Baba, Swingers, Park & Rec, Gigis Cited For Restaurant Violations

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — One-hundred-forty-four restaurants out of 460 in Pinellas County failed its first inspections in the last 30 days, the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation said Tuesday.

Some of those restaurants in St. Petersburg had worse violations than others. Listed below are the St. Pete restaurants cited for violations. The high priority items are included from the inspector's notes:

Baba on Central, 2701 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, was cited for nine violations March 17.

• High Priority—Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee placed raw chicken skewers on grill, took gloves off then placed new gloves.
• High Priority —Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. Two flies in kitchen not landing on food or food contact surfaces.
• High Priority —Toxic substance/chemical stored by or with food. Sanitizer next to food.

Gigi's Italian Restaurant, 5901 Fourth Street N, St. Petersburg, was cited for 16 violations March 17.

• High Priority—Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food. Raw salmon over tomato sauce in reach-in cooler. Cook's line operator moved raw items during time of inspection
• High Priority—Vacuum breaker missing at hose bibb or on fitting/splitter added to hose bibb. Next to ice machine.

Chick-Fil-A, 4241 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg, was cited for 16 violations on March 1.

• High Priority —Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee removed gloves, touched shirt sleeves then put on gloves without washing hands.
• High Priority—Wiping cloth sanitizer solution exceeds the maximum concentration allowed. -Sanitizer Bucket (Quaternary 400ppm)
• High Priority—Operating with an expired Division of Hotels and Restaurants license.

4th Street Shrimp Store, 1006 Fourth Street N, St. Petersburg, was cited for six violations March 16.

• High Priority—Employee failed to wash hands before putting on gloves to initiate a task working with food. Employee worked with raw shrimp removed gloves, rubbed hands on shirt then put on new gloves.
• High Priority—Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Raw shrimp 50 °F, raw fish 60 °F, raw scallops 52 °F

Mandarin Hide, 231 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, was cited for seven violations March 12.

• High Priority—Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food. Raw shelled eggs over ready-to-eat foods flowers.

Swingers, 2501 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, was cited for 12 violations March 12.

• High Priority—Container of medicine improperly stored. Sanitizer next to clean plates.
• High Priority—Live, small flying insects in kitchen, food preparation area, food storage area and/or bar area. One fly in kitchen not landing on food or food contact surfaces. One fly behind bar not landing on food or food contact surfaces.
• High Priority—Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit.

Park & Rec DTSP, 344 First Avenue South, St. Petersburg, was cited for 18 violations March 17.

• High Priority—Raw animal foods not properly separated from each other in holding unit. Raw chicken over raw beef in walk in cooler. They were also cited for raw/undercooked animal food offered, and establishment has no written consumer advisory.

The Burg Bar & Grill, 1752 Central Avenue, St. Petersburg, was cited for 18 violations March 9.

• High Priority —Employee touched soiled apron/clothes and then engaged in food preparation, handled clean equipment or utensils, or touched unwrapped single-service items without washing hands.
• High Priority—Food-contact surfaces not sanitized after cleaning, before use. Did not use equipment/utensils, not properly sanitized.
• High Priority—Raw animal food stored over ready-to-eat food. Raw shell gas over open container of olives in outside reach in cooler.

McDonald's 4th Street N, 9600 Fourth Street N, St. Petersburg, was cited for 14 violations February 26.

• High Priority—Dish machine chlorine sanitizer not at proper minimum strength. Discontinue use of dish machine for sanitizing and set up manual sanitization until dish machine is repaired and sanitizing properly. Less than 10 ppm. three compartment sink avail for set up.
• High Priority—Quaternary ammonium sanitizer not at proper minimum strength for manual ware washing. Do not use equipment/utensils not properly sanitized. 100 ppm. Packaging states it must be between 200 to 400 ppm. Employee drained sanitizer and began using chlorine.
• High Priority—Time/temperature control for safety food cold held at greater than 41 degrees Fahrenheit. Tall reach-in cooler next to first drive through window: Sausage gravy 66-70 °F. Per operator employees had it out for a few orders.
• High Priority—Time/temperature control for safety food identified in the written procedure as a food held using time as a public health control has no time marking and the time removed from temperature control can be determined. Melted salted butter had no time mark. Employees placed time mark.
• High Priority—Vacuum breaker missing at mop sink faucet or on fitting/splitter added to mop sink faucet.

*All violations have been corrected at each restaurant listed.