Restaurants Cited: Brio Tuscan Grille, Greene Turtle, MD Inn

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Twenty-six restaurants and food stores in Annapolis and other parts of Anne Arundel County were cited for what county health inspectors deemed "critical violations" in the August 2019 report that was recently released. The county health department posted a list of 293 restaurant and food service inspections online and said almost 30 were found to have critical food safety problems that were corrected.

Businesses, schools and care centers were inspected between Sept. 1 and 31. Most of the problems noted in the reports were for employees who didn't wash their hands properly or food not stored at or cooked to a proper temperature. One business was closed last month because of urgent problems.

Food Facility Closings:

• Sept. 12, Sweet Frog Frozen Yogurt, 3059 Solomon's Island Rd., Edgewater, was closed due to an infestation of fruit flies. The yogurt shop reopened Sept. 18.

The restaurants and businesses with critical violations were:

• B.J.'s Wholesale Club, 8139 Ritchie Highway, Pasadena
• Brio Tuscan Grille, 305 Sail Place, Annapolis
• Burger Joint (BGR), 2101 Somerville Rd., Annapolis
• Cabrito Mexican Grill, 1407 Forest Dr., Annapolis
• California Pizza Kitchen, 22 Annapolis Mall, Annapolis
• Capriotti's Sandwich Shop, 2285 B Forest Dr., Annapolis
• Checkers, 6899 Baltimore Annapolis Blvd., Linthicum
• Dash In, 103 Mountain Rd., Pasadena
• Eddie's Grill Inc./Garry's Grill & Catering, 553 A B&A Blvd., Severna Park
• Giant Food Store, #358 573 Ritchie Highway, Severna Park
• Greene Turtle of Annapolis, 3213 A Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater
• Jimmy John's, 1901 Towne Centre Blvd., Annapolis
• Johnny's Family Restaurant, 3023 Mountain Rd., Pasadena
• Joy Luck I, 905 Bay Ridge Rd., Annapolis
• Kyoto Japanese Steakhouse, 568-C Ritchie Hwy., Severna Park
• Maryland Inn, 16 Church Circle, Annapolis
• Pizza Hut, 3110 Mountain Rd., Pasadena
• Plazuela's Mexican Restaurant, 3029 Solomons Island Rd., Edgewater (twice)
• Potbelly Sandwich Shop, BWI Airport Terminal A, Terminal Rd., Hanover
• Royal Farms #183, 8551 Ft. Smallwood Rd., Pasadena
• Shoppers Food Warehouse #52017, 2371 Solomons Island Rd., Annapolis
• Subway, 895 Bay Ridge Rd., Annapolis
• Taste of the Island and Soul Food LLC Carry Out, 1155 Reece Rd., Severn
• 1978 NY Pizzeria, 4315 E Mountain Rd., Pasadena

Inspectors evaluate nine critical food safety items, which are those most likely to contribute to foodborne illness, the department says. If a critical food safety violation is discovered, it must be either corrected immediately or the facility risks being closed.

Find the full inspection list and explanations for the citations on the health department website.

SEE ALSO:

• Restaurants Cited: Fat Boys Crab Shack, Vino Volo, Royal Farms
• Restaurants Cited: Chick & Ruths Delly, Loews Hotel, Iron Rooster
• Restaurants Cited: Gordon Biersch, Blackwall Hitch, Greene Turtle
• Restaurants Cited: The Hawk's Nest, Whole Foods, Caliente Grill

The Anne Arundel County Department of Health inspects restaurants and other food service facilities routinely to monitor the sanitary and physical conditions at each establishment.
Indicates type of inspection:
ICI - Initial Comprehensive Inspection: Complete environmental inspection which includes both critical and sanitation items and food flow process (HACCP).
IM(1 or 2) - Monitoring Inspection: Specialized inspections performed to monitor critical steps of food handling for potentially hazardous foods.
R(or R2) - Reinspection.
Column 5: Critical food safety items found NOT in compliance. Any critical items found to be in violation must be corrected during the inspection. Numbers appearing in this column indicate the food safety item found in violation.

These numbers correspond to the following critical items:

1. Food must be obtained from an approved source.
2. Food must be protected from adulteration, spoilage and contamination.
3. Food workers must be restricted during illness or infection.
4. Food workers must practice effective handwashing.
5. Food must be properly cooled.
6. a. Food must be held at proper cold holding temperature. All existing refrigeration equipment must maintain the internal temperature of potentially hazardous food at 41 degrees F or less. b. Food must be held at proper hot holding temperature.
7. a. Food must be cooked to proper temperature. b. Food must be reheated to proper temperature.
8. Potable hot and cold running water must be provided.
9. Sewage must be properly discharged.

Ways to spot a possibly unclean restaurant kitchen are:

• Outdoor space: If the exterior is unkempt and littered, don't trust the inside.
• How clean is the restroom? Smells and overflowing trash cans are a red flag.
• Well-groomed employees: Are they washed, do they wear gloves when handling food, and do they wash their hands? If not, be careful.
• Healthy servers: If your waiter is sneezing or coughing, ask for another or consider leaving
• Table cleaning: Is a clean rag and disinfectant used to clean the table's surface? If not, the staff could just be spreading germs around.