Restaurant Inspections: Euro Bistro and Pilar's Restaurant

The state health department recently inspected a few restaurants in the Alexandria area. For prior restaurant inspection reports, click here.

In Virginia, restaurant inspection reports aren't quite as simple as getting a letter grade or an easy-to-see number rating to post in the front window.

That said, we all want to know how our favorite restaurants stack up on cleanliness and sanitation. Inspectors grade restaurants based on critical and non-critical violations.

A "critical violation" is one that "poses a direct or immediate threat to the safety of the food being served." Non-critical violations are generally related to cleaning or maintenance.

"Ideally, an operation would have no critical violations, or none which are not corrected immediately and not repeated. In our experience, it is unrealistic to expect that a complex, full-service food operation can routinely avoid any violations," according to Virginia Department of Health's website.

The site continues: "Keep in mind that any inspection report is a 'snapshot' of the day and time of the inspection. On any given day, a restaurant could have fewer or more violations than noted in the report. An inspection conducted on any given day may not be representative of the overall, long-term cleanliness of an establishment."

Below, find the latest restaurant inspection from the Virginia Department of Health. These inspections reflect visits from inspectors during the last few weeks. Some of the violations were corrected immediately during the recent inspections.

The full reports can be accessed on the health department's website.

Euro Bistro & Grill, 6027 Richmond Hwy, Date of inspection: Aug. 9
Critical: One or more of the elements of an effective employee health policy is either missing or incomplete. A complete employee health policy is required to be in place at the food establishment.
Critical: When tested, the chlorine-based sanitizing solution was observed to be at a concentration less than what is required for effective sanitization of food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils. Observed the sanitizing solution in the dish machine with a concentration of 0 ppm total chlorine.
Critical: Some raw and/or undercooked foods are provided on the menu, menu board, table tent or brochure without proper disclosure.

Cedar Knoll Inn, 9030 Lucia Lane, Date of inspection: Aug. 8
Critical (corrected during inspection): The person in charge failed to explain the correct procedures for cleaning and sanitizing utensils and food-contact surfaces of equipment.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Tags missing from the molluscan shellfish containers.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some food item(s) were observed cold holding at improper temperatures using a calibrated food temperature measuring device.
Critical: Due to improper operation of the hot water, mechanical ware washing machine, the thermo-label did not turn black, indicating that food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils are not being adequately sanitized.
Non-critical: Water from the hand washing sink IN THE KITCHEN was measured at a temperature less than 100 degrees.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all hand washing sinks used by food employees.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Restricted, commercial use pesticides present in the facility are applied by the operator who is not a certified pesticide applicator.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): The concentration of the BLEACH solution was measured at 200 ppm. This concentration exceeds the approved limits for use with food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils in a foodservice establishment.

Pilar's Restaurant, 2249 Huntington Ave, Date of inspection: Aug. 8
Critical (corrected during inspection): Tags missing from the molluscan shellfish containers.
Critical (corrected during inspection): Some refrigerated, ready-to-eat, potentially hazardous food that is prepared on site is not used or discarded within 24 hours of preparation and was not observed to be date marked.
Non-critical (corrected during inspection): Observed that sign or poster that notifies food employees to wash their hands is not provided at all hand washing sinks used by food employees.
Non-critical: Observed that inadequate lighting was provided in the food preparation areas.