfield

Had nine priority violations. The inspector’s notes include: not all kitchen staff washing hands between tasks; cooking by grabbing garbanzo beans and throwing them into frying pan with bare hands; trash can blocking hand sink on cook line; buckets of spices stored uncovered in spice room; raw chicken stored above bowl of ready to eat sauce in reach in cooler across from cook line; scoops without handles being used throughout bulk bins in dry storage area; grease dripping from hood down onto stove

A person who answered the telephone said, “No comment.”

The Cheesecake Factory, 71 Isham Road, West Hartford

Had six priority violations. The inspector’s notes include hand sink issues; excessive food debris in salad station hand sink on cook line; raw chicken stored above raw pork in walk in cooler; some hot and cold holding temperatures not correct; floor drain in liquor storage area unclean.

A corporate spokesman, Alex Spero, senior vice president of operations, released the following statement about the inspection: “We take food safety and sanitation very seriously and are committed to providing a safe dining experience to all our guests. The restaurant took immediate corrective action to fix the deficiencies identified during the December 13, 2023 inspection and passed their reinspection on December 28, 2023.”

Plan B Burger Bar, 138 Park Road, West Hartford

Had four priority violations and at first failed its reinspection as well with four priority violations. An inspector noted problems that include: missing soap at cookline hand sink; missing employee training records; hand sink near meat slicer completely blocked by items; missing soap and paper towels; hot and cold holding temperatures incorrect; cooks not wearing hair restraints; scoop handles resting in ground beef in walk in cooler; dish racks stored on the floor in a washing area; grease trap not working.

Upon reinspection, problems were found as well, including new ones. Notes on reinspection included: employees not washing hands between tasks; a missing vomit and diarrhea clean up kit and plan; not enough soap and paper towels where required; food left uncovered in walk-in cooler; fish thawing in prep sink in stagnant water; employee sweatshirts hung on wall rack near meat slicer.

A man who was put on the telephone when a Courant reporter asked for a manager or owner said “no comment.”

Pond House Cafe and Hall, 1555 Asylum Ave., West Hartford

Had three priority item violations. Inspector’s notes include: hand sink on catering side being used as a dump sink missing hand sink at a bar; vegetable peeler at bar station unclean; inside of double door freezer in kitchen unclean; inside of reach in cooler and freezer unclean; blade to can opener unclean; issues with thermometers throwing temperatures off in cooling areas; mold growth inside container of whipped cream stored in dessert cold holding unit; rusted shelving in walk in cooler.

A message was left at the restaurant, but was not returned.

Pepper’s Jamaican Bakery, 277 Cottage Grove Road, Bloomfield

Had one priority item violation. An inspector’s notes include: interiors of reach in coolers unclean with food spills, including raw beef and chicken juices; floors unclean under equipment; tables, refrigerators, stoves, areas of walls unclean with grease/food debris, grime accumulation; dishwasher stacked while still wet.

The owner could not be reached for comment.

Wayback Burgers, 450 South Main St., West Hartford

Had eight priority item violations. An inspector noted problems, including: employees not washing hands after touching hair, face, phone; another employee not using soap when washing hands; hand sink blocked and back filled with items; tray with flavored syrups unclean; cell phone stored on top of food scale; can of air freshener stored on dry storage rack with food; reheating chili in a soup warmer; grease trap unplugged and not functioning; floor underneath equipment on the cook line; in front of walk in cooler unclean.

A person answering the phone said they have no comment.

Bombay Olive, 450 S. Main St., West Hartford

Had three priority item violations. An inspector’s note included: trash can blocking hand sink on cook line; food temperature issues; unlabeled containers of sugar, salt, flours throughout; large gap at base of back door to kitchen; containers holding spices are not food grade containers; scoops without handles being used in bulk bins in dry storage; rust in places; small prep tables with pots and pans next to hand sink unclean.

Neither the manager nor the owner could be reached for comment.

The Hungry Crab, 1144 New Britain Ave, West Hartford

Had one priority item violation. inspector’s notes include: person in charge is unable to answer questions because of a lack of knowledge; chips stored with a used glove in the container of chips; nested food container of crabs in the walk in cooler; interior of microwave oven unclean; presence of “droppings” in the dry storage area; fruit flies in the kitchen; unclean areas, including walls throughout the kitchen, walk-in cooler.

A spokesperson at the restaurant politely declined comment.

Great Tso, 278 Park Road, West Hartford

Had five priority item violations. An inspector’s notes include: raw food over ready to eat food in the walk in cooler; unclean equipment throughout the establishment; some temperatures not correct; pest spray on site in kitchen, no sanitizer on site at time of inspection, unlabeled chemicals in the kitchen; “raw chicken thigh cardboard box reused to hold crackers;” uncleanliness throughout; heavily unclean hood in the kitchen.

A person who answered the telephone at the restaurant hung up when a Hartford Courant reporter identified herself.