Saugus board vows more inspections of eateries

SAUGUS – The Saugus Board of Health is stepping up inspections for a pair of local restaurants after inspectors found multiple violations at two pizza shops.Public Health Director Frank Giacalone said an inspector observed workers at Nick?s Place on Central Street preparing food in a back room designated for storage only while fly strips hung on the ceiling above. At Stella?s Pizza and Roast Beef on Essex Street, Giacalone said workers were found handling food without gloves on two separate inspections. Both restaurants appeared before the Board of Health Monday night.Read some of the health inspection reports.Giacalone said he discovered the fly strips when he was at Nick?s on July 9 to deliver a letter requesting the owner appear before the Board of Health for a separate issue.?I found them prepping in that area with a slicer ? and right above the areas where they were prepping I found fly strips hung from the ceiling, which is a huge violation,” said Giacalone. “I had other concerns because they were using a back area, which I had designated for storage only ? because it?s not set up with a hand sink so it can?t be used for preparation. More than the fact that they were preparing back there, was the fact that they were preparing right under the fly strips. Those flies tend to dry out and they can fall right into the food.”Giacalone said Nick?s was also found without hot water over Memorial Day weekend and was forced to shut down for two days. Giacalone noted 110 degrees is the minimum water temperature to wash hands.Nick?s manager Howard Burns Jr. said Wednesday the issues raised at Monday?s Board of Health meeting have been taken care of.?The reason we were (at the Board of Health meeting) was because of a hot water heater that wasn?t working when they did an inspection,” said Burns. “It was the holiday weekend and we were in the process of getting it fixed and that got rectified. We?ve already been re-inspected since then. Everything they were reading off we already rectified.”Burns also said workers don?t normally use the storage area for preparing food.?When they came in, guys were doing something there at that time, but it?s not like everyday they?re there doing prep,” said Burns. “They just happened to be doing something when they came in and they considered it doing prep.”At Stella?s, Giacalone said the same issue with “bare hand contact” came up again during a re-inspection.?The inspector walked in and found people preparing food with no gloves and the bathroom was an issue ?” said Giacalone. “It was in disarray and not clean. On re-inspection it was clean but not properly stocked with I believe soap and/or paper towels.”Giacalone said he?s going to increase the amount of unannounced inspections there.A manager for Stella?s could not be reached Wednesday.As workers at Nick?s prepared to open Wednesday morning, Burns stood by his restaurant and said customers shouldn?t have any concerns about eating there.?I?m from this town. I?ve lived in this town, my family eats here,” said Burns. “The community has no problems. We give back to the community on Mondays and Wednesdays with our specials. The community is happy with us and they?re just making sure we?re in good standing. They?re doing their job. I have no problem with that. It makes me safer too because my family and friends eat here. I?m glad they?re doing their job. I?d be mad if they weren?t.”Matt Tempesta can be reached at [email protected].