Nino’s Pizza Was Closed For Mice, Flies and a Whole Mess of Stuff

The nitty-gritty details of the health inspection that shuttered Nino’s Pizza are now online, and they are very gritty indeed: the pizzeria on the corner of Avenue A and St. Marks racked up a whopping 109 violation points during an inspection on Wednesday. To put that in perspective, the health department can close restaurants if they score above just 28 on three consecutive inspections.

Here’s the laundry list of sanitary violations, including evidence of mice and the presence of flies. (Okay, the latter isn’t as bad as it sounds, since the place does have a carryout window where a random drunk girl once twisted our friend’s nipple for reasons that are still the subject of much debate many years later).

Sanitary Violations
1) Food not cooked to required minimum temperature.
2) Hot food item not held at or above 140º F.
3) Cold food item held above 41º F (smoked fish and reduced oxygen packaged foods above 38 ºF) except during necessary preparation.
4) Food Protection Certificate not held by supervisor of food operations.
5) Raw, cooked or prepared food is adulterated, contaminated, cross-contaminated, or not discarded in accordance with HACCP plan.
6) Evidence of mice or live mice present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas.
7) Filth flies or food/refuse/sewage-associated (FRSA) flies present in facility’s food and/or non-food areas. Filth flies include house flies, little house flies, blow flies, bottle flies and flesh flies. Food/refuse/sewage-associated flies include fruit flies, drain flies and Phorid flies.
8) Insufficient or no refrigerated or hot holding equipment to keep potentially hazardous foods at required temperatures.
9) Food not protected from potential source of contamination during storage, preparation, transportation, display or service.
10) Food contact surface not properly washed, rinsed and sanitized after each use and following any activity when contamination may have occurred.
11) Wiping cloths soiled or not stored in sanitizing solution.
12) Facility not vermin proof. Harborage or conditions conducive to attracting vermin to the premises and/or allowing vermin to exist.
13) Plumbing not properly installed or maintained; anti-siphonage or backflow prevention device not provided where required; equipment or floor not properly drained; sewage disposal system in disrepair or not functioning properly.
14) Lighting inadequate; permanent lighting not provided in food preparation areas, ware washing areas, and storage rooms.
15) 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.

But let’s face it, at 2 a.m. who’s keeping score?