Fridge Hack: Save Money by Keeping It Cool
For food safety reasons, keep your refrigerator as cold as possible.
A bar and grill popular with foodies in Springfield was found to have multiple health code violations by the Sangamon County Health Department in July, according to recent data.
A July 18 inspection of Top Cats Chill & Grill on East Sangamon Avenue found 20 violations, 12 of which posed a risk factor to the safe consumption of food.
According to notes from the Sangamon County health inspector, food debris as well as a dead insect were found on the inside surface of the beer glass cooler, which is in direct contact with the mouth contact surface. A refrigerator used to store whipped cream and fruit was found to have a temperature of 60 degrees Fahrenheit, while the cooler left in the kitchen was found to not maintain adequate refrigeration temperature, causing food to spoil.
More: A cockroach, flies, mold and expired food – all found in Springfield-area kitchens in June
During the inspection, it was found that the bar was not in compliance with the Food Act. A re-inspection on July 24 by the same inspector found that all deficiencies had been corrected, with the exception of a broken cooler used for making pizza that was dripping water.
Food establishments are inspected annually by the Sangamon County Health Department, with inspections conducted by risk type. Risk types are high, medium, or low, as defined by the Illinois Food Service Sanitation Code, based on the complexity of the facility’s food preparation. Routine inspections are conducted unannounced. Follow-up and complaint inspections are conducted as needed.
Critical violations concern sanitation, food temperatures, disinfection procedures and cross-contamination. Non-critical violations concern the maintenance and cleanliness of a facility.
Here are the restaurants in Sangamon County that received more than 10 violations from the health department in July.
Main Gate Bar and Grill
Location: 2143 N. 11th St., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 24, routine inspection
What: Inspection revealed 20 violations, 10 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: During the inspection, it was found that there are several food contact surfaces in the facility that require cleaning, including the kitchen microwave, ice maker, and kitchen refrigerators. No thermometers were found in the kitchen: refrigerators, food probe thermometers, and warming cabinets all failed to meet these requirements. Raw eggs were stored on the top shelf of the walk-in cooler above ready-to-eat foods, rendering the food stored below unsafe to eat due to cross-contamination.
More: Three Springfield-area companies are among the fastest growing in the country
Traveling cuisine
Location: 1731 S. MacArthur Blvd., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 25, routine inspection
What: Inspection revealed 22 violations, 10 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: The health inspector noted that the entire restaurant needed cleaning as mouse droppings were found on the walls and in the corners, but there was no other evidence of mice nesting throughout the restaurant.
The situation was discussed with the restaurant owner, who advised that there was indeed a mouse problem a few months ago, which he said has since been resolved. The owner was instructed to thoroughly clean the establishment to determine if new droppings were still being produced and to conduct a re-inspection.
The inspector also observed that several containers used to store utensils and lids on shelves in the kitchen were heavily soiled with food debris; additional Styrofoam storage containers were observed throughout the kitchen with no packaging and with the food contact surface facing up or exposed.
Ritz’s small fryer
Location: 2148 E. North Grand Ave., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 24, routine inspection
What: The inspection identified 15 violations and 1 risk factor
Notes from the inspection: The restaurant failed to verify all employees’ food handling certifications and violated food law. The site as a whole needs a thorough cleaning, according to the inspection.
Food debris has accumulated in the following locations and needs to be cleaned: shelves in the walk-in cold room, cages above the fans in the walk-in cold room, main sink in the kitchen, floor of the dry storage area, walk-in freezer room, residue on the walls of the ice machine.
D’arcy’s Pint
Location: 661 W. Stanford Ave., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 31, routine inspection
What: The inspection identified 14 violations and 4 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: During a routine inspection on July 17, the building was found to have four repeat violations from the previous inspection. These included dirty ceiling vents, solids/debris along the bar on the floor near the ice machine and hand sink, and a piece of building siding next to the fry station that had fallen into disrepair.
In the building, the seals in the refrigerators where the milk is stored and in the double freezer need to be replaced or repaired.
More: New Mexican restaurant to open in Springfield; popular eatery expands menu
Marco’s Pizza on W. Iles
Location: 3211 W. Iles Ave., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 2, routine inspection
What: The inspection identified 14 violations and 4 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: Accumulations of debris were found inside both refrigerators, on the shelves in the walk-in cooler, and on the shelf under the rear refrigerated counter. The inspector noted that the responsible person present did not have food allergen certification and that food processing certifications were not available for the employees present during this inspection.
A re-inspection of the restaurant on July 5 found that all but one of the risk factor violations had been mitigated and remedied.
Papo’s Cafe
Location: 3290 W. Iles Ave., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 9, routine inspection
What: The inspection identified 13 violations and 8 risk factors.
Notes from the inspection: During this inspection, several black spots were found on the ice machine deflector shield, suspected to be mold. Additionally, several ladles in the dishware area were stored as clean but had food residue on them. One issue with cleaning was that there were no paper towels at the hand sinks, the chemical sanitizer buckets did not contain any sanitizer, and a soap dispenser with dead batteries did not dispense soap.
A repeat inspection the next day, July 10, by the same inspector found that all violations had been corrected.
Clock Tower Cafe
Location: 751 S. Durkin Dr., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 15, routine inspection
What: The inspection identified 11 violations and 4 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: A container of refrigerated rice without a date mark was discovered in the front under-counter refrigerator, while raw eggs in the shell were stored on ready-to-eat foods in the upper part of the prep refrigerator.
More: Bars, restaurants and more: Check out the new businesses opening in Springfield in 2024
Applebee’s on Sunrise Drive
Location: 2554 Sunrise Drive, Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 3, inspection following complaint
What: The inspection identified 11 violations, including 4 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: Mouse droppings and mold were found at the popular grocery chain. Mouse droppings were observed to have accumulated on the oil storage system in the back of the facility. The manager informed the inspector that the facility has been dealing with a mouse problem for several months. Pest control has been turned over to Ecolab, and they currently come by weekly to control the mice.
It was discovered that mold had accumulated on the roof and inside the ice machine, and a thorough cleaning of the restaurant kitchen was required due to the dirty floor drain, spilled liquids in the walk-in cooler, and the wall behind the beverage station.
The inspection required two follow-up inspections by July.
Illinois Country Club
Location: 1601 Illini Rd., Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 18, routine inspection
What: Inspection revealed 11 violations, 7 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: Several items in various refrigerators were kept beyond the maximum shelf life of seven days or were not labelled. There was also a block of cheese and grated cheese that contained mould. A container of semi-skimmed milk in the downstairs bar was also not labelled with a date.
Sand gnats were observed in the ground floor bar, making the facility vulnerable to pest infestation and possible food contamination.
In addition, the restaurant required regular maintenance regarding the disinfection buckets, which required more cleaning fluid, and the food warmers, which were fifty degrees below the required temperature.
A further inspection on July 30 found that all violations had been corrected.
Mr Gyros
Location: 1100 S. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, Springfield
Date/Test Type: July 8, routine inspection
What: Inspection revealed 11 violations, 5 risk factors
Notes from the inspection: The inspector discovered raw marinated chicken and beef stored over onions and potatoes in the walk-in cooler, which had no thermometers. Cockroaches were spotted around the restaurant in the grease storage room, the mop sink, the triple sink, boxes of packaged foods and the front service area, and a dead mouse was found trapped in the boiler room.
Two follow-up inspections were conducted later in July. The inspector wrote that overall the facility had improved dramatically since the last routine inspection. Most surfaces were clean, however, the areas under the cooking equipment still showed signs of grease buildup.
Claire Grant writes about business, growth and development and other news topics for The State Journal-Register. Reach her at [email protected]; and on X (formerly known as Twitter): @Claire_Granted
