Well Known NoCo Restaurant Closed On The Spot After Inspection
The Larimer County Department of Health and Environment has been out and busy the last several weeks completing dozens of inspections across Fort Collins, Loveland and beyond.
They complete anywhere from five or six to upwards of 12 inspections each and every business day, making sure the places we dine out are in order, clean and safe for patrons to eat.
As a reminder, restaurants in Larimer County are no longer rated or graded with feedback like "excellent," "good" or "fair." As of Jan. 1, 2020, they are simply allowed up to 49 points worth of violations to "pass." 50-109 points earn them another try at a "re-inspection," and anything over 110 earns them an immediate "closure."
And a place you've most likely been to, or at the very least seen the moment you enter the town of Estes Park was recently "closed" on the spot, after their most recent inspection.
Open since the 80s, Ed's Cantina and Grill, right there on Elkhorn where Highways 34 and 36 meet was inspected on September 25. The restaurant had previously been closed for much of August and the first bit of September, after a water pipe burst and caused extensive damage to the restaurant.
Ultimately they re-opened near the end of September, but soon earned a visit from the Larimer Health Department shortly thereafter for a routine inspection. It did not go well.
In addition to pretty routine violations about food storage temperatures and how things are marked and labeled - common during many restaurant's inspections - the kitchen staff also was dinged several times over for improper food handling, incorrect methods of sanitization, hand washing and more.
The very first lines of the inspection report read:
There is no active managerial control in the kitchen. Four of the most common foodborne illness risk factors were observed during todays inspection. Workers must have basic food safety knowledge as it applies to their job duties. Food safety training needs to be provided.
And you can imagine where it goes from there. Here's hoping this NoCo favorite gets it all together and gets back on track!
You can read the full inspection report on the Larimer County Department of Health's website.
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Gallery Credit: Kelsey Nistel