Photo by Jackson Perry
Seven popular Georgetown eating establishments received critical health code violations in 2009, according to health inspection reports obtained by the Voice. Of the violators, Epicurean and Company was the most egregious, with a total of 17 critical violations identified.
A February 2009 inspection report cited Epicurean for 13 critical and seven non-critical violations. The inspector observed raw and partially cooked food stored above vegetables and cooked food, hot and cold foods held at improper temperatures, and a sushi chef handling raw fish with bare hands.
Despite these violations, Epicurean remained open because employees were able to immediately correct all but four of the violations. The threshold for immediate closure is six critical violations that cannot be corrected while the inspector is present.
When Epicurean was inspected again in August 2009, the restaurant received four critical violations and five non-critical violations. Some of the critical violations were of the same type observed in February, such as eggs being stored above sushi and food lacking labels with eat-by dates. All of the violations were corrected at the time of the inspection.
The manager of Epicurean could not be reached for comment.
The other restaurants whose health inspection reports the Voice obtained had far fewer critical violations during 2009. Cosi received three critical violations in August, while The Tombs, Leo’s, Tuscany Cafe, and Midnight Mug all received one critical violation.
Not all of the critical violations received by other eating establishments were as serious as storing raw food above cooked food. Leo’s critical violation, for example, was due to a lack of a sneeze guard over bread in a self-serve area, while Midnight Mug was cited because an employee was not wearing a hair restraint.
D.C. restaurants have five days to correct critical violations. In the reports the Voice obtained, restaurants often corrected violations during the inspection. Non-critical violations, such as failure to post signs about proper hand washing and dirty floors, must be corrected within 45 days.
Vicki Griffith, the director of quality assurance for Clyde’s Restaurant Group, which owns the Tombs, explained that The Tombs deals with violations by reexamining training and working closely with the health department.
Griffith added that the Tombs welcomes the visits of the inspectors.
“Part of [the inspectors’] charge is to enforce the code but also to instruct,” Griffith said.
Thanis Hutuyana, a manager at Bangkok Bistro, agreed.
“If [the inspectors] come out, and let us know, and it’s going to be better,” Hutuyana said.
—Additional reporting by Molly Redden
