Inspectors find food safety issues at 6 Bradenton-area restaurants, report says
Florida’s Division of Hotels and Restaurants routinely inspects restaurants, food trucks and other food service establishments for public health and cleanliness issues.
The reports are public information.
During the most recent inspections in Manatee County, restaurants were cited for issues including raw meat stored over food and no handwashing.
Here’s what inspectors found:
Bealls Bistro by The Breakfast Company, 700 13th Ave. E., Bradenton — Inspected March 5
High priority: Raw bacon was stored over cheese and salad dressing in a walk-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Cooked sausage and guacamole were date-marked as more than a week old. A stop sale was issued due to the items being in unsound condition, and they were discarded.
High priority: Cooked beef chili was cold held at a temperature greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
Intermediate: A can opener was soiled with mold-like substance. Corrective action was taken.
Basic: Two violations, including an employee preparing food without a hair restraint.
A follow-up inspection was required.
The Breakfast Company, 7246 55th Ave. E., Bradenton — Inspected March 7
High priority: An employee cracked raw shell eggs, failed to wash hands during a glove change and then plated cooked food. Corrective action was taken. A stop sale was issued for the plated food and it was discarded.
High priority: Raw bacon was stored over cooked sliced turkey and ham in a walk-in cooler and raw shell eggs were stored over milk and cheese in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Turkey, ham and cut tomatoes were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
Basic: Six violations, including metal shavings on a can opener blade, an employee eating while preparing food and an accumulation of mold-like substance in an ice bin.
A follow-up inspection was required. The restaurant met inspection standards during a follow-up visit the next day.
China Wok II, 4945 S.R. 64, Bradenton — Inspected March 6
High priority: Raw chicken was stored over sauces and raw ground beef was stored over cooked noodles in a walk-in cooler.
High priority: Raw shell eggs and garlic in oil were cold held at temperatures greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
Intermediate: A sanitizer bucket was blocking access to a handwash sink. Corrective action was staken.
Basic: Six violations, including food stored uncovered and hood filters soiled with grease.
A follow-up inspection was required.
Stone Bowl Pan Asian, 5516 Manatee Ave. W., Bradenton — Inspected March 7
High priority: An ice cream scoop and a rice scoop were stored in unclean water. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Raw beef was stored over cooked chicken in a reach-in cooler. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Butane was stored on a food storage rack. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Chlorine sanitizer used to sanitize equipment was not at the proper minimum strength. Corrective action was taken.
Intermediate: Wet wiping cloths were not stored in sanitizing solution between uses. Corrective action was taken.
Intermediate: No written procedures were available for use of time as a public health control to monitor a potentially hazardous food (sushi rice).
Basic: Containers with no handles were used to dispense food.
The restaurant met inspection standards.
Vacci Pizza + Cucina, 4406 53rd Ave. E., Bradenton — Inspected March 5
High priority: Meat sauce and alfredo sauce in reduced oxygen packaging were date-marked as more than a week past their packaging date. A stop sale was issued and the items were discarded.
High priority: An employee handled a cell phone and then failed to change gloves/wash hands before handling a single service container. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Marinara was hot held at a temperature less than 135 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
Intermediate: Lasagna, alfredo sauce and two quantities of meat sauce were date-marked as more than a week old. A stop sale was issued and the items were discarded.
Intermediate: The restaurant was performing reduced oxygen packaging of potentially hazardous foods without a plan approved by the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
Intermediate: No test kit was at hand to measure the strength of sanitizer in use for warewashing and/or wiping cloths.
A follow-up inspection was required.
La Villa Mexican Grill Longboat Key, 5610 Gulf of Mexico Dr. #5, Longboat Key — Inspected March 8
High priority: An employee touched their face in the mouth/nose area then failed to wash hands before handling clean equipment. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: The business was operating with an expired license from the Division of Hotels and Restaurants.
High priority: Salsa was cold held at a temperature greater than 41 degrees. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeded the maximum concentration allowed. Corrective action was taken.
High priority: A spray bottle containing cleaning fluid was stored next to to-go boxes.
Intermediate: The establishment had no written procedures for employees to follow in response to a vomiting or diarrheal event where vomit or diarrhea is discharged onto surfaces in the establishment.
Intermediate: There was no probe thermometer at hand to measure the temperature of food products.
Basic: Floors throughout the kitchen were not smooth and durable.
A follow-up inspection was required.
Editor’s Note: According to the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation, these reports are a “snapshot” of the conditions present at the time of the inspection and are public record. The agency is required to inspect every licensed restaurant at least once per year, but new and “high-risk” establishments tend to be inspected more frequently.
When an emergency shutdown order is given by an inspector, it must first be reviewed and approved by agency supervisors. In order for a business to reopen, an inspector will continue visiting the establishment daily until compliance is met. Some citations may include a financial penalty. Inspectors may also respond to complaints, which can be filed at www.myfloridalicense.com.
The Bradenton Herald’s weekly dirty dining reports list restaurants where inspectors found issues that might concern the average diner — such as unsafe food temperatures, employee hand-washing issues or moldy drink machines — regardless of whether or not the businesses passed inspection.
