Rodent poop on shelves. Dirty equipment used on sushi. Inspection filth in Miami Beach
Two Miami Beach establishments, both in South Beach and one just two blocks from where water taxis picked up and dropped off Miami Boat Show people, failed state inspection last week.
Both Sushi With Gusto and Dollar Store remained open. They’re inspected by the Florida Department of Agriculture, which inspects supermarkets, convenience stores, retail bakeries, food storage facilities, food processors and food distributors. Unlike failed restaurant inspections by the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, a failed inspection by the Ag Department doesn’t automatically shut an establishment down.
But, the inspector can put a Stop Use Order on an area or piece of equipment. Enough of those and management might decide they can’t operate well enough to open.
And, one of the places below got hit with a Stop Use Order.
Dollar Star, 1421 Washington Ave.: The first violation on Inspector Kaitlyn Ford’s report from her visit Wednesday was “Package of corn meal displayed on shelf in Aisle 2 found broken and exposing food item.”
Though the violation didn’t say “gnawing” or anything involving teeth or claws created the hole, you could see the direction this inspection might be headed, especially with the violations that followed.
▪ Up front, the “entrance door was kept open during the inspection.”
▪ In the backroom, “Large holes in wall next to receiving platform and in wall next to restroom” and “Visible gaps along top and bottom of receiving door.”
▪ That’s an invitation for vermin, as is having a place they’ll feel it home with “harborage conditions observed due to the storage of items including stacked racks, carts, chair, and boxes.”
▪ Also, in the backroom, a “can of Raid Ant & Roach spray stored on the shelf next to the office is labeled “for household use only.”” Also, “containers of Tomcat Rodent Repellent stored inside mop sink are labeled for use “around your home” only.”
So, of course, Inspector Ford spotted, “Multiple flying insects found in aisles” and, in the backroom, “numerous flying insects near the shelves, restroom, and receiving door.”
The backroom also had “Numerous amount of rodent excrement...on the shelves and on the floor.”
Inspector Ford dropped a Stop Use Order on the whole backroom area because there was no prevention of food contamination.
Dollar Star also didn’t have a valid food permit.
Sushi With Gusto in The Fresh Market, 1800 West Ave.: This brand is connected to The Fresh Market, which probably got some visits from people using the water taxis that were picking up and dropping off next to Sunset Harbour South. There definitely was a Thursday visit from Inspectors James Zheng and Pedro Llanos.
▪ Inside the rice bin, the scoop handle was touching the rice.
▪ In the reach-in cooler, the pre-packaged Chef special, California roll and California roll brown all measured between 42 and 49 degrees when proper food safety demands they be at 41 degrees or less.
▪ A food worker moving books and shelves then made sushi without changing gloves.
▪ The cutting boards and knives in use since 7 a.m. hadn’t been washed, rinsed and sanitized by 11:30 a.m., putting them a half hour overdue for that full cleaning.
▪ And, in the food prep area, “Numerous small, flying insects observed around prep table.”
