High temp dish machine in use, not sanitizing dishwaters - no hot water available. Handsink at bar area obstructed with drink dump strainer.Ĥ) Critical violations observed, lack of key critical food safety concepts among food handling employees, local requirement for compliance with Certified Food Manager (substitute certification).ĥ) In use utensils on cook line not wash, rinse, sanitized every 4 hrs as required. Smoked onion butter, parsley butter, garlic butter stored at room temperature - quarantined.ģ) Observed employee handle ready-to-eat food (slaw & tacos) with bare hands. Raw salmon, shrimp, cream, cream cheese, white cheddar in bottom of broiler station observed at 64 degree F - quarantined. Crab meat in reach-in unit with date mark label exceeding 7 days - corrected.Ģ) Tuna salad, sliced american cheese, sour cream, shredded cheddar, heavy cream on top rail of broiler station observed at 50 degrees F - quarantined. Pre-made goat cheese balls lacking date mark label - voluntarily discarded. When local food-service establishments are not complying with food guidelines, they are putting public health at risk."įrom the inspection report, dated December 1, seven critical violations were noted:ġ) Open brick of cream cheese lacking date mark label & expired manufacture use-by date - voluntarily discarded. "At NKY Health, our mission is to prevent disease, promote wellness and protect against health threats," she said. "One of the many ways that we do this is by working to reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses and ensuring that local restaurants operate within the guidelines of Kentucky's food code. Lynne Saddler, district director of health, agreed with Franzen's that the closure was about protecting the public. We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to serving you soon."ĭr. read, "Unfortunately, Mitchell's is temporarily CLOSED due to Hot Water Boiler issues.
They had to be shut down."Īfter closing at around 7:30 p.m on Friday amid a scene that employees of the restaurant described as "chaotic," the doors were locked and employees cleaned the kitchen area.Ī sign posted at 9 p.m. I can understand the pressure to stay open on a weekend, but the public needed to be protected in this instance. "They were in clear violation, and the law was pretty clear. When he came back to the restaurant he found that menus were taped up over his notice to obscure the view of that report to the public," Franzen said.
"When the inspector's order to close was refused, he posted a notice on the front doors stating that Mitchell's was to close and why. Under Kentucky law, any food safety score under 60 merits an immediate suspension of the food service permit.īut the closure didn't happen that night until the Campbell County Attorney's Office intervened. According to Campbell County Attorney Steve Franzen, the general manager refused to comply with the health department's order to close after revoking their food service permit.įranzen said the general manager's refusal to close was a first in his time as county attorney and, had the manager not eventually complied with the closure, he could have been charged and arrested. Newport Police were standing by. The inspector, who was scheduled to visit Mitchell's on December 4, visited early to investigate the complaint and found seven critical violations that yielded a food safety score of 54. The complaint, which was confirmed by the health department, stated that the restaurant had been without hot water since Wednesday, November 29. An anonymous complaint to the Northern Kentucky Health Department led to the immediate closure of Mitchell's Fish Market at Newport on the Levee in the middle of Friday dinner service.įort Thomas Matters reported the high-end seafood restaurant remained closed Saturday and Sunday before passing a subsequent inspection and reopening Monday.