NYC health inspectors were extremely busy on the Upper West Side this week, discovering severe health violations at a longtime Irish bar and two Chinese restaurants.
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Irish pub Emerald Inn, located at 250 West 72nd Street (between Broadway and West End), was shut down on September 17, while the two other restaurants–Empire Szechuan Kyoto at 193 Columbus Ave (between 68th and 69th streets) and Happy Hot Hunan at 969 Amsterdam Ave (between 107th and 108th streets)–were slapped with multiple health violations and C-grade ratings. This is the lowest health rating for restaurants in New York City.
Each year, The NYC Health Department makes unannounced visits to thousands of NYC restaurants. The more points a restaurant has, the worse their letter grade. Restaurants that receive inspection scores above 28 are given a C grade. A C is tantamount to a public health risk, plunging the restaurant into hot water and making closure much more likely.
Six separate violations earned Emerald Inn 51 points, including “Live roaches in [the] facility’s food or non-food area,” “Evidence of rats or live rats in [the] establishment’s food or non-food areas,” potentially contaminated food and insufficient cleaning, according to the report.
We spoke to the owner of Emerald Inn who briefly stated, “We’re working to get reopened, hopefully tomorrow,” but they did not comment on the specific infractions.
The rats don’t run this city, but they’re clearly thriving on the UWS.
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Happy Hot Hunan, an eatery serving “authentic and delicious tasting Chinese cuisine,” according to its website, was cited for several health breaches on September 18, adding 22 points to its rating. Their health breaches included, again, “Evidence of rats or live rats,” as well as failing to keep cold food items (e.g. fish and eggs) at safe, stable temperatures. Inspectors also documented poor staff hygiene, such as employees wearing soiled clothing or lacking proper hair coverings, according to the report. We spoke briefly with a team member at Happy Hunan, but due to language differences, we were unable to secure a comment.
Empire Szechuan received five separate violations on September 18 including using food from unapproved or unknown sources: “Animal slaughtered, butchered or dressed (eviscerated, skinned) in establishment,” states the Health Department website. Additionally, food and non-food contact surfaces were either unclean or hard to clean, and pesticides were misused. These violations reduced their rating by 25 points. We spoke with an Empire Szechuan team member who declined to comment.
Meanwhile woman are selling fresh fruit that they cut up on the spot all over Central Park and elsewhere outdoors. No access to hot or running water, obviously. Buyer beware!
Yeah as far as those corner lunch sellers I am wary that the cooked food is being prepared by and with who knows and has been sitting out for who knows how long. I sympathize w the migrants trying to earn but isn’t this truly a health hazard?
Hmmm…are the dudes in the halal trucks, frank & pretzel ? carts, morning coffee ?? & bkfst sellers or peanut men any different? Having had a bird’s eye view of a food truck parked to close to the subway exit, blocking street retailers view, selling the same product as the candy store & diner at non-rent paying prices while never paying for parking (amazing what a gyro can buy) illegally all day and night in a 2 hour zone, getting food from the back of a van that sat behind it, and hazardously changing propane tanks without proper training or certification. Also no running water, truck was unsanitary ?, not brought in for cleaning each night as required and did not follow basic hygiene & food safety protocols.
These women are hard working immigrants doing exactly what the American dream promises-pulling themselves up by their bootstraps. They’re not stealing, begging or bothering anyone and they’re not living off the taxpayers. If they could work anywhere legally they’d be happy to do so – it’s just going to take years before they are legally able to do so and that is because bureaucracy is at the root.
You don’t have to partake but begrudging their work efforts and existence seems a bit much.
Your advice/solution against begrudging on hard-working immigrants engaged in likely illegal and likely un-hygienic activities is to begrudge on other hard-working immigrants engaged in the same likely illegal and likely un-hygienic activities?
What-aboutism has never solved a single problem.
Just pointing out the hypocrisy (not begruding anyone who is working hard). Also, I believe that’s the old-fashioned term used in debate, rather than smug muffin “what about-ism”?
Perhaps the pot is calling the kettle black regarding your reference to “it never solved a single problem”. And i wholeheartedlly agree;)
So gross
plus these ladies often block the sidewalk at the crossing. why isn’t there any sort of enforcement on this and the lack of certificates.
Gross old man bar is gross
Racist as hell, too!