The Department of Health recently released a secondary, “follow-up” report that took place on September 24th for the Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall. The report shows that Leo’s passed in every single category. There were no observations that required critical action, and the inspector also added that Leo’s now has a written health policy on how to deal with food-borne illnesses.

On September 13, the DOH discovered six critical and two non-critical violations in the dining hall. The violations ranged from unclean food contact on surfaces to incorrect cooling temperatures for food.

Now that Leo’s is back in good shape, Vox will be sure to notify our Leo’s mole rat to lay low for a bit.

Yesterday, D.C.’s Department of Health released its annual health inspection report on Georgetown’s Leo J. O’Donovan Dining Hall, identifying six critical violations and two non-critical. Leo’s is in the third level risk category. The report form states that “six or more critical violations that cannot be corrected on site during the course of the inspection results in an automatic suspension and closure of a food establishment.” Fortunately, the two of the critical violations corrected on site to keep our dining hall up and running.

The “routine” inspection report took place on September 4, 2012 around noon. According to the Health Regulating and Licensing Administration, most permitted food service establishments in the District receive two unannounced food safety inspections each year. The last Leo’s inspection report is dated April 2010.

Of the critical violations, the inspector, Ross Gateretse, cited Leo’s for “unclean food contact surfaces, can openers, ice box drop panels, reach-in and walk-in coolers.” Equipment, food-contact surfaces, and utensils must be clean to sight and touch in order to pass this mark. This violation was corrected on site. Another violation held that cutting boards were “not smooth and have numerous grooves.” The inspectors requested replacement of cutting boards within the next five calendar days.

Area Supervisor Ronnie Taylor from the Food Safety Division of the D.C. Department of Health said that any violations are “concerning,” especially when marked critical. These types of violations impact public health directly. Taylor also added that the violations corrected on site are “not too big of a deal.” However, several critical violations are cause for concern.

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Yesterday, we cataloged the health violations of four Georgetown-area food establishments that had been pegged as “high-risk” by the Health and Regulations Licensing Administration within the last year or so—Leo’s, Epicurean & Co., The Tombs, and Bangkok Bistro.

Today, we’re running an accounting of the nine remaining restaurants whose two most recent food establishment inspection reports we acquired through a February Freedom of Information Act request. 

We found that Wisey’s, the Starbucks and the Cosi in the Leavey Center, Booey’s, Tuscany Cafe, the former Philly Pizza, and Midnight Mug were listed on at least one report as “medium-risk” establishments, mostly due to non-critical violations. Only two establishments, Vital Vittles and Hoya Snaxa, were never listed as risky establishments.

In total, they garnered 9 critical and 16 non-critical violations. Again, six critical violations that cannot be corrected on site result in the closure of the restaurant. Owners are usually given five days to rectify critical violations and 45  for non-critical violations or they risk closure.

COSI

An August inspection of the Cosi in the Leavey Center found three critical violations. The establishment was cited for needing to clean food contact surfaces and its “warewashing, sanitizing, frequency methods.”

“Resurface, clean, and sanitize cutting boards” for sandwich preparation areas and other cutting boards, the report said. “Adjust hot water on hand sinks in rear and prep area so [temperatures] reach 110 degrees; repair hot water gauge on dish machine.”

An inspection five days later confirmed that Cosi had corrected all of the violations, and a notice it had been given after the previous report was abated.

TUSCANY CAFE

An August inspection found that Tuscany Cafe had one critical and two non-critical violation. Several food storage units were missing thermometers, many food items were not labeled and dated, and employees were cited for personal cleanliness, although the only written note about employees was that they were seen not wearing either hats or hair restraints when handling food. The establishment was given five and 45 days’ notice to make corrections.

A subsequent inspection 20 days later found no violations and abated the five and 45 days’ notices, but still listed Tuscany as a medium-risk establishment, which is not uncommon for an inspection following up on a notice to correct violations.

The Corp, Wisey’s, and how gross Philly Pizza was, after the jump!

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A couple of weeks ago, Vox got the Freedom of Information Act itch and decided to FOIA the Food Establishment Inspection Reports of some local restaurants. We obtained the two most recent health inspection reports from the D.C. Health Regulations and Licensing Administration for 13 area food establishments and perused them over Spring break to see if Georgetown students were eating safe.

What’d we find? Well for starters, you’d better lay off the Epicurean sushi.

The 13 restaurants we looked at netted 30 critical violations and 29 non-critical violations of the health code. Four establishments, Leo’s, Epicurean & Co., The Tombs, and Bangkok Bistro were listed on at least one report as “high-risk” establishments. All of them had critical violations and were given five days to correct their violations or else their licenses would not be renewed.

These four establishments accounted for 20 of the critical violations and 14 of the non-critical violations in all 26 inspections reports. Six critical violations that cannot be corrected on site result in the automatic closure of the food establishment. Owners are usually given five days to rectify critical violations and forty-five for non-critical violations or they risk closure.

Because of the volume of information our FOIA requests turned up, we’ve divided the results into two posts. Tomorrow, we’ll give you the details on the restaurants that were identified as a medium risk or had clean bills of health. And today, we’ll run an accounting of the high-risk establishments, including startling information on Dean & Deluca that the Washington Examiner turned up in their review of health code violators.

EPICUREAN & CO.

Epicurean & Co., shown above, was the biggest violator, and was the only restaurant listed as a “high risk” violator on both of the inspection reports Vox obtained. In late August of 2009, Epicurean earned five critical and four non-critical violations, all of which were corrected on site. They included:

• Food was not properly “segregated, separated, [or] protected.” At the sushi station, eggs were stored in a way where they might contaminate other foods.
• The restaurant was cited for unclean and unsanitized food contact surfaces.
• The restaurant’s food marking and disposal methods were cited.
• Food and non-critical surfaces were not properly maintained.

Earlier in the year, in February, Epicurean had fared even worse, and inspectors discovered 13 critical health code violations, only nine of which were corrected on site.

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We last left our friends at Catholic by the toilet, but according to the Washington Post, the last reported case of norovirus was Wednesday. The D.C. Health Department has confirmed that norovirus is indeed the culprit.

Yesterday, The Tower recalled the norovirus outbreak that hit CUA in 2006:

“An investigation by the DOH followed the outbreak in 2006. They found several food-related violations, including the presence of fruit flies and unclean equipment. The University has since done a campus-wide cleaning and installed hand sanitizers in the Pryzbyla Center.”

That’s more than they ever found at Georgetown. As for the hand sanitizers in the Pryzbyla Center, there’s no indication of what type of sanitizer they’re filled with, but as we all learned over Christmas break, what Georgetown gave out didn’t do squat.

Remember the health inspection report that told Wisey’s not to prop open its door because that’s unsanitary? Apparently, neither do they. If you squint at the above picture, taken a couple weeks ago, you can see the rope holding the door open. More recently, I’ve seen the door held open with tape, a pretty serious move.

Still, have a little sympathy for Wisey’s. According to my source at Wisey’s, it gets hot inside if that door isn’t open.

The University just sent out an email saying we beat the Dread Pirate Norovirus. Hurray! The cheering will be loudest at Aramark because the email says Leo’s isn’t at fault:

The Department of Health continues their investigation into the exact source of the recent norovirus on campus but has ruled out any in house food service and in fact permitted the full restoration of dining services at O’Donovan Hall (Leo’s), which has taken place this week.

“Huh?”, you might say, and rightly so. Where else on campus do students shovel food into their mouths, and where else on campus has a history of bad handwashing? Fair point, but “in house food service” doesn’t rule out Grab N Go. I’m looking into it and will report back.

Tonight, though, we celebrate.  Actually, make that Wednesday, we celebrate:

Recognizing the inconvenience that many of you have experienced over the past week, dining services has graciously agreed to students’ suggestions to cater a GUSA Election Panel and Debate Watch party planned in Leo’s on Wednesday, October 15.

Thanks for catering one event, Aramark. Maybe instead you could refund the meals from the Center Grill.

So it looks like the University won’t be helping students who were infected with the norovirus pay their medical bills. On Monday, VP of Student Affairs Todd Olson also told reporters that the university was unlikely even to reimburse students for their meal plan, which is so not cool.

But as the D.C. Department of Health has said that the source of the norovirus outbreak is yet unknown, this kind of talk out of the University is completely inappropriate. In effect, Georgetown is declaring itself free of blame before the real experts determine if that’s the case.

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Vice President of Student Affairs Todd Olson, VP for Student Health Jim Welsh, and University spokesperson Julie Green Bataille sat down with student reporters this afternoon to provide an update on the norovirus outbreak:

• 212 confirmed cases of norovirus on campus, and seven new cases in the past 24 hours.  Two faculty members have contracted norovirus.
• Georgetown cleaning crews and temporary contract crews have been working through the weekend to keep public areas clean.  Thousands of wipes and sixty hand sanitizer stations have been placed around campus.
• Late night Leo’s should return on Wednesday as long as there is no significant change in the number of norovirus cases.
• DC Department of Public Health is conducting an epidemiological study to determine the cause of the outbreak.  The results of the study should be released in the next few days.  Food samples from Leo’s have been tested.  The cause of the outbreak is still unknown, but the study should provide some insight.

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Didn’t even buy a meal plan

There’s been a lot of information about the Georgetown norovirus outbreak on Vox Populi and elsewhere, including the Hoya and Todd Olson’s Xanga. It’s all become a blizzard of words, though, and that’s no good when you just want to stay healthy. So here, all in one place and in a convenient question-answer format, The Georgetown Norovirus FAQ:

Q: Is it safe to eat in Leo’s?

A: The administration must think so or they wouldn’t have opened it tonight. That doesn’t mean much, but consider this: after the Department of Health and Aramark scoured the place, it’s probably cleaner now than it ever will be.

Q: I threw up all over my room. Now my roommate is mad and is sleeping in the common room because of the smell. Also, I missed a test.

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