What you should know about restaurant health inspections in Riverside County
Every week, inspectors from the Riverside County Environmental Health Department visit restaurants throughout the Coachella Valley.
A kitchen in the Coachella Valley was closed by Riverside County health inspectors this week and two others reopened after a successful re-inspection.
The banquet kitchen at Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs was closed after an inspector discovered several fresh and dry rodent droppings in the cook line cooler, on the floor behind the cook line and in other areas. The facility will be inspected again on August 13 so inspectors can determine if facility staff has corrected the major violation as well as several minor violations.
The kitchen at Hotel Zoso in downtown Palm Springs, which was closed earlier this month due to detected rodent activity, reopened after a re-inspection and received a B grade. Pho Na 92 in Desert Hot Springs also reopened after a re-inspection and now receives an A grade.
This article does not include the usual summary of all the restaurants that received an “A” grade during inspectors’ visits this week. The Riverside County Health Department is in the process of transferring past restaurant inspection reports from its old database to a new one, and as a result, no new reports have been uploaded to the website since June 11.
Instead, the Riverside County Health Department will send weekly inspection reports to The Desert Sun until the restaurant rating website is functioning properly again. These reports will only cover restaurants that have been downgraded or closed by health inspectors.
Major violations pose an immediate threat to public health and require immediate closure of a food establishment or immediate correction. Lesser violations, on the other hand, do not pose an immediate threat to public health but do require correction.
Closure of a facility
Margaritaville Resort Palm Springs – Banquet Kitchen, 1600 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
- Serious violation: The inspector discovered numerous fresh and dry rodent droppings in the cooktop refrigerator, on the floors behind the cooktop, on the floors under the dishwasher, and on the floors in the rear banquet storage room.
- Minor violations include: The inspector observed two opened bottles of orange juice labeled “Keep in refrigerator after opening” that measured a temperature of 70 °F (21 °C) in Walk-in Cooler #1. The employee stated that there was a power outage, but was unsure when the outage occurred or when power was restored. The inspector also noted at the time of inspection an air curtain that was turned off, two open bins of chips stored at the cook line, the walk-in freezer that stored food at 5 °C (41 °F), both walk-in coolers that stored food between 21 °C (70 °F) and 24 °C (75 °F), a missing faucet at the cook line hand sink, a melted plastic chip container at the cook line, several holes in the walls, an accumulation of dirt on the lower shelves of the three-door cooler, missing base tiles, black mold-like substances and dirt on the shelves and fan grills in the two-door cooler, and an accumulation of dirt, trash, grease, and water in the kitchen.
- The facility has been closed and a re-inspection is scheduled for August 13.
Class B
Come to Monday Café, 1600 N. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
- Serious violation: The inspector observed several improper hot and cold holding temperatures, including several containers of potentially hazardous foods outside the 44-55°F temperature range in walk-in cooler #7. The following foods were measured and stored overnight in the walk-in cooler: grilled chicken 46.4°F, cooked turkey 45.9°F, hummus 53.3°F, chipotle aioli at 53.2°F, salsa at 49.5°F, cooked rice at 45.3°F, cooked vegetables at 48.6°F, raw bacon at 49°F, crab dip at 49°F. Ambient temperature measured at 48°F. The cook has discarded all potentially hazardous foods in this walk-in cooler. Additionally: In the sandwich/salad preparation area, the previously seized unit was found to be empty and left with the seizure label still attached. No food (PHF or non-PHF) was stored in the previously seized unit. Walk-in cooler #3 measured 49°F for cooked hamburger patties and 46.1°F for deli items. All other food items in this unit measured 41°F or less.
- Minor violations include: Non-functioning paper towel dispenser at hand sink in dishwashing room; no hand soap and no paper towels in stockroom/office across from dishwasher; time stickers at employee cafeteria buffet where lunch is served (time stickers only indicated preparation date, not time); minimum hot water temperature of 120°F not achieved at triple sinks, prep sinks, and utility sinks; multiple dry rodent droppings observed in rear unused bake room (per chef, this room is not actively used for food preparation and equipment with droppings on it is voluntarily disposed of); observed gaps and a non-functioning air curtain with excessive lint/dust accumulation above door in hallway trash corridor; multiple dented cans on canned goods shelf; multiple food items stored directly on floor in walk-in freezer; Imperial oven door on cook line was loose/improperly repaired and an oven door on gas range was missing; among other issues.
- This facility has failed to meet the minimum requirements of the California Health and Safety Code (80 = B). An administrative hearing will be held due to repeated failed inspections within a two-year period.
Rockwood Grill at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa, 74-855 Country Club Drive, Palm Desert
- Serious violation: The inspector found that several food items were kept hot and cold at incorrect temperatures. This included several pieces of salmon in the pull-out drawer of the drop-down refrigerator that measured 7°C. In the walk-in cooler next to the cook line, he found that six other food items measured 7.4-7.6°C. The manager voluntarily disposed of the food and any other potentially hazardous food items during the inspection. The walk-in cooler was repaired during the inspection. The inspector also found that the large high-temperature dishwasher measured 65°C and the small high-temperature dishwasher measured 57°C (operators were instructed to stop using them until repaired).
- Minor violations: No paper towels in the paper towel dispenser at the handwashing sink; no paper towel dispenser installed at the handwashing sink near the dessert station/sushi area; no paper towels in the dispenser at the handwashing sink near the walk-in cooler; no soap in the soap dispenser in the bar area; no paper towels installed at the handwashing station in the dessert/sushi area; several flies in the bar area; a few flies in the kitchen area; doors to the patio area near the kitchen entrance had gaps; a knife and spatula were left in a sanitizing bucket with mop rags; several uncovered food items in the bar area and dessert cooler area; several plastic containers/dish storage in multiple containers being used as scoops; several items in need of repair including: the walk-in refrigerator, the flip-top cooler, the 2-door dessert refrigerator, the large high-temperature dishwasher, the small high-temperature dishwasher, the refrigerator compartment #23, the wine refrigerator storage, the pasta station drawers, the rotisserie chicken oven; grease and food residue in several places and more
- The facility has not met the standards for an A rating, so a B sign has been placed. Future downgrades may result in hearings, citations, re-inspection fees, suspension hearings, and/or other disciplinary action. The operator has a minimum of one week to comply, unless otherwise specified, and a re-inspection will then be conducted.
Hotel Zoso, 150 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs
- During a recent inspection, the establishment was closed due to an active rodent infestation. However, upon re-inspection, no rodent activity was found within the establishment to indicate an active infestation. Records of recent pest control measures were provided and the restaurant was instructed to continue to protect and seal all holes/gaps against vermin and to continue to clean floors in the food storage room, cook line and bar. In addition, the impoundment of the main walk-in cooler was lifted.
- The facility closed sign has been removed and a Class B sign has been installed. A re-inspection is scheduled for August 14 to verify that all violations listed during the routine inspection have been corrected.
Class “C”
Denny’s, 72248 Varner Road, Thousand Palms
- Serious violation: The inspector observed an employee failing to wash hands before putting on new gloves and keeping the following foods hot or cold at incorrect temperatures: burnt ends on the prep counter at 22°C, pre-portioned single servings of hollandaise sauce in container at 22°C, peeled hard-boiled eggs in bag at 14°C, raw bacon at 27°C
- Minor violations: The inspector observed a bag of queso cheese sauce measuring 104°F on the prep counter; five dented cans of food in the dry storage room; a moldy package of strawberries in the walk-in cooler; a rethermalizer on the prep counter due to an unauthorized method of draining wastewater; 1 dead cockroach squashed in a refrigerator drawer at the cooking area; live cockroaches (1 baby and 3 adults) in a cabinet under the soda machine and ice bin; a non-functioning air curtain on the back door; a weather strip on the back door seal that needs to be replaced; a bag of potato soup and a bag of beef for nachos on the rethermalizer (both items measured at 109°F); rust, ice buildup, and water pooling in various locations in the kitchen; shelves, cabinets, and storage units that had not been properly cleaned/sanitized; Mold, dirt and food splashes in various places; incorrectly stored tongs and butcher knives; gaps in the air filters of the extractor hood; 1 toilet in the ladies’ restroom not working; among other things
- At this time, this facility has not met the standards for Class A, so a C sign has been placed. Future downgrades may result in hearings, citations, re-inspection fees, suspension hearings, and/or other disciplinary action. A re-inspection will be conducted in one week (unless otherwise noted) to ensure compliance.
