Ed. Note: As a service to readers, Above the Fold is now publishing restaurant inspections on a two-week rotating basis in the interest of providing diners with the most up-to-date information possible on bars and restaurants in the Florida Keys. I don’t want to hear any bitching about why there is a photo of the Smokin’ Tuna Saloon. They passed with ZERO violations. That is why. As you were.
KEY WEST, Fla. — Six Monroe County food establishments completed state inspections without a single violation during a two-week review period in which most businesses passed on their first visit.
The soon-to-be open Smokin’ Tuna Saloon led the field with zero violations. The popular bar and restaurant is preparing for its soft opening for Sept. 3 at 11 a.m. in the former home of the Hard Rock Cafe at 313 Duval Street and was due for its inspection under its current license.
Other establishments with perfect inspections included Andrews Inn in Key West, Coast to Coast Pizza Company in Key Largo, Take Two Kitchen in Islamorada, Dunkin’ Donuts No. 25 in Marathon and the mobile food vendor Takeria La Palapa.
Overall, 74 of the 89 establishments inspected from Aug. 8 through Aug. 21 received a disposition of “Inspection Completed — No Further Action” from the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation.
Fifteen establishments required additional action. Eleven received warnings, two faced administrative complaints and two were temporarily closed under emergency orders.
New York Pasta Garden in Key West was closed Aug. 11 after inspectors documented live roaches on food containers, about 20 small flying insects beneath a sink and food held above safe cold-storage temperatures.
Boardwalk Bar and Grill on Big Pine Key was closed Aug. 19 after an inspector reported about 10 rodent droppings atop a dish machine, unsafe food temperatures and mold-like buildup inside an ice machine.
New York Pasta Garden was permitted to reopen Aug. 12. Boardwalk passed a callback inspection Aug. 20.
The 89-establishment group counts businesses whose first inspection occurred during the 14-day window. Three other establishments received callbacks during the period for inspections that began earlier. Those callbacks were excluded so the first-pass and follow-up figures would reconcile.
Emergency Closures
New York Pasta Garden — Key West
Aug. 11: Emergency order; 27 violations, including five high-priority violations. Reopened Aug. 12.
Inspectors reported about three live roaches crawling on containers holding raw scallops, butter and cooked shrimp. The food was discarded under a stop-sale order.
They also found about 20 small flying insects beneath a three-compartment sink and two dead roaches inside a cook-line cooler.
Cooked and raw chicken, blue cheese, tomatoes and pasta were held at 46 to 48 degrees. Cold food generally must be held at 41 degrees or below. A cook-line cooler registered 50 degrees.
Other findings included a soiled can opener, undated cooked pasta and lasagna, standing water in coolers and no proof of required employee training.
Boardwalk Bar And Grill — Big Pine Key
Aug. 19: Emergency order; 11 violations, including three high-priority violations. Passed callback Aug. 20.
An inspector reported about 10 rodent droppings atop the dish machine.
Cooked rice was held at 56 degrees, broccoli at 52 degrees and shredded lettuce at 53 degrees in a malfunctioning walk-in cooler. The food was moved to another cooler.
The report also cited mold-like buildup inside the ice machine, a soiled potato-cutter blade, a blocked handwashing sink, expired employee training and an exterior-door gap described as a repeat violation.
Administrative Complaints
Geiger Key Fish Camp — Key West
Aug. 18: Administrative complaint; 15 violations, including two high-priority violations. No compliant callback recorded by Aug. 21.
Inspectors ordered four thawed packages of reduced-oxygen-packaged tuna discarded.
The report also cited chicken at 47 degrees and shredded lettuce at 48 degrees. The temperature and tuna findings were marked as repeat violations and identified for administrative action.
It’s All Greek To Me — Monroe County Mobile Vendor
Aug. 19: Administrative complaint; five violations, including one high-priority violation. No compliant callback recorded.
Raw chicken was stored above cucumbers.
The administrative complaint centered on a menu describing a falafel pita as vegetarian even though the falafel was fried in beef tallow, according to the inspection report.
Warnings
The Jerk — Key West
Aug. 18: Warning; 17 violations, including two high-priority violations. No compliant callback recorded.
The report cited an employee handling trash and then serving food without first washing their hands.
Beans were hot-held at 98 degrees. Inspectors also reported heavily soiled ceilings and a cutting board, missing handwashing supplies and prepared meats without date labels.
Rams Head Southernmost — Key West
Aug. 11: Warning; 14 violations, including two high-priority violations. Extension pending Aug. 12.
Inspectors found a walk-in cooler at 47 degrees and multiple foods at 53 degrees, including cheese, ham, pasta and raw ground beef.
Raw ground beef was stored over cooked pasta. Both high-priority findings were repeat violations.
The Courthouse Deli — Key West
Aug. 11: Warning; 13 violations, including two high-priority violations. Extension pending Aug. 12.
The inspection found mold-like buildup inside an ice machine, one dead roach near a mop sink, a dented can placed under stop sale and a bagel burger hot-held at 125 degrees.
Several findings were marked as repeat violations.
Denny’s Latin Cafe — Key West
Aug. 19: Warning; 11 violations, including four high-priority violations. Passed callback Aug. 20.
Inspectors cited cold food held between 45 and 51 degrees, plantains hot-held at 96 degrees, raw chicken stored over ready-to-eat food and nonfood-grade bags used to hold buns.
The raw-chicken storage issue was identified as a repeat violation.
Sandy’s Cafe And Storage Area — Key West
Aug. 12: Warning; nine violations, including one high-priority violation. No compliant callback recorded.
An employee touched their face or hair and resumed preparing food without washing their hands, according to the report.
Inspectors also cited handwashing sinks used to rinse equipment, missing soap or towels, expired employee training and unlabeled chemical bottles.
Sushi Sake Islamorada — Islamorada
Aug. 11: Warning; eight violations, including two high-priority violations. No compliant callback recorded.
The dish machine registered no chlorine sanitizer, prompting inspectors to require manual sanitizing until repairs were completed.
Brown rice had been hot-held at 75 degrees for more than four hours. The report also cited missing handwashing supplies and manager-certification records.
Tides Beachside Bar And Grill — Islamorada
Aug. 12: Warning; eight violations, including one high-priority violation. No compliant callback recorded.
Milk was found at 46 degrees and discarded.
The restaurant also lacked written time-control procedures for hollandaise sauce and was cited over changes to a wait-station area that were not reflected in approved plans.
Chesapeake Beach Resort — Islamorada
Aug. 21: Warning; six violations, including one high-priority violation. No compliant callback recorded.
Butter, cheese, sausage and tomatoes were held between 50 and 54 degrees.
Inspectors also found a handwashing sink blocked with dirty dishes and a wild bird eating from plates on a dirty-dish cart outside the omelet station.
Little Asian Rolling Lumpia — Monroe County Mobile Vendor
Aug. 20: Warning; six violations, including two high-priority violations. No compliant callback recorded.
Chicken was found at 70 degrees on a counter during preparation.
Inspectors also cited pork thawing on a countertop, prepared pork without a date mark and missing manager and employee training records.
Dani And Mike’s 102 — Monroe County Mobile Vendor
Aug. 20: Warning; six violations, including four high-priority violations. Passed callback Aug. 21.
Ground beef and hot dogs were held at 66 to 67 degrees. Cheese and raw chicken were held at 47 to 50 degrees.
Raw chicken was stored over cut vegetables, and a sanitizer solution exceeded the permitted concentration. Several items were corrected during the inspection.
SV Argo Navis — Key West
Aug. 18: Warning; one intermediate violation and no high-priority violations. Passed callback Aug. 21.
The vessel lacked a certified food manager. It recorded a compliant callback three days later.
