Darien Restaurant Health Inspection Reports: Past Three Months

Here’s how Darien Health Department inspectors rated and scored restaurants and other food-serving establishments in town during health inspections over the past three months.

Some restaurants and other food establishments display their Darien ratings certificates on their front windows, as Darien Doughnuts did here.

Most restaurants in town are rated “Good” under the Darien Health Department’s own Good/Fair/Poor ratings system. Health inspectors also use the state health code regulations to score restaurants, with a perfect score set at 100, and deductions for various code violations. You can find the past several inspection ratings for Darien food-serving establishments on this website.

A majority restaurants in town get scores of 90 or above, with occasional exceptions and on occasion even a score of 80 or below, which puts health officials on alert and leads to more frequent inspections.

This list is based on health inspection reports released by the Darien Health Department from inspections of restaurants and other food establishments visited during a 12-week period from May 5 to July 28.

The town Health Department inspects restaurants under the Connecticut health code, which assigns 100 as a perfect score and deducts points for various violations. Food-serving establishments with important health code violations are reinspected to give them a chance to fix problems instead of being shut down, and management often meets with the Health Department if violations are severe enough. A score of 80 or less in the state health code also often brings a quick reinspection.

Darien has its own health ratings system: assigning ratings of “Good,” “Fair” or “Poor” as part of an inspection. The Darien system takes into account problems that are ongoing or that have been fixed, so a restaurant scoring higher than others on the state scale may actually get a lower score on the Darien scale, or vice versa. You can find recent Darien ratings for food-serving establishments in town here.

Any establishment actually deemed unsafe can be closed by the town Health Department until violations are fixed. Darien Health Director David Knauf says that has never happened in the time he’s been with the department.

_____________________________

See also:

• Darien TV79 recently interviewed Knauf. You can see the video here.
• “String of Fair/Poor Health Ratings for Embody in Noroton Heights“

_____________________________

Some highlights:

• Darien Social and Steam restaurant (located at 971 Post Rd., where the restaurant Wild Ginger used to be located) each had four inspections in this period; Embody Fitness Gourmet had three; nine other establishments had two inspections each.
• Among school cafeteria’s inspected in late May and early June, Hindley School, Middlesex Middle School and Ox Ridge School each received perfect scores of 100 under the state ratings system — meaning inspectors couldn’t find a single violation of the health code.
• Among country clubs in town, the Country Club of Darien had the most problems with inspections.
• The lowest score of any single inspection in this period occurred at Darien Social on May 15. The score was 73.
• Establishments at the highway rest stops generally scored high.

Here’s an alphabetical list of the results of Darien health inspections (information is listed by name, address, Darien rating, state score):

• Abello’s — 72 Tokeneke Road — May 26 — GOOD — 93
• Amanda Smith Caterers — 1480 Post Road — July 28 — POOR — 90
• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon — Darien South rest stop on Interstate 95 — June 15 — GOOD — 98
• Aux Delices — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. — May 6 — POOR — 87
• Aux Delices — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. — May 11 — FAIR — 92
• Atria Darien — 50 Ledge Road — June 16 — GOOD — 97
• Bertucci’s Italian Restaurant — 54 Post Road — May 12 — GOOD — 93
• Bodega Taco Bar — 980 Post Road — May 28 —  FAIR — 91
• Burgers, Shakes & Fries — 800 Post Road — May 14 — FAIR — 89
• Center Street Public House — 22 Center St. — May 28 — GOOD — 92
• Cesco’s Trattoria — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. — July 21 — GOOD — 92
• Cheeseboy — Darien South rest stop on Interstate 95 — July 27 — GOOD — 96
• Chipotle Mexican Grill — 71 Post Road — June 5 — GOOD — 92
• Chipotle Mexican Grill — Darien North rest stop on Interstate 95 — June 29 — GOOD — 96
• Country Club of Darien — 300 Mansfield Ave. — July 20 — FAIR — 83
• Country Club of Darien Snack Bar — 300 Mansfield Ave. — July 13 — FAIR — 96
• Country Club of Darien satellite kitchen — 300 Mansfield Ave. — July 17 — POOR — 79
• Darien Doughnut — 370 Heights Road — July 21 — GOOD — 97
• Darien High School — High School Lane — June 2 — GOOD — 98
• Darien Seafood Market — 1941 Post Road — July 6 — GOOD — 98
• Darien Social  — 10 Center St. — May 15 — POOR — 73
• Darien Social  — 10 Center St. — May 28 — POOR — 90
• Darien Social  — 10 Center St. — June 2 — GOOD — 96
• Darien Social  — 10 Center St. — June 30 — FAIR — 89
• Duchess Restaurant — 306 Post Road — June 22 — POOR — 92
• Duchess Restaurant — 306 Post Road — June 25 — FAIR — 93
• Dunkin Donuts, Darien North rest stop on Interstate 95 — June 15 — FAIR — 92
• Embody Fitness Gourmet at Equinox fitness club — 72 Heights Road — June 25 — POOR — 86
• Embody Fitness Gourmet at Equinox fitness club — 72 Heights Road — July 8 — POOR — 79
• Embody Fitness Gourmet at Equinox fitness club — 72 Heights Road — July 20 — GOOD — 94
• Embody Fitness Gourmet at Darien YMCA — 2420 Post Road — July 22 — FAIR — 89
• Estia’s American Kitchen — 1020 Post Road — July 27 — GOOD — 92
• Fisherman’s Net — 11 Old Kings Hwy. N. — May 12 — GOOD — 95
• Frosty Bear Cafe (run by Uncle’s Deli) at Darien Library — 1441 Post Road — May 18 — POOR — 91
• Frosty Bear Cafe (run by Uncle’s Deli) at Darien Library — 1441 Post Road — May 26 — GOOD — 98
• Fuji’s Restaurant — 111 Old Kings Hwy. N. — June 5 — GOOD — 89
• Giovanni’s (SEE “Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s”)
• The Goose American Bistro & Bar — 972 Post Road — May 28 — GOOD — 93
• Heights Pizza — 330 Heights Road — May 19 — GOOD — 91
• Hindley School — 10 Nearwater Lane — May 7 — GOOD — 100
• Holmes School — 18 Hoyt St. — May 26 — GOOD — 97
• Jake’s Place — 4 Ledge Road — June 25 — GOOD — 95
• Jimmy’s Southside Tavern — 340 Heights Road — May 19 — GOOD — 94
• Little Thai Kitchen — 4 West Ave. — May 18 — FAIR — 89
• Little Thai Kitchen — 4 West Ave. — July 21 — POOR — 83
• Lobstercraft — 284 Tokeneke Road — June 4 — POOR — 76
• Mama Carmella’s Italian Deli — 1981 Post Road — May 26 — GOOD — 92
• Maplewood at Darien — 599 Post Road — May 5 — POOR — 83
• Maplewood at Darien — 599 Post Road — May 11 — FAIR — 95
• Mather Center: Darien Senior Program — 2 Renshaw Road — July 24 — GOOD — 97
• Matsuri Grill — 390 Post Road — May 5 — FAIR — 87
• Matsuri Grill — 390 Post Road — July 16 — FAIR — 88
• McDonald’s Restaurant — Darien South rest stop on Interstate 95 — July 21 — GOOD — 97
• Meatball & Co. — 23 Tokeneke Road — July 21 — GOOD — 95
• Michael Joseph’s Catering — 1405 Post Road — June 8 — GOOD — 93
• Middlesex Middle School — 204 Hollow Tree Ridge Road — GOOD — 100
• New Beijing Restaurant — 5 Tokeneke Road — July 27 — FAIR — 85
• Ox Ridge School — 335 Mansfield Ave. — May 14 — GOOD — 100
• Palmer’s Market — 264 Heights Road — June 8 — FAIR — 88
• Palmwich — 205 Post Road — June 23 — GOOD — 97
• Panera Bread — 1063 Post Road — July 6 — GOOD — 94
• Papa Joe’s — 1973 Post Road — July 7 — GOOD — 93
• Planet Pizza — 882 Post Road — May 5 — GOOD — 93
• Post Corner Pizza — 847 Post Road — July 7 — GOOD — 92
• Rory’s — 416 Post Road — June 2 — POOR — 87
• Rory’s — 416 Post Road — June 5 — GOOD — 94
• Royle School — 133 Mansfield Ave. — May 14 — GOOD — 98
• Sbarro — Darien North rest stop on Interstate 95 — June 15 — GOOD — 95
• Scena Wine Bar & Restaurant — 1077 Post Road — June 25 — GOOD — 91
• Sono Baking Company — 49 Tokeneke Road — May 13 — POOR — 84
• Sono Baking Company — 49 Tokeneke Road — May 26 — GOOD — 95
• Springdale Athletic Club  — 2 Camp Ave. — GOOD — 91
• Steam — 971 Post Road — May 14 — FAIR — state rating not given
• Steam — 971 Post Road — June 8 — POOR — 81
• Steam — 971 Post Road — June 16 — FAIR — 94
• Steam — 971 Post Road — July 16 — GOOD — 93
• Stop & Shop Supermarket — 148 Heights Road — GOOD — 95
• Subway — Darien South rest stop on Interstate 95 — June 15 — GOOD — 98
• Sugar Bowl — 1033 Post Road — May 29 — GOOD — 98
• Tengda Asian Bistro — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. — June 15 — FAIR — 87
• Tengda Asian Bistro — 25 Old Kings Hwy. N. — July 16 — FAIR — 86
• Ten Twenty Post Oyster Bar and Bistro — 1020 Post Road — June 8 — GOOD — 92
• (The Goose — SEE “Goose”)
• Tokeneke Club  — 4 Butlers Island Road — May 29 — GOOD — 92
• Tokeneke School — Old Farm Road — May 7 — GOOD — 100
• Uncle’s Deli — 1041 Post Road — June 25 — GOOD — 94
• Upper Crust Bakery & Cafe — 980 Post Road — May 5 — GOOD — 94
• Vavala’s Delicatessen/Caterer — 156 Heights Road — May 19 — GOOD — 93
• The Water’s Edge at Giovanni’s — 2748 Post Road — June 26 — GOOD — 92
• Wee Burn Country Club — 410 Hollow Tree Ridge Road — July 13 — GOOD — 93
• Wee Burn Country Club, Satellite location — 410 Hollow Tree Ridge Road — July 13 — GOOD — 93
• Whole Foods Market — 150 Ledge Road — June 18 — POOR — 77
• Whole Foods Market — 150 Ledge Road — June 29 — FAIR — 96
• Whole Foods: Genji at Whole Foods — 50 Ledge Road — GOOD — 97
• Zoto’s — 100 Tokeneke Road — July 7 — GOOD — 96

Out of 93 inspections since early May, a total of 56 were “Good” ratings, another 20 were “Fair” and 14, “Poor.” Food-serving establishments with rated “Poor” generally get follow-up inspections quickly, so they’re overrepresented in the numbers, and since they’re often rated “Fair” on a second inspection, numbers for that rating are also overrepresented in the total.

A total of 75 food establishments were inspected in this period (counting different entities in the same location as different establishments — Genji’s at Whole Foods Market, for instance, is counted as a separate establishment from the supermarket itself, which was also inspected).

While the vast majority of establishments were inspected once in this period of about 10 weeks, Darien Social was inspected four times, as was the Embody Gourmet Fitness location at Equinox and Steam.

Two inspections were done at Aux Delices, Frosty Bear Cafe, Little Thai Kitchen, Maplewood at Darien, Matsuri Grill, Rory’s, Sono Baking Co., Tengda Asian Bistro and Whole Foods Market.

Establishments inspected toward the end of July and rated “Poor” or with very low scores in the state’s health ratings system probably can expect additional inspections soon, as well.