Tutto Fresco temporarily closed after inspectors find roaches in ice machine
A well-known Penny Hill Italian restaurant was temporarily closed Tuesday by the health department for a string of violations, including being "encrusted with grease, food debris and mouse droppings and roaches," according to an inspection report.
During a routine inspection at Tutto Fresco at 514 Philadelphia Pike, inspectors found feta cheese with mold on it and dead and live roaches in the kitchen. Live roaches also were seen in an empty ice machine and mouse droppings were observed in the walk-in refrigerator, under microwaves and on shelves above prep tables, among other places, according to the report.
Alice Duranno, the manager, said the restaurant reopened around 3 p.m. Thursday.
The closing is one in a recent series of restaurants forced to shut down this year by the Division of Public Health for imminent health hazards.
So far this year, The News Journal has learned that at least 17 restaurants and food establishments, including Tutto Fresco, were told to close their doors immediately due to serious food and cleanliness violations.
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At Tutto Fresco, there also were issues of potential cross contamination due to raw chicken being stored above shellfish as well as beef in a pan with clams, the report said.
Duranno said the entire restaurant has been cleaned and the food has been rearranged to avoid contamination. An exterminator also will continue to come to the restaurant weekly.
"We're trying to make sure everything is back to normal and everything is up to code," she said. "We look forward to serving customers."
Tutto Fresco, which means "all fresh" in Italian, is labelled on the inspection report to be a "high risk" food establishment by the health department. Most restaurants are considered to be a medium risk.
The inspection report also noted that there was a "lack of hand-washing" during the inspection. The restaurant's permit to serve food had expired in January. The owner purchased a new permit on Tuesday.
From January through August, the state has forced at least 29 businesses to close immediately or stop serving food until issues could be addressed, according to inspection reports requested by The News Journal.
At least 17 businesses including an Acme Market in Branmar Shopping Center, a BrewHaHa! coffeehouse also in Branmar, and La Tolteca in Fairfax Shopping Center, were sent cease-and-desist letters and were ordered to shut down immediately because of imminent health hazards. All have reopened.
A dozen other operations and individuals were forced to immediately cease food service operations by health officials after inspectors found they failed to obtain legal food preparation permits.
The News Journal requested all cease-and-desist letters the state issued in 2017 and 2018 as well as health inspection reports for those food establishments after a Burger King on Concord Pike and a Waffle House in Smyrna were forced to close earlier this summer.
Both establishments have been allowed to reopen after inspections.
Online inspection reports for Delaware's more than 4,000 food establishments have not been updated since May 2017. The state is currently revamping its antiquated, handwritten health inspection reports system.
Right now, the only way the public can view inspection reports after May 2017 is by requesting them through the state’s Department of Health and Social Services or at a restaurant.
Officials believe the first part of the database will be completed this fall. The public should have access to expanded online reports by the end of the year, officials said.
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Contact Meredith Newman at (302) 324-2386 or mnewman@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @MereNewman. Contact Patricia Talorico at (302) 324-2861 or ptalorico@delawareonline.com and on Twitter @pattytalorico