Pier 72 Diner Closed By Health Department
The Pier 72 diner at 72nd Street and West End Avenue, which has been around for several decades, was closed temporarily by the Health Department on Wednesday. “This place has a very very loyal clientele. There are going to be a lot of disappointed customers,” Steve wrote.
The Health Department cited the restaurant for the following violations:
1) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
2) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
3) Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
4) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
5) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
6) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
7) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
I have never understood that place – they are not open for dinner – I don’t understand how that works. Based on this information, I am glad that I have never eaten there.
Food is dependably good diner food. They made a deal with their co-op building decades ago. The co-op did not want food smells in the building. So, in exchange for a reduced rent, they agreed to close before dinner. This way, there are no food smells when most of the residents have come home from work.
What is there to understand, they are open for breakfast lunch and in between.
What I do not underdtand is you!
By the way Carlos, you probably have eaten in much worse…
This place used to be our go to Sunday brunch pancake/French toast joint. Loved it for many years. But I started to get a creepy vibe when all our favorite servers left about 8 months ago. Started to look dirtier than usual, grimy, greasy. Started to give me the creeps. We started going elsewhere. This doesn’t surprise me. Hope, for their sake, they make the necessary changes.
This must be super recent as I just walked by on Monday and it was open.
The bodega on 94th st and Amsterdam, which has diet Coke for 75 cents, was closed on Sunday but I don’t know why. There is a sign on the door from the city
I sent pics of that deli on Amsterdam and 94th the overhead hood collapsed. Blamed on the construction for the brick pointing. Lots of stop work orders posted.
Good to know. The man who sells flowers outside the place didn’t know what has happened. There seems to be a lot of stop work orders in the hood
I guess this is one of those small “mom and pop” businesses so many commentators on WSR and local politicians say the neighborhood needs more of.
— “I guess this is one of those small “mom and pop” businesses so many commentators on WSR and local politicians say the neighborhood needs more of.”
Read the comments — you’re exactly right!
+1!
This is one of my favorite neighborhood gems — it’s not fancy, not expensive, and family owned (which based on all the comments on other posts is what UWSers value)
It’s sad this has happened, but I’m sure they’ll correct this and get back to being a reliable place without pretension.
This is a neighborhood family-owned gem of almost 40 years. I started going loyally in the early 90s. Moved away for 20 years and when I came back the same people we’re there to greet me (and some new ones too). I have made friends with regulars and have always had a good meal. My kids love it too. They will figure this out and be open again very soon I hope.
Pier 72 has been owned for many years by a hardworking, conscientious, and caring family. They have put their hearts and souls into their business and have been wonderful neighbors to us who live nearby and frequent this diner. Their staff is stable and loyal and lovely. There is no major turnover in staff, contrary to one of the comments posted. They are not open for dinner because their lease in the co-op building in which the diner is housed stipulates that they must close before dinner time, so that no cooking odors pervade apartments in the evening. I hope their health ‘violations’ are soon corrected or found negligible, and they will be back for us. We need to support family-owned, responsible places in our UWS neighborhood.
Someone else can likely provide better details but about 10 years ago I looked at an apartment in that building and was told that the maintenance was very high because the restaurant had some kind of a deal where they didn’t pay as much to the building, so the apartment owners had to make it up. However, I was told that that deal was going to roll off sometime around now, which would bring apartment maintenance costs down.
I agree totally!!!!!
Oh I always wondered why no dinner thanks for the info Bettina!
And agreed … this is a gem of the hood and entire staff is beyond lovely … they will not lose any customers
Amidst all the hysteria and opinions offered as facts, here’s the real story:
One of Pier 72’s essential FREEZERS malfunctioned, and the restaurant was thus forced to close.
This from a neighbor AND patron of this lovely and classic dining place.
That may be part of the problem, but look at the health department report . There are other issues. I hope they get it together and can reopen, but don’t pretend it’s just a freezer problem.
I spoke to the owner. It was a refrigeration issue. When the inspector came, he noticed that a valve was broken. The refrigeration specialist arrived within 30 minutes to look at the issue and said he needed to go the warehouse to get one part and would be back within an hour. This all happened with the inspector still there, but the inspector still required the diner to shut down. It will re-open Wednesday. Meanwhile, the inspector won’t let the diner post a sign explaining exactly why it was closed.
Great! I will be there for Breakfast on Wed. I guess I will go to Utopia till then.
I’m having trouble believing that a refrigeration specialist arrived within 30 minutes in Manhattan. And that he would be able to get the needed part in an hour. Sounds like too perfect an explanation.
Never went there so won’t miss it. Patrons who are bemoaning the shutdown, however, might stop a minute to consider their own health. Overall, sounds pretty disgusting; just reading about it made me a little sick.
Wow! Those are definitely reasons to close a diner.
Been going there since it opened. great place with great people. Jimmy, the owner, is just terrific. Hope it reopens as soon as possible.