LIC deli gets first 'A' restaurant grade

BY STEVE MOSCO

Wednesday, July 28, 2010 3:20 PM EDT

A Long Island City deli received the first “A” grade for sanitary conditions under the city’s new restaurant grading system.

Health Commissioner Thomas Farley awarded Spark’s Deli, 2831 Borden Avenue, with the top grade on Wednesday, July 28 – presenting owners Jose and Antonio Araujo with the grade and congratulating them for their deli’s performance during an unannounced sanitary inspection.

“Whether it’s a neighborhood deli or a pricey dinner house, any food establishment can prepare food safely,” said Farley. “Spark’s has set an example.”

Farley also heralded the luncheonette as a model for the city’s 24,000 other eating establishments, an honor not lost on co-owner Jose Araujo.

“We’re proud to see this A in our window,” said Araujo. “Our inspection reports have been online for years, but now we can share the good news with anyone passing on the street. This sign says we care about cleanliness, and we care about our customers’ safety.”

The new initiative – reported by The Courier in June – is designed to raise public awareness of sanitary conditions and encourage cleanly practices by restaurant owners. Along with the new standards, eating establishments are now made to post A, B or C letter grades near entrances following sanitary inspections.

The city also unveiled a revamped web site that makes it easier for citizens to find detailed and up-to-date inspection results by searching name, borough, neighborhood, ZIP code, cuisine type or inspection score – http://www.nyc.gov/html/doh/html/rii/index.shtml.

The city has held many multilingual workshops in all five boroughs to explain procedures and make the transition into the new grading system easier on restaurant owners. According to Farley, owners can benefit from the grading system along with eaters.

“Most restaurants maintain good conditions, but lapses in food safety cause a lot of preventable illness in New York City,” said Farley. “Food-borne illness prompts thousands of hospital visits each year, and it costs many New Yorkers valuable days of work or school. By putting information about inspection results on public display, we give diners the information they want while also encouraging restaurants to improve their food preparation practices. This will be good for the health of New Yorkers and – as restaurant operators improve their practices – good for the restaurant industry too.”