Restaurant health inspections: La Quinta, Palm Springs spots get "B" grades

While most restaurants scored "A" grades on their Riverside County health inspections this week, two spots failed to meet minimum standards, according to reports conducted Dec. 29 through Jan. 4.

Tuscano's & BrewQuinta in La Quinta and Melvyn's in Palm Springs had less-than-stellar inspections and struggled with hot and cold holding temperatures and food storage. They will both have an opportunity to change their scores during upcoming reinspections.

Major violations pose an imminent risk to public health and warrant the immediate closure of a food facility or immediate correction, while minor violations do not pose a public health risk, but do warrant correction.

2 major violations, 26 points deducted

Tuscano's & BrewQuinta, 78-772 Highway 111, La Quinta

• Holding hot and cold temperatures were not met (baked chicken wings at 568 degrees, shredded cheese at 49 degrees, heavy cream stored on the edge of the stove next to the pizza ovens measuring 68 degrees, pizza sauce inside hot holding unit at 123 degrees)

• Observed a large container of sauce inside the walk-in cooler to measure 52 degrees. Sauce was taken from room temperature cans, poured into the container and then placed inside the walk-in cooler the day prior. | All potentially hazardous food shall be rapidly cooled from 135 degrees to 70 degrees within two hours, and then from 70 degrees to 41 degrees within four hours

• Other violations include: Ice inside handwashing sink and empty paper towel dispensers at bar and employee restroom; not all sinks reached hot temperature of at least 120 degrees; observed one live insect under the three compartment sink and various dead insects inside the walk-in cooler, under the three compartment sink, in the upstairs storage area and in the chemical storage area; open tray of ice stored below a box of raw chicken in the upright freezer, three plastic containers of chicken wings uncovered in walk-in cooler, open bag of flour stored on the floor of the dry storage area, and disposable cleaning towels used as food liners in the cold drawers; cleaning supplies stored on a shelf next to clean trays used for dough; utensils and equipment that needs repair; heavy food/grease buildup on utensils and equipment; cups used as scoopers stored inside bulk containers of food, plastic pitcher inside the ice machine and inside the bulk container of sauce in the walk-in cooler, and ice scoop stored inside the ice bin of the bar with the handle touching the ice; air gap to be missing between drain pipes and floor sink under the ice machine; trash containers and used grease container were open at the time of inspection, and floor of the garbage storage area was heavily soiled; toilet paper needs to be stored in sanitary manner, and one restroom stall out of order; clutter in upstairs storage area and back loading dock area; buildup of residue and debris on the floor underneath large pieces of equipment, air vents with dust building, soiled walls and floor sinks; one expired and four missing food handler cards

• "C" card posted and reinspection date of Jan. 10 has been set

1 major violation, 20 points deducted

Melvyn's, 200 W. Ramon Road, Palm Springs

• Holding hot and cold temperatures were not met (perishable juices stored at 44 degrees, all potentially hazardous food items stored at both cold tops at the cook's line to be 44 degrees to 51 degrees, cooked potatoes at 45 degrees). | Items were either discarded or moved to refrigerators

• Other violations include: kitchen hand wash sink and bar hand wash sink to be missing soap; tag for mussels to be missing from the container; hot water lacking at a few sinks; dried rodent droppings on the floor of the food storage room and around the water filtration system, multiple dead cockroaches on the floor in the wine cellar/liquor storage/basement area, one rodent snap trap in the kitchen under the prep sink and in the wine cellar room; container of potatoes in water at the two-compartment ware wash sink, open bulk containers of food (flour, pasta, etc) in the dry food storage area, uncovered toppings at the bar and uncovered spices in the kitchen at the cook's line, raw chicken stored above cooked food items, duck on a shelf above seafood, raw eggs on a shelf above bottles; utensils and equipment that need repairs; utensils and equipment that need cleaning from food debris, grease and dust; debris on the floor of the trash area and dumpsters to be uncovered; deteriorated walls throughout the facility; floors and walls throughout the facility need to be cleaned; two food handler cards were expired

• "B" card posted and a reinspection date of Jan. 10 has been set

Grade A restaurants

An "A" grade, or a score of 90 to 100 points, means a restaurant passed an inspection and met minimum health standards.

Cathedral City

• The Habit Burger Grill, 31-465 Date Palm Drive

La Quinta

• McDonald's, 78-962 Highway 111

Palm Desert

• La Casita, 77-912 Country Club Drive

Palm Springs

• Black Book, 315 E. Arenas Road

• Chef Tanya's Kitchen, 706 S. Eugene Road

• Starbucks Coffee, 5601 E. Ramon Road, Suite B-1

• The Evening Citizen, 220 E. Arenas Road

• Pretty Faces Nightclub, 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Suite B

• Reforma, 333 S. Palm Canyon Drive

• Santorini Gyro Palm Springs, 190 N. Palm Canyon Drive (Facility closed earlier in the week due to a failed inspection, but reopened following reinspection)

Rancho Mirage

• Aspen Mills Bakery at Clark's Nutrition, 34-175 Monterey Ave.

• Juice It Up!, 72-877 Dinah Shore Drive, Suite 101

• McDonald's, 34-101 Monterey Ave.

Note: No restaurant inspections were reported for the week of Dec. 29 through Jan. 4 in Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, Indian Wells and Indio.

This weekly report was compiled using restaurant grading reports from the Riverside County Department of Environmental Health, accessible at restaurantgrading.rivcoeh.org/Default.aspx

Ema Sasic covers entertainment and health in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at ema.sasic@desertsun.com or on Twitter @ema_sasic.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: La Quinta, Palm Springs restaurants get "B" grades on inspections