The Safest Places to Eat

I enjoy going out to eat. It’s nice to have someone else take my order, prepare and serve dinner. 

Whenever I go out with my friends, they always ask me the same thing: “What’s your favorite restaurant?”

Although that’s a good question, I’m surprised that my friends and family don’t ask a more important question: “Where are some of the safest places to eat?”

Before I go into the particulars of what food safety inspectors look for, I’m happy to report that all of the dining establishments in Regent Square have received excellent food safety reports!  Besides a small infraction here or there, I’ve never heard of anyone becoming sick after eating at one of the local eateries.

Most of the kitchens in Allegheny County are safe, but not all.  The difficult task is determining which kitchens have the properly trained staff, and more importantly, are implementing the proper safety and sanitation practices in the kitchen.

All public restaurants are required to post an Allegheny County rating sticker.  Before issuing a sticker, a representative of the health department will inspect the restaurant, placing emphasis on the food-prep areas.  Some of the areas the inspectors test are:

• Walk-in and standard refrigeration temperature (41 degrees or below for general temperature, seafood storage, 30 to 34 degrees)
• Food storage techniques, i.e., all uncooked proteins are to be stored low to the floor to avoid cross-contamination; separate areas for veggies, produce, etc.
• Hot table temps- all cooked food needs to be kept at, or above 135 degrees, cold food holding 41 degrees or colder
• Besides taking specific temperature readings, health inspectors will look at the overall appearance of the kitchen.  They want to see that the kitchen staff is using separate cutting boards for raw proteins as opposed to uncooked vegetables.   They’re also observing the overall cleanliness of the kitchen and surrounding areas.

If I see a rating below A, I usually avoid dining at a restaurant. Any restaurant that has received below an A grade has likely had more than one infraction. 

Prior to issuing a poor grade, inspectors can use their discretion when issuing specific citations. For example, if a representative from the health department comes to inspect a restaurant and finds that the cooler temperatures are a balmy 46 degrees, they will usually issue a warning, and return within a week to see if it has been fixed.  

They may also choose to ask the owner or manager to correct other noticeable infractions, such as products not being thawed properly, food employees without gloves, and unsafe working conditions.  I’ve been through many inspections, and have never worked in a restaurant that has received a less than exemplary inspection report.  However, many kitchens I have worked in were required to make specific changes after initial inspections. The county inspectors were always extremely fair, thorough, and gave the restaurant plenty of time to make the necessary corrections. 

The point I’m trying to convey here is that restaurants that have a poor health department safety rating have most likely had multiple visits by the health department in which they were cited for obvious violations, then simply chose not to take corrective action.  These restaurants should be avoided.

It’s difficult to determine what goes on in the kitchen, but it is easy to ask around about the reputation of any given eating establishment.  The public is becoming increasingly educated in regards to eating out.  If you’re not sure where to go, simply hop online and visit Urbanspoon, Yelp, or Pittsburghhotplate.com. There are plenty of detailed reviews to help you decide which restaurants are safe, and right for you.

Chef Kerber of Swissvale is the owner and executive chef of Chaz Catering LLC, and specializes in all types of gatherings as well as nutritional coaching. His clients include private individuals, professional sports figures, and corporate entities.

Check out his personal blog and website at www.pittsburghhotplate.com.