Posted Monday --- November 12, 2007

Ecoli, salmonella, norovirus: getting sick is probably the last thing you think about when dining out. However, since September at least seven restaurants and three food stands have had violations serious enough to be referred to the city attorney.

The evidence is edible. The weapon is an infrared thermometer. Each day, Dane County sanitarian Bonnie Lynn catches the culprits responsible for foodbourne illnesses.

"We are definitely like detectives," says Lynn.

Fifteen sanitarians inspect more than 200 of the 2,200 restaurants, stores and carts in Dane County each month. Using CDC guidelines, inspectors like Bonnie look for the worst violations on a potential list of 400.

"It is probably a fairly high percentage that will have a critical violation," says Doug Voegli.

Voegli is the City/County Environmental Health Services Supervisor. Since September, Doug has reviewed inspection results from at least seven restaurants and three food stands that have had violations serious enough to be referred to the city attorney. They range from improper cooling to hazardous cross-contamination. One was fined for not having a state certified manager on site.

"When we do go back for a re-inspection, if we are still finding an item, a critical item, that's not being corrected, that will result in a referral to a city attorney for fines," says Voegli.

Granite City on Madison's West side was cited for three violations in September, two of them critical.

"We had an equipment malfunction in our air conditioning system in our kitchen that caused a couple of items to show elevated temperatures during inspection," says Granite City General Manager Russell Carroll.

Granite City fixed the problem and is now up to code. Carroll constantly trains employees, posting updates on changing standards almost daily.

"They should feel 100-percent safe," says Carroll. "We have an open display kitchen. People can see how we're doing things and how we're handling their food "

Some cases close only after inspectors shut the restaurant down.

"It has happened two times in the past five years," says Voegli.

Panaderia y Taqueria was closed for ten days in April of 2004 for repeat critical violations. The health department says its inspections have since improved. If restaurants cannot correct the problems while inspectors are on-site, the health department has the right to shut them down until further notice.

"We have the authority to close that establishment until that hazard has been corrected," says Voegli.

Old Chicago consistently scores well on inspections. Its manager Carrie Bratt says the keys to keeping food safe are attention and instruction.

"It is a challenge,' says Bratt. "I think the most challenging thing is when we have staff turnover, because then you have to start from scratch because you don't know what somebody knows from other experience."

Finally, after hours of inspection, the food is cleared of suspicion. That is when customers can take a big bite out of the juicy evidence.

"Really, it's a partnership. It's something we want to do to become a better establishment," says Bratt.

The City/County Health Department does not publish its inspection results anywhere online. You must go to the city/county building to request them. NBC 15 asked why they are not on the web. The department says it does not have the software to do it, but is looking into getting it.

Below is a list of recent violators. The status of each case is updated if the case is still pending. NBC 15 will update it when new information becomes available from the health department.

Chang Jiang on S. Gammon Rd.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 8/23/07
Violations: No current state of Wisconsin certified food manager employed at the food establishment
Status: Case Pending

Granite City Food & Brewery
Case Sent to City Attorney: 9/04/07
Violations:
-Blue cheese dressing at 54 degrees Fahrenheit in the top section of the middle make table cooler in the grill area
-Phosphoric acid sanitizer at 50 ppm at the bar
-Food manager certification is not posted in public view
Status: Case Now Closed, Problems Fixed

Sandwich Stand inside Princeton Club East
Operated by Teresa Pullara-Quabel
Case Sent to City Attorney: 9/5/07
Violations: Beef Wraps at 46 degrees Fahrenheit and Turkey Wraps at 45 degrees Fahrenheit located in the reach in cooler
Status: Stand voluntarily closed

El Pescador on E. Washington Ave.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 9/10/07
Violations:
-Shelled eggs stored above milk in three-door refrigerator and raw shrimp above almonds and cooked crab legs in under counter preparation refrigerator
-Rice pre-bagged at 51 degrees Fahrenheit in two-door refrigerator
Status: Case Now Closed, Problems Fixed

Domino's on S. Gammon Rd.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 9/21/07
Violations:
-Steak at 51 degrees Fahrenheit and Italian sausage at 52 degrees Fahrenheit in pizza make table cooler
-Pizza make table cooler at 50 degrees Fahrenheit on right side of reach-in cooler and is in disrepair or improperly used
Status: Case Now Closed, Problems Fixed

Einstein Bros. Bagels on Fordem Ave.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 10/01/07
Violations:Cream Cheese in top of sandwich preparation refrigerator at 48 degrees Fahrenheit
Status: Case Now Closed, Problems Fixed

Bluefin (Cart) on MLK Jr. Blvd.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 10/02/07
Violations:
-Sushi Rice at 98 degrees Fahrenheit on cart
-Sushi is prepared on the cart
Status: Case Now Closed, Problems Fixed

China 1 Buffet Chinese Restaurant on Grand Canyon Dr.
Case Sent to City Attorney: 10/29/07
Violations:
-Raw whole eggs stored above soy sauce in walk-in cooler
-Fried egg rolls and fried chicken in deep fry make table cooler at 58 degrees Fahrenheit and 51 degrees Fahrenheit respectively
-Fresh made garlic in oil at 58 degrees Fahrenheit stored at Hibachi grill prep top cooler
-Improper or inefficient methods used to minimize the presence of flies and fruit flies
-Fried chicken cooling at room temperature on shelf across from wok at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. It had been cooling at room temperature for more than two hours.
-Shrimp at 63 degrees, beef at 56 degrees and mock crab meat at 57 degrees Fahrenheit found in reach-in freezer by Hibachi grill. Moved from the prep top cooler next to Hibachi grill by employee before the inspection began.
-Wiping cloths are being improperly used or stored. Wet clothes not stored in solution.
-Boxes of food stored on freezer floor.
-Cardboard and foil used to line shelves is not smooth or easily cleanable.
-Deep fry make table is at 50 degrees Fahrenheit and is in disrepair or improperly used.
-Cups stored upright improperly handled or displayed or dispensed.
-Interiors and exteriors of reach-in coolers in kitchen not clean.
-Hand wash signage not provided at hand sink adjacent to Hibachi grill.
-Walk-in freezer floor is unclean or is soiled with food accumulations.
-Fried chicken cooling at room temperature in cardboard boxes on prep table adjacent from fryers at 76-88 degrees Fahrenheit for 1.5 hours.
-Rice in plastic tub cooling on kitchen prep table adjacent from woks at 68 degrees Fahrenheit cooling for two hours.
-Cooling fried chicken in make table cooler at 76 degrees Fahrenheit.
-Cardboard chicken boxes are being reused to cool fried foods in and are unapproved.
Status: Case Pending

El Burrito Loco (Cart) on MLK Jr. Blvd.
Case Sent to City Attorney: October 2007
Violations Unknown at this time
Status: Case Pending

Pizza Extreme on E. Washington Ave.
Case Sent to City Attorney: October 2007
Violations Unknown at this time
Status: Case Pending