One Darien restaurant received a “C” rating, the worst in the town A-B-C ratings system, in the latest health inspection reports released by the town Health Department. Three other establishments were rated “B”, and one “A.”
The five inspection reports released Thursday were based on inspectors’ visits on March 2 and 4.
Most Recent Inspection Results
Town Health Department ratings certificates are supposed to be displayed prominently, like this one at the Frosty Bear Cafe at Darien Library.
Here’s an alphabetical list of the most recently released health inspection results (an explanation for each part of the list, including links, is just below the list).
Keep in mind that a food-serving establishment with a history of good ratings may occasionally get a poor inspection rating, occasionally the best do, and every restaurant normally gets a few things wrong (an explanation of how this list is put together is immediately below it):
—Center Street Public House — 22 Center St.— March 4 — Town Rating: A — State Score: 95
—Duchess Family Restaurant — 306 Post Road — March 4 — Town Rating: B — State Score: 94
—Heights Pizza — 330 Heights Road — March 4 — Town Rating: C — State Score: 78 — Inspector’s Remarks: “Meatballs: 124 degrees (reheated); garlic in oil at 54.3 degrees, sliced mozzarella cheese at 50 to 53 degrees (both discarded); no thermometer in pizza bain marie; lights not shielded in kitchen; hands not washed after coming inside after doing trash; large bottle in back hand sink; chemical spray bottle on shelf next to food bottles; non-food-grade containers used for food; torn gasket on refrigerator across from cook line; shelves lined with foil/cardboard; vents dusty on ceiling.” — Inspector’s Comments: “Note: moving locations in three to four months: new equipment. Reinspection March 17. Rating posted.”
Inspector\’s comments and remarks sections in the report from the inspection of Heights Pizza on March 4.
—Jennifer’s Kitchen at White Bridge — 284 Tokeneke Road — March 4 — Town Rating: B — State Score: 90
—Vavala’s Delicatessen/Caterer — 156 Heights Road — March 4 — Town Rating: B — State Score: 90
Dates link to the food establishment’s inspection report referenced here (when available, sometimes it takes a while to get posted online), and Darien’s own A/B/C ratings link to a Web page showing several of the restaurant’s recent inspection ratings.
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See also:
- Our previous article showing restaurant inspection ratings (March 1)
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For restaurants and other food-serving establishments rated “C,” and for some others of interest to the public (like schools) additional information is given. When we provide that information here, then words within brackets (“[ ]”) have been added for clarity by Darienite.com; semicolons (“;”) separate individual comments by the inspectors. Each comment separated by semicolons is about a particular violation that triggers a deduction of one or more points from a perfect state score of 100.
How Darien’s Food-Serving Places Are Rated
Restaurants in town are rated under the Darien Health Department’s own A/B/C ratings system. Health inspectors also use the state health code regulations to score restaurants, with a perfect score set at 100, and demerits (of 1 to 4 points each) for various code violations.
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The Darien system takes into account problems that are ongoing, so a restaurant scoring higher than others on the state scale may actually get a lower score on the Darien scale.
The “A”, “B” and “C” letter grades a restaurant gets in its last inspection will be prominent on these certificates, which must be posted where customers can see them, and you can use your phone and the “QR” code to the right of the letter grade to get to the department’s ratings website for more information.
You can find the past several inspection ratings under the Darien ratings system for food-serving establishments along with copies of inspection reports, including state health code scores on this website.
Any establishment actually deemed unsafe can be closed by the town Health Department until violations are fixed. Town Health Director David Knauf says that has never happened in the time he’s been with the department.