Melrose Diner among Phila. eateries with health violations

South Philadelphia's iconic Melrose Diner, a favorite of mobsters, drag queens, and Philadelphia celebrities from Fabian to Kevin Bacon, was hit last week with 29 health violations, 13 of them serious.

Among the violations the inspector spotted were raw eggs and Canadian bacon held at bacteria-friendly temperatures, a kitchen employee drinking from an open cup, and uncovered foods in refrigeration units. He also noted graffiti written on a urinal partition.

"It was literally minor, very minor things," said Renee Sheeran, a manager at the landmark eatery where Passyunk and Snyder Avenues meet 15th Street. She said the inspector visited during the busy lunch rush.

"Everything was corrected immediately."

The diner with the once ubiquitous radio jingle - "Everybody who knows, goes to Melrose" - was one of two dozen restaurants slammed recently with a high number of infractions.

Other well-known eateries racking up double digits since Feb. 1 included Dim Sum Garden at 10th and Race (13 violations, 6 serious); Dmitri's at 3d and Catherine (16 violations, 5 serious); CopaBanana/Hurricane at 341 South St. (23 violations, 9 serious); and the Midtown II diner at 11th and Sansom Streets (37 violations, 18 serious). Reached Friday, each of the restaurants said they had fixed the violations.

Gus Hionas, owner of the Midtown II, said the city closed him for three days until an inspector was satisfied.

"It makes no sense," said Hionas. "I've been here for 43 years, in the same location, and never poisoned anyone."

In a recent Inquirer analysis, the average eat-in restaurant in Philadelphia had fewer than eight violations, of which 2.3 were considered serious foodborne-illness risk factors. Many restaurants pass inspection without collecting a single citation.

Carnival Pizza, at 42nd St. and Lancaster Ave. in West Philadelphia, is the high scorer so far this month, cited for 41 violations, 12 of them serious, during a Feb. 9 inspection. Noted in the report were decomposing mice under a food prep table, fresh mouse droppings, a "filthy" three-compartment sink, and dead roaches and flies. The inspector ordered the pizzeria to cease-and- desist.

"I was closed for two days to clean up," said Carnival owner Javed Khan on Friday. "We were given permission to open again and are back in business."

In an interview Thursday, the health department's Palak Raval-Nelson stressed that each inspection represents only a snapshot of restaurant conditions at the time of the sanitarian's visit.

The number of violations in a report may not adequately represent an eatery's ability to follow health regulations and in some cases may be misinterpreted.

"Part of the problem is the lingo [in the reports] is designed for the regulators and the industry," she said. "They're not written for the public at large or the media."

The health department provides an online guide for customers to help interpret the reports, she said. It can be found here.

Health inspectors found a large number of violations at the following Philadelphia restaurants during the first two weeks of February. To see a summary of each eatery's violations, click on the name of the restaurant. 

Los Gallos Restaurant Taqueria
951 WOLF ST 19148
19 violations, 4 serious

Cafe Thanh Truc
1037 S 8TH ST 19147
16 violations, 5 serious

The Turf Club
1635 MARKET ST 19103
16 violations,  7 serious

McDonald's #14516
5020 CITY AVE 19131
23 violations, 6 serious

Pete's Clown house
3876 FRANKFORD AVE 19124
14 violations, 3 serious

King of Wings
2233 S WOODSTOCK ST 19145
31 violations, 8 serious

Carnival Pizza
4222 LANCASTER AVE BLDG 4222 19104
41 violations, 12 serious

Chatkhary
306 W CHELTEN AVE 19144
18 violations, 4 serious

Dim Sum Garden Philly
1020 RACE ST 19107
13 violations,  6 serious

Wendy's #962642
2301 COTTMAN AVE 19149
15 violations,  6 serious

Dmitri's
795 S 03RD ST 19147
16 violations,  5 serious

Little Nonna's
1234 LOCUST ST 19107
17 violations,  5 serious

Inspected Feb. 6, 2016

Cornerstone
5201 MARKET ST 19139
21 violations,  9 serious

Crown Fried Chicken
2912 N 22ND ST 19132
21 violations,  8 serious

Han Dynasty
123 CHESTNUT ST 19106
17 violations, 6 serious

Copa Banana/Hurricane
342 SOUTH ST 19147
23 violations, 9 serious

Terra Dining Hall Bistro
211 S BROAD ST 19107
23 violations, 10 serious

Chung King
2530 W LEHIGH AVE 19132
22 violations,  5 serious

Le Virtu
1927 E PASSYUNK AVE 19148
17 violations, 6 serious

Midtown II Restaurant
122 S 11TH ST 19107
37 violations, 18 serious

Lacroix at the Rittenhouse
210 W RITTENHOUSE SQ 19103
14 violations, 9 serious

samwood@phillynews.com
215-854-2796
@samwoodiii