Arlington Restaurant Inspection Reports: Ruffino's 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 July 1, the following area restaurants have been inspected by the Virginia Department of Health. The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Johnny Rockets, 4251 Campbell Ave.

• 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 available at back hand sink.
• Priority item: Brick of american cheese at 54 degrees, sausage links at 45 degrees in prep unit. Gallon of milk at 45 degrees in milk dispenser refrigeration unit.

Pastries by Randolph, 4500 Lee Highway

• Priority item: Half and half observed at 48 degrees in the two-door glass refrigerator.

Ruffino's, 4763 Lee Highway

• Priority item: Shellstock tags are missing from the shellstock containers.

Washington Golf and Country Club Grill, 3017 North Glebe Road

• Priority item: Employees observed contacting ready-to-eat (RTE) [cherries at the bar] food with their bare hands.
• Core item: The handwashing station at the bar, service hallway, and kitchen are being used as a dump station.
• 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. The bar glass dishmachine observed not sanitizing.
• Priority item: Cole slaw (54ºF) and milk(46ºF) in the server True prep refrigerator cold holding at improper temperatures.