Photo: QueensPost
June 13, 2011 Staff Report
Mediterraneo Pizzeria, a popular pizza and Italian eatery located at 46-21 Queens Blvd, has been temporarily closed by the Health Dept.
The store failed its inspection on June 9 and has been closed since. A reopening date remains unknown. The owner could not be reached for comment. Mediterraneo racked up a score of 71 violation points, when 27 or below is considered to be the passing grade.
Typically, only those restaurants that have one particularly poor score, or fail repeatedly, are closed by the health department. Mediterraneo’s report card reads as follows:
Establishment Closed by DOHMH. Violations were cited in the following area(s) and those requiring immediate action were addressed.
Sanitary Violations
1) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
2) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
3) Live roaches present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
4) No facilities available to wash, rinse and sanitize utensils and/or equipment.
5) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
6) Sanitized equipment or utensil, including in-use food dispensing utensil, improperly used or stored.
7) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
8) Pesticide use not in accordance with label or applicable laws. Prohibited chemical used/stored. Open bait station used.
9) Non-food contact surface improperly constructed. Unacceptable material used. Non-food contact surface or equipment improperly maintained and/or not properly sealed, raised, spaced or movable to allow accessibility for cleaning on all sides, above and underneath the unit.
10) Proper sanitization not provided for utensil ware washing operation.
To see report and scores of other locat restaurants, click here
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27 Comments
So, it appears that they are open again today. Any follow-up as to how they resolved their issues so quickly, or if they did at all? Still no grade in the window or any documentation.
Marabella’s is still the best one. Been there for decades. Pies are real good. Just get it delivered.
This sickens me. Mediterraneo has been my go to pizza spot for years and they stay open late for those nights after Maggie Mae’s! Not to be a Debbie Downer but it really makes me weary of all the other places. I saw a mouse at the Nepalese restaurant last year and banned it ever since. Guess I’ll be cooking at home a lot more these days!
My favorite pizza is La Bella on Greenpoint Ave/47th Street – 718-392-8236. Their sauce is more on the acidic than sweet side, which is how I like it. The chicken parmigiana hero is really good, too. I have found them to be consistently good over the past 6 years that I’ve been going there. The owner, Sal, and his wife work there 5 or 6 days a week. In the summer, the wife brings in basil from her own garden to use in the restaurant. Mmmmm.
Thanks for the link Sunnyside Post.
According to the site, Don Emilios on 43rd Ave was closed on June 13th for 110 violation points. Yikes!!
Roxy, it is mandatory to display the rating in a front window or on the door. Restaurants are fined $1,000 for not complying. Harmony Terrace has a B: http://a816-restaurantinspection.nyc.gov/RestaurantInspection/SearchDetails.do
I’ve never seen an inspection rating displayed at a Romanian restaurant called Harmony Terrace on 41st Street near Greenpoint Avenue. Is it mandatory or not for restaurants to display ratings?
Because Paulomet it was a health hazard and the market/consumer has no way of knowing that they’re getting feces with their pepperoni.
Uh, couldn’t have been THAT “honest and hardworking” if they didn’t wash dishes or keep vermin out of their food and cooking areas.
This is an outrage! Let the market decide! Why should the Obama Government shut down an honest hardworking small business. Socialism!
Nonna slice from Sunnyside Pizza is one the best of its kind!
Although it may be out of the way for some, Donato’s on 39th Avenue is pretty good. I’ve only tried Sunnyside Pizza once but I’d get it again.
@Me
Marabella is ok but their service isn’t so hot. There’s never enough oregano and garlic powder on the tables so you always have to go to somebody else’s table and ask them for it. There’s also usually 4 or 5 guys behind the counter busy doing everything but taking a customer’s order. Annoying.
Is there any place around here where I can get decent–or even really good–pizza? What’s the best?
That’s a shame about Lenny’s. My last 2 pies from there have been underwhelming. Now I know why.
@Maz
Look on the bright side. You guys must have cast-iron immune systems.
Mike have you tried lentine pizza 1blocknorth of the blvd on 43ave and 43 st
Ugh, I feel like I’m going to vomit. We’ve ordered from there at least once a month for the past 4 years. I went in every once and a while and it never seemed dirty, but I guess you never know. Guess we’ll never be ordering from there again. Fail.
guess it’s no longer a surprise why my wife and mother-in-law both got sick after eating a pizza from Mediterraneo. We never ordered from there again. So glad we stuck to that decision. yuck. Since Sunnyside Pizza opened, there hasn’t really been any reason to go anywhere else…. so, it’s good those guys will now get more business!
Thank goodness New York is finally requiring restaurants to post their letter grades, as they do in California. Calorie-counts are nice but they don’t tell you if you’re eating roaches or sneeze residue.
I thougt the pizza at Mediteran was pretty good I never would have known how unhealthy the place was to eat in. What a surprise!
Lenny sold the business. The pizzeria is under new management.
Allow Me To Retort
Now that you mentioned it I haven’t seen Lenny in quite a while.. also the menu has changed.. huh…
I guess somebody’ palm did not get greased!
No facilities to wash, rinse and sterilize equipment or utensils??!? How did this place get to be a restaurant in the first place?
Speaking of pizzerias, what happened at Lenny’s? Went in there last week, it was all new people and the service was lousy.
i know restaurant owners say the inspectors can be a pain in the ass and give point for petty violations, but 71 points is out of control. For a restaurant owner to not keep his establishment clean and safe for his customers is a dishonest and low.