Garden City Restaurants Cited: Orchid, Mint

GARDEN CITY, 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.

These inspections were conducted between Nov. 15 and Nov. 23, 2021.

Orchid Restaurant, 730 Franklin Ave.

• Last Inspected: Nov. 17, 2021
• Violations:
  • 2 Critical
    • Water/ice: unsafe, unapproved sources, cross connections
    • Potentially hazardous foods are not stored under refrigeration except during necessary preparation or approved precooling procedures (room temperature storage)
  • 14 Noncritical
    • 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
    • Improper thawing procedures used
    • Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
    • Manual facilities inadequate, technique incorrect; mechanical facilities not operated in accordance with manufacturer's instructions
    • Food contact surfaces not washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any time of operations when contamination may have occurred
    • Non-food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
    • Plumbing and sinks not properly sized, installed, maintained; equipment and floors not properly drained
    • Lighting and ventilation inadequate, fixtures not shielded, dirty ventilation hoods, ductwork, filters, exhaust fans

Mint, 1 West Ring Road

• Last Inspected: Nov. 16, 2021
• Violations:
  • 0 Critical
  • 12 Noncritical
    • Accurate thermometers not available or used to evaluate refrigerated or heated storage temperatures
    • Food (ice) contact surfaces are improperly designed, constructed, installed, located (cracks, open seams, pitted surfaces, tin cans reused, uncleanable or corroded food contact surfaces)
    • Non-food contact surfaces and equipment are improperly designed, constructed, installed, maintained (equipment not readily accessible for cleaning, surface not smooth finish)
    • Non-food contact surfaces of equipment not clean
    • Hot, cold running water not provided, pressure inadequate
    • Handwashing facilities inaccessible, improperly located, dirty, in disrepair, improper fixtures, soap, and single service towels or hand drying devices missing
    • Garbage storage areas not properly constructed or maintained, creating a nuisance
    • Effective measures not used to control entrance (rodent-, insect-proof construction). Harborage areas available for rodents, insects and other vermin

Red "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.

Blue "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 state Department 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.