Two popular restaurants failed health inspections in November before passing follow-ups. Here’s what you need to know:
- Harvest Restaurant
- , 10355 N. La Cañada Drive, was voted 2014’s most romantic restaurant setting by Arizona Daily Star readers in our Candlelight Madness contest, but romance wasn’t in the air during a Nov. 10 health inspection.
The inspector noted six critical violations and moved the restaurant’s license status to “provisional,” Pima County Health Department records show.
The inspection report includes details of pesto and roasted garlic kept weeks past their expiration dates and kitchen equipment encrusted with dried food debris.
In addition, an open can of Monster energy drink was stored above a food prep area and a bottle of bleach was stored next to clean utensils and a container of flour.
“When I asked the (person in charge) about the employee illness policy, the (person) stated, ‘I’m not familiar with that,” the inspector wrote.
“Based on the six critical violations, it can be said that the person in charge does not have the knowledge needed to run the operation,” the inspector wrote.
The report also detailed three noncritical violations, including nonfood contact surfaces with excess dirt and food debris.
“These infractions in no way represent how we operate on a daily basis,” said Harvest owner Reza Shapouri. “We have addressed the issues diligently with the staff involved and have taken the steps to ensure that we are in compliance at all times, like we normally are.”
All six violations were corrected during Harvest’s reinspection on Nov. 20.
Harvest also received a “provisional” rating in March 2014.
- 5 Points Market & Restaurant
- , 756 S. Stone Ave., was singled out by New York Times culture reporter John Burcham in a June 2015 article about Tucson as a “hipster brunch spot” worth checking out.
5 Points failed two health inspections in November, receiving a “provisional” rating on Nov. 5, followed by a “fail” on Nov. 16.
During the Health Department’s Nov. 5 visit, the restaurant logged eight critical violations. The inspector’s report noted hand-washing violations, food stored at improper temperatures and a slicer encrusted with dried food debris.
“A sheet pan under a food prep table on a shelf had food particles on the pan’s surface, with a stack of clean skillets on it and one dirty skillet,” the inspector wrote.
The restaurant’s license was reduced to “provisional,” based on the eight violations.
On the Nov. 16 reinspection of 5 Points’ provisional status, the inspector noted three critical violations that hadn’t been corrected.
The slicer was still dirty and the inspector also found dirty dishes stored as clean.
“Observed dishwasher handling and touching his phone, hair, face and ear buds, and without washing his hands, started to put clean dishes away,” the inspector wrote.
5 Points failed the inspection but passed a follow-up on Nov. 24.
“We changed some protocol and everything is taken care of,” said restaurant owner Brian Haskins.
5 Points also received a “provisional” rating in June 2014.
