72nd Street Bagel, one of the neighborhood’s best remaining bagel shops, was shuttered by the Department of Health today, the same day it closed for a week in observance of Passover. The restaurant, which mostly serves to-go orders but also has about a dozen tables, is on 72nd between Columbus and Broadway. It happens to be the favorite local bagel store of New York Times columnist and former chief food critic Frank Bruni.
The timing is a little strange for an inspection given that the Kosher restaurant always closes during Passover. But at least it gives workers quite a bit of time to fix any violations.
The Health Department has not yet posted the details of the inspection, but we’ll put them up when they’re revealed.
Update: Here are the gory details:
Sanitary Violations
1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Appropriately scaled metal stem-type thermometer or thermocouple not provided or used to evaluate temperatures of potentially hazardous foods during cooking, cooling, reheating and holding.
3) Evidence of rats or live rats present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
5) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
6) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
7) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
8) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
9) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
The DOH also ordered Cheesy Pizza on 100th street closed a few days ago.
Thanks to Chris for the tip and photo.
WHAT!!! I can’t believe it. Hopefully, they’ll rectify any violations before re-opening after Passover. I love their bagels! Sometimes I even sit there and listen to two old guys kvetch.
Love their bagels! Can’t imagine them being closed for any health violations. Perhaps long line violations and bad coffee logistics violations, but I ate there for years and never saw anything sketchy. I mean, if Fine & Shapiro has never been closed down ….
Funny comments by Ann, so true, their service is absurdly bad. Just total confusion. Pathetic. But guys, come on, you have to admit, the place was sh**hole filthy.
Was just in here on Saturday and got queasy looking at the contents of the cold case – how anybody could order the whitefish salad (more like brownfish salad) is beyond me.
All food shop/restaurants have letter grades issued by DOH. Just asking — what was the letter grade for bagel shop when it was ordered to close?
Get your quasi-bagel fix up the block with a Turkish simit from “Simit and Smith”.