East Meadow Restaurants Cited: Bagel Place, Apollo Diner

EAST MEADOW, NY — Do you know how clean your favorite restaurant is?

The New York State Health Department performs routine inspections of all food service facilities in the state. Several types of inspections are done — including comprehensive inspections that evaluate the sanitation, maintenance, and food service operations of a facility; and follow-up inspections for a facility that has been cited for critical and non-critical violations. More information about different types of violations can be found at the bottom of this article.

State inspectors check kitchens everywhere: in churches, schools, golf clubs and more. They also monitor the cleanliness of snack bars, kiosks inside entertainment venues, bakeries and bars.All information comes from the health department's database. You can see the most recent inspections by clicking here.

The Bagel Place, 487 Bellmore Ave.

• Last Inspected: Feb. 8, 2022
• Violations:
  • 2 Critical
    • Toxic chemicals are improperly labeled, stored or used so that contamination of food can occur.
    • Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage).
  • 4 Non-critical
    • Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked).
    • Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained.

Apollo Diner, 680 Merrick Ave.

• Last Inspected: Feb. 8, 2022
• Violations:
• 3 Critical
  • Food from unapproved source, spoiled, adulterated on premises.
  • Potentially hazardous foods are not kept at or below 45°F during cold holding, except smoked fish not kept at or below 38°F during cold holding.
  • Enough refrigerated storage equipment is not present, properly designed, maintained or operated so that all potentially hazardous foods are cooled properly and stored below 45°F as required.
• 3 Non-critical
• Food not protected during storage, preparation, display, transportation and service, from potential sources of contamination (e.g., food uncovered, mislabeled, stored on floor, missing or inadequate sneeze guards, food containers double stacked).
• In-use food dispensing utensils improperly stored.
• Floors, walls, ceilings, not smooth, properly constructed, in disrepair, dirty surfaces.

Per NYS Dept. of Health:

Critical violations relate directly to factors that could lead to food-borne illness. These violations generally involve the food source and condition, food cooking and storage temperatures, sanitary practices of food workers, water and sewage, pest contamination of food, and the use of toxic materials.

Non-critical violations do not directly cause food-borne illness but could negatively affect the operation of the restaurant. They relate to the design and maintenance of the establishment as well as cleanliness.

Editor's note: These citations are taken from the NYS Dept. of Health's database. Citations listed in this article may have been resolved by the time of publication, despite there being no amendments made on the department's website.