Blue and white fuzz on potatoes, raw chicken over cake among 22 metro Phoenix restaurant violations

Kunle Falayi and Michael Braga, Arizona Republic
·6 min read

Maricopa County health inspectors cited five restaurants for a total of 22 health violations during the week of Aug. 18. The violations ranged from employees handling dirty dishes and putting them away with bare hands to raw chicken and salmon stored above cake.

A priority violation is a major violation that directly contributes to an increased risk of foodborne illness or injury. If listed in the inspection reports, remedies implemented during the inspection are noted.

During the week of Aug. 18, inspectors visited nearly 1,115 restaurants along with other food-serving facilities in hospitals, senior homes and schools. More than 160 restaurants received an A rating. See a sampling of the many restaurants inspectors graded A at the end of this article.

5 violations

Sushi Holic, 3943 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix

  • An employee handled dirty dishes at a three-compartment sink with bare hands and then put the clean dishes away without washing hands. Employee was told to wash hands.

  • Employees washed knives with soap and a scrubber at the handwashing sinks on the sushi line and then stored the knives as clean without sanitizing the knives. Employees were told to sanitize the knives.

  • The mechanical dishwasher had a chlorine concentration of 0 ppm. A large air bubble was removed from the sanitizer line and the chlorine concentration was observed at 100 ppm.

  • The Coca-Cola fridge next to the soup station stored spicy mayo at 62-23 F, tofu at 47-63 F and cut lettuce for salads at 53-56 F. Items were placed in walk-in fridge to rapid cool to below 41 F.

  • The restaurant failed to dispose of acidified sushi rice after its 4-hour time stamp in ambient temperature. An employee discarded the rice.

Bindaas - Biryani Adda Tempe, 933 E. University Drive, Tempe

  • Inspectors observed a tray of baked potatoes with blue and white fuzzy organic material coating their surface. An employee discarded the potatoes.

  • An employee washed and rinsed food pans but not did not sanitize them before putting them away. Employee was told to sanitize the pans.

  • Cooked goat, defrosted cooked peas/carrots, cooked spinach, curried chicken, fried chicken, samosas, milk, cream, paneer, raw chicken, cooked cauliflower, cooked potatoes and peas, cooked chickpeas, and pickled vegetables from a can all had internal temperatures of between 56-61 F in the refrigerated prep unit across from the stove. All foods were moved back to the walk-in to cool back down to 41 F and below except for the defrosted cooked peas/carrots, cooked spinach, cooked goat and curried chicken, which were discarded.

  • Employees washed their hands in a sink that was overflowing from a floor drain. Employees were instructed to wash their hands in a different sink near the stove.

  • An employee mopped the floor in the kitchen and then immediately discarded the mop water in the paved alleyway behind the establishment. The person in charge informed the employee that all wastewater must get poured into floor drains or in the mop sink in the kitchen.

4 violations

Treffpunkt, 14325 N. 79th St., Scottsdale

  • The chef handled parsley garnish with bare hands. The parsley was discarded.

  • In the back storage room refrigerator, raw chicken and salmon were stored above cake. The refrigerator was reorganized.

  • Knives were soaking in Quaternary ammonium sanitizer in the three-compartment sink. The ammonium concentration tested at 50 ppm. After testing the sanitizer, it was determined that the sanitizer jug was empty. The sanitizer jug was refilled and re-tested at 150 ppm.

  • Cooked potatoes were stored in the kitchen refrigerator at 66 F, cooked goulash soup at 66 F, white sausage at 67 F, cooked mushroom sauce at 64 F, and cut lettuce at 67 F. The foods were discarded.

OEB Breakfast Co., 17757 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

  • The chef cracked two raw shelled eggs with gloved hands. The chef then removed gloves, put on a new pair, and began to touch equipment and utensils without washing hands. Chef was instructed to wash hands.

  • A low temperature dishwashing machine at the bar had a chlorine concentration of 10 ppm after three cycles. Inspectors said employees had to wash bar glassware and utensils in the kitchen dish machine until the bar dish machine was serviced.

  • The large display cooler near the kitchen entrance had cooked beans at 48 F and diced tomatoes at 47 F. The tabletop cooler across from the grill had raw sausages at 47 F. The cooked beans and diced tomatoes were discarded. The raw sausages were moved to the reach-in coolers near the back of the kitchen.

  • Cooked crab mix dated 8/3 were in the reach-in cooler. That exceeded its seven-day expiration date and was discarded.

Eggstasy, DC Ranch, 20775 N. Pima Road, Scottsdale

  • An employee handled dirty dishware at the dishwashing machine and then handled clean dishware without a proper hand wash between each task. On the cook line, an employee cracked raw shell eggs with gloved hands, then continued working with food equipment and dishware without a proper hand wash. The employees were told to wash their hands.

  • Two sheet pans of loosely covered, uncooked sausage patties were stored over a partially uncovered metal pan of cooked barbacoa in a walk-in cooler. An employee re-arranged sheet pans below the metal pan of cooked barbacoa.

  • There was no detectable chlorine sanitizer in the dishwashing machine. The machine was primed and chlorine sanitizer levels read 50-100 ppm.

  • Raw shell eggs were stored on the cook line at 65 F and containers of pooled eggs were stored at 72 F. Raw shell eggs were moved to a prep table cooler and additional ice was added to ice bath of pooled eggs to rapidly cool back down to the proper cold holding temperature.

Look 'em up: Check your favorite dining spots in The Republic's new restaurant inspection database

Grade A restaurants

Phoenix

  • La Carreta De Lily Elotes y Raspados, 9014 W. Thomas Road, Phoenix

  • Angry Crab Shack, 3227 E. Bell Road, Phoenix

  • Que Suave Taco Shop, 1855 W. Corona Ave., Phoenix

  • Long Wong's, 2812 E. Thomas Road, Phoenix

  • Fast Eddie's Diner, 17017 N. 33rd Ave., Phoenix

Scottsdale

  • US Egg Eatery, 7119 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale

  • Franco's Italian Caffe, 4327 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale

  • P.F. Chang's China Bistro, 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale

  • Schlotzsky's, 10070 N. 90th St, Scottsdale

  • Snooze, an A.M. Eatery, 8612 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale

East Valley

  • Fat Willy's, 9937 E. Baseline Road, Mesa

  • Kwan's Sampan Restaurant,1927 N. Gilbert Road, Mesa

  • The Brickyard Downtown, 85 W. Boston St., Chandler

  • Splash, 5000 S. Arizona Mills Circle, Space 530, Tempe

  • Los Favoritos Taco Shop, 727 W. Ray Road, Gilbert

West Valley

  • Arizona Traditions, 17221 N. Citrus Road, Surprise

  • Max's, 6727 N. 47th Ave., Glendale

  • Harkins Gateway Pavilion, 10250 W. McDowell Road, Avondale

  • Akai Hana, 2293 N. Pebble Creek Parkway, Goodyear

  • Lydia's La Canasta Restaurant, 2023 W. Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg

Source: Maricopa County Environmental Services

Thank you for subscribing. This premium content is made possible because of your continued support of local journalism.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Maricopa County health inspections find 22 violations at 5 restaurants