Arlington Restaurant Inspection Reports: Bayou Bakery and More

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation.

In Arlington County, inspectors grade restaurants based on benchmarks set in the most recent version of the Food and Drug Administration Code. Establishments can be cited for violations of "core" items, "priority" items and "priority foundation" items.

• A core item "usually relates to general sanitation, operational controls, sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs), facilities or structures, equipment design, or general maintenance."
• A priority item is "a provision in this Code whose application contributes directly to the elimination, prevention or reduction to an acceptable level, hazards associated with foodborne illness or injury and there is no other provision that more directly controls the hazard," and "includes items with a quantifiable measure to show control of hazards such as cooking, reheating, cooling, handwashing."
• A priority foundation item "includes an item that requires the purposeful incorporation of specific actions, equipment or procedures by industry management to attain control of risk factors that contribute to foodborne illness or injury such as personnel training, infrastructure or necessary equipment, HACCP plans, documentation or record keeping, and labeling."

Since our , the following restaurants have been inspected in the Rosslyn-Ballston corridor. The full reports, as well as other restaurant reports around the county, can be accessed on the health department's website.

, 1515 N. Courthouse Road

• Priority Item Repeat: A food employee failed to wash his or her hands before donning gloves for working with food.
• Priority Item Repeat: Employees observed contacting ready-to-eat (RTE) food with their bare hands.
• Core Item: The hand sink near the coffee station was observed without a handwashing sign.
• Priority Item: Raw eggs observed over milk; ready-to-eat food is not protected from cross contamination by separating them from raw animal foods.
• Priority Item: Handle of scoop was observed touching the sugar; food in contact with soiled equipment or utensils.
• Priority Item Repeat: The following were observed in the indicated unit cold holding at improper temperatures: mushrooms (48 degrees), milk (45 degrees) and chocolate milk (44 degrees).
• Priority Item: The bread pudding exceeds the temperature and time combination, does not bear a date or day, and/or is inappropriately marked with a date or day that exceeds the temperature and time combination.

Pizza Autentica, 850 N. Randolph St. 

• Core Item Repeat: The handwashing sink located at the front cookline by the pizza prep is not maintained so that it is accessible at all times for employee use (container of soap in hand sink).
• Priority Item Repeat: Ham (44 degrees), chicken (43 degrees) and sausage (43 degrees) in walk-in observed above 41 degrees.
• Priority Item: The pizzas, strombolis, and tomatoes for which time only, rather than time in conjunction with temperature control, is not properly labeled to indicate the time it shall be discarded.

Grand Hunan Restaurant, 5845 N. Washington Blvd.

• Core Item Repeat: A supply of hand cleaning liquid, powder or bar soap is not provided at each handwashing sink. Back kitchen hand sink has no hand soap.
• Core Item: Each handwashing sink is not provided with individual, disposable towels; a continuous towel system that supplies the user with a clean towel; or a heated-air hand drying device. No hand towels at back kitchen hand sink.
• Priority Item Repeat: Ready-to-eat food is not protected from cross contamination by separating them from raw animal foods. Raw chicken and raw beef stored above produce in walk in. Shell eggs stored above buckets of sauces in walk in.
• Priority Item: Food is not protected from cross contamination from equipment and utensils. Containers of cooking oil stored on shelf under prep table next to gallons of paint.
• Priority Item Repeat: Cooked shrimp at 54 degrees, cooked chicken at 49 degrees, cooked pork at 48 degrees in top of two-door prep unit. Items moved to lower portion of unit.
• Priority Item Repeat: Tubs of egg rolls, prepared and held in the food establishment for more than 24 hours, is not clearly marked to indicate the date or day by which the food shall be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded.
• Priority Item Repeat: Working containers used for storing poisonous or toxic materials are not clearly and/or individually identified with the common name of the material.

Big Buns Gourmet Grill, 4401 Wilson Blvd.

• Priority Item: Ready-to-eat food is not protected from cross contamination by separating them from raw animal foods. Raw beef stored above sodas in walk in refrigerator.
• Priority Item: After being cleaned, equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils are not sanitized in a chemical manual or mechanical operations, using a proper solution. Chemical ware washing machine was not dispensing sanitizer.

Texas Bar-B-Q Factory, 4238 Wilson Blvd.

• Priority Item: An open beverage container and/or a closed beverage container not handled to prevent contamination of a food employee's hands, the container, exposed food and/or clean equipment was observed.
• Priority Item: A food employee did not clean their hands and/or exposed portions of their arms before engaging in food preparation and/or working with clean equipment or after other activities that contaminate the hands.
• Priority Item Repeat: Brisket hot holding at the improper temperature of 68 degrees.

Sichuan Wok, 901 N Quincy St.

• Priority Item Repeat: Bamboo cans found dented on their seams.
• Priority Item Repeat: Raw animal foods are not separated from each other during storage, preparation, holding, and/or display (In the freezer tray of chicken observed above a tray of beef; corrected during the inspection).
• Priority Item Repeat: Ready-to-eat food is not protected from cross contamination by separating them from raw animal foods (trays of raw eggs in the "Bev Air" two-door refrigerator).
• Priority Item Repeat: Food in contact with soiled equipment or utensils (containers of food stored on top of food in the top portion of the prep refrigerator].
• Priority Item Repeat: The slicer and prep refrigerator cutting board are not clean to sight and touch.
• Core Item Repeat: The nonfood-contact surface of the stove, fryer, counter and prep refrigerator door gaskets are not cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude the accumulation of soil residues.

, 1801 Clarendon Blvd.

• Priority Item: Raw salmon observed over salmon in two-door prep and raw shell eggs observed over lettuce in walk-in.

Courthouse Place Gourmet, 1320-A N. Veitch St.

• Priority Item: After being cleaned, equipment food-contact surfaces and utensils are not properly sanitized in a chemical manual operations, using a proper solution.
• Priority Item Repeat: Tuna salad prepared and held in the food establishment for more than 24 hours is not clearly marked to indicate the date or day by which the food shall be consumed on the premises, sold or discarded.
• Priority Item: Working containers used for storing poisonous or toxic materials are not clearly and/or individually identified with the common name of the material (spray bottle).
• Core Item: A food temperature measuring device is not provided and readily accessible for use in ensuring attainment and maintenance of food temperatures.
• Core Item Repeat: Food storage (cases of drinks) in the toilet room.
• Core Item Repeat: The nonfood-contact surface of the raw wooden shelves on the storage room floor for cases of drinks are not corrosion-resistant, nonabsorbent and/or smooth.
• Core Item: A test kit or other device that accurately measures the concentration of the sanitizing solution is not provided (chlorine test papers).
• Core Item: The nonfood-contact surface of the bathroom ceiling vent cover is not cleaned at a frequency necessary to preclude the accumulation of soil residues.
• Priority Foundation Item: There is a leak under the three-compartment sink plumbing.
• Core Item: The floors and floor drain are not cleaned as often as necessary to keep them clean.

, 2500 Wilson Blvd.

• Core Item: A sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at men's or women's restroom hand sinks.
• Priority Item Repeat: The food establishment serves or sells raw or undercooked food (beef Pho noodle soup) and the permit holder does not inform consumers of the significantly increased risk consuming such foods by way of a disclosure and reminder using brochures, deli case or menu advisories, label statements, table tents, placards or other effective written means.
• Priority Item Repeat: Working containers used for storing poisonous or toxic materials are not clearly and/or individually identified with the common name of the material.