Mike's Deli Slapped with Multiple Health Citations

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Mike's Deli on Prospect Ave. between Reeve Pl. and Greenwood Ave. has been hit with the highest number of serious health violations in Windsor Terrace.

When the shop was last inspected on Jan. 2, the inspector reported a neighborhood high of five critical deficiencies, which the state Department of Agriculture and Markets consider "an immediate threat to the public health and welfare."

For Windsor Terrace-Kensington Patch, data was collected on 149 markets in the area, ranging from major chain supermarkets to pharmacies and bodegas.

The store's latest inspection noted:

• The absence of a handwashing sink in the kitchen.
• "Old encrusted food residues" on the kitchen vegetable chopper.
• Vegetables and salads stored where they could get contaminated by raw beef.
• Lack of a three-bay sink in the kitchen.
• Cooking of roast beef was not up to safe temperature standards.

However, owner John Loparnos felt it was the inspector himself who was not up to standard.

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"That inspector was really over the top, really picky," he said. "This guy was the worst. I've been in business for over 40 years and this guy was by far the worst I've ever had. All the years I've been in business the biggest things are roaches, mice and we don't have any of that here."

Loparnos said he felt the inspector went beyond what was allowed in an inspection, and was targeting his business unfairly.

"He took the meat slicers apart which he doesn't have the right to do," Loparnos said. "It's like he's shutting me down. According to him he wanted me to get a whole new store. He was telling me how to go about selling foods and everything."

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"He was telling me how to run the whole place, way, way over the top."

And it wasn't only critical issues that the deli was cited for. With 22 general deficiencies it tied for second with Mehr & Sons of Kensington which had four critical deficiencies of its own, second only to Mike's.

These lesser issues are not considered to be an immediate health threat and are promised to be corrected by the next inspection. At Mike's they ranged from a non self-closing door on the restroom, to holes in the basement ceiling, to the presence of a cat in the shop.

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And Loparnos says he's ready for that next inspection.

"I fixed just about everything on his list within two months. It probably cost about $15,000," he said.

But he maintains that his establishment was unfairly targeted.

"Things that he was picking on really wasn't necessary," he said.