Restaurant inspections: Cockroach infestation closes Palm Springs spot; 2 eateries earn 'B'
A Palm Springs restaurant was shut down by Riverside County health inspectors due to an active cockroach infestation, according to reports conducted April 25 through May 1.
An inspector observed several live cockroaches at Monsoon Indian Restaurant during a recent inspection, leading to the facility closure. The restaurant also had issues with hot and cold food holding temperatures, as well as other minor violations.
La Sorpresa in Coachella and Porta Via Palm Desert in Palm Desert also had a number of minor violations which led to their "B" grades.
All three restaurants will have an opportunity to raise their scores, and Monsoon Indian Restaurant's instance reopen, when inspectors return to reinspect their facilities in one week.
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 an imminent public health risk, but do warrant correction.
Facility closure
Monsoon Indian Restaurant, 555 S. Sunrise Way, Suite A107, Palm Springs
Major violation: Issues with hot and cold food holding temperatures (perishable pickled vegetables and yogurt measuring 55-56 degrees in the refrigerator for more than fours hours; yogurt and chutney stored in ice baths at the buffet area measuring 45-49 degrees for less than one hour; curry and chicken measuring 44 degrees in the refrigerator for approximately one hour) | Items were either discarded or moved for cooling
Major violation: Observed multiple live cockroaches in the facility (multiple live on the floor of the kitchen near the entrance, underneath the ware wash area and in the server area) | Facility closed due to an active cockroach infestation
Other minor violations include: Observed an employee wash their hands without any soap; no sanitizer detected in final rinse of dish machine and unclean knives and scraping tools held at the magnetic strip; instances of lack of food separation and possible contamination (open container of curry stored directly on the floor in the kitchen; buckets of food on the floor of the walk-in freezer; multiple food items and spices held on the prep counter or refrigerators without lids or coverage; ice scoop stored directly on top of the ice machine); equipment and utensils in need of repairs and cleaning; floors, walls and ceiling in need of cleaning; and others
Facility has been closed due to an active cockroach infestation. A reinspection has been scheduled for May 7
0 major violations, 18 points deducted
Porta Via Palm Desert, 73-100 El Paseo, Palm Desert
Minor violations include: Observed an employee place their open drink cup on the preparation table next to uncovered tuna, then grab the cup and walk through the cook line drinking from the cup; handwashing sink blocked by a trash bin and large pots and a metal shelving rack was stored inside the sink bin; two containers of shell stock stored in the cold drawers without shell stock tags; hot water did not reach minimum of 120 degrees; observed three flies inside the kitchen at the time of inspection, and one fly landed and walked on raw tuna that was left unattended at the preparation line (tuna was discarded); instances of lack of food separation and possible contamination (uncovered food containers in cooler and refrigerator; small plastic container of leafy greens stored on top of raw beef plates covered in saran wrap; multiple containers of food double stacked on top of uncovered food containers); equipment and utensils in need of cleaning and proper storage; various wet and dry soiled wiping cloths stored on tables and counters throughout the kitchen; and others
"B" card posted and a reinspection date has been set for one week
0 major violations, 15 points deducted
La Sorpresa, 85-697 Highway 111, Coachella
Minor violations include: Missing food manager and food handler cards; empty soap dispenser at the handwash sink; several food items unlabeled (sopes, repackaged manteca, masa and tortillas); wiping cloths stored hanging on splash guards and no sanitizer buckets while conducting food prep; floors, walls and ceiling in need of repair and cleaning; and others
"B" card posted and a reinspection date has been set for one week
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
Outdoor Resort Palm Springs (19th Hole, El Saguaro Clubhouse Kitchen, La Roma Ristorante), 69-411 Ramon Road
Little Caesars Pizza, 69-030 Ramon Road, Suite C
Coachella
Eastern Buffet, 49-211 Grapefruit Blvd., Suite 7
Desert Hot Springs
Pizza Hut, 14-577 Palm Drive
Delicias Mexican Cuisine, 66-121 Pierson Blvd.
Oasis Retreat Center, 73-200 Dillon Road
Indian Wells
It's A Deli, 74-946 Highway 111
La Quinta
Juice It Up!, 79-775 Highway 111, Suite 102
Cinemark Century La Quinta and XD, 46-800 Washington St.
Palm Desert
Varraco Coffee + Roasters, 73-891 Highway 111
IW Coffee & Chai Bar, 74-868 Country Club Drive, Suite 101
Katsuyama, 74-990 Country Club Drive, Suite 330A
Palm Springs
Dragon Lili Boba Bar, 166 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Fruit Wonder, 264 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Hotel Zoso (lobby bar, main kitchen), 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Mario's Italian Cafe VI, 425 S. Sunrise Way
The Sandwich Spot, 276 N. Palm Canyon Drive
Tryst Bar & Lounge, 188 S. Indian Canyon Drive
China King Restaurant, 295 N. Indian Canyon
Palm Springs Fudge & Chocolates, 211 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Palm Springs Aerial Tramway (Cascade Cafe, Peaks Restaurant), 1 Tramway Road
Johnny Costa's Ristorante, 440 S. Palm Canyon Drive
Rooster And The Pig, 356 S. Indian Canyon Drive
Santorini Gyro, 1717 E. Vista Chino
Rancho Mirage
Catalan Mediterranean Restaurant, 70-026 Highway 111
Mission Hills North, 70-705 Ramon Road
Note: No restaurant inspections were reported for the week of April 25 through May 1 in 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: Cockroach infestation closes Palm Springs restaurant; 2 others earn 'B'