NYC Restaurants Ordered Closed Dec. 29 - Jan. 5

NEW YORK CITY— Vermin, dirty dishes and poor personal cleanliness — restaurants across the city have dirty secrets they'd rather not share. But New York City's Health Department is watching.

Every year, inspectors arrive unannounced at more than 25,000 restaurants to examine health and safety standards.

Most eateries pass inspections, but some fall short of the city's standards, accruing violation points for everything from broken light bulbs to "public health hazards," like vermin and failure to follow food safety protocols.

Restaurants hit with non-food-safety violations might get a fine or a lower letter grade, with zero to 13 points warranting an 'A' and violations totaling 28 points or more earning a 'C' (this system is criticized for its efficacy by some gourmands).

Public health hazards that can't be resolved on the spot, like a mouse or fly infestation, pose a bigger issue: immediate closure.

Here's all the eateries that the Department of Health closed down since Dec. 29:

None!

Health inspector did not report any restaurant inspections resulting in an order to close due to health violations.

And no, inspectors were not all on vacation. DOH officials were still on duty during this time — and handed out over 200 health violations for all the usual disgusting discoveries of live cockroaches, mice and improper food handling. But no establishment racked up enough violation points to be ordered closed, according to city records.

Stay tuned next week to learn which spots will be the first to be ordered closed in 2024.