Sogo in Easton tops Northampton County food inspection citations

Other locations cited were Fisk Field's in Wilson Borough, Mike's Steak Shop in Easton, Domino's Pizza in Easton and Antillana Supermarket in Bethlehem.

View full sizeExpress-Times Photo | ZACH LINDSEYSogo on Northampton Street in Easton had the most food inspection violations in Northampton County last month.

With 17 violations, Sogo restaurant on Northampton Street in Easton is one of five restaurants in Northampton County cited by food inspectors in April -- but Sogo had more than the other four combined.

Other locations cited were Fisk Field’s food stand on Wood Avenue in Wilson Borough (two violations), Mike’s Steak Shop on Northampton Street in Easton (four violations), Domino’s Pizza on Larry Holmes Drive in Easton (three violations) and Antillana Supermarket on Pembroke Road in Bethlehem (four violations).

Sogo, an Asian fusion restaurant, was inspected April 20. Easton’s health inspector found employees handling ready-to-eat vegetables with bare hands, raw chicken stored on a shelf above ready-to-eat vegetables and sushi that was 50 degrees when it must be below 41 degrees to avoid potential bacteria growth. The sushi display is not capable of maintaining fish below 41 degrees, according to the report.

Stored tofu had an internal temperature of 58 degrees when it should be below 41, according to the report.

Floors in the dry storage room, the basement, under the cooking equipment and in the walk-in cooler all required cleaning. Other violations involved lack of food-handling certifications, and no warning about the danger of undercooked food on the menu.

Representatives of Sogo declined to comment.

Establishments in Easton are reviewed by the city. Easton’s Health Administrator, Ted Veresink, said a restaurant found to be out of compliance will be scheduled for re-inspection.

Restaurant inspections are done twice a year. Many food-handling establishments have minor violations. Some are cleared up that day, according to Samantha Elliott Krepps of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, which inspects locations in Bethlehem.

“Some people can turn it around within the week or within days,” Krepps said.

In that case, while they have been cited, they could already be back in compliance.

Two restaurants willing to comment -- Mike’s Steak Shop and Domino’s Pizza -- both said they made the necessary corrections and should be in compliance for the next inspection.

Sahib Brown, of Mike’s Steak Shop, said Easton’s health department worked with him to fix violations. Of four violations, none were related to food storage. One violation was that the floor by a sink had begun to cave in. Brown said the floor is fixed.

“Everything is back to code,” he said.

David Shaffer, the manager at the Domino’s on Larry Holmes Drive, said they did not have the required number of employees with ServSafe certificates, which are issued by the National Restaurant Association.

“I’m taking classes for mine now, and I have one person who is (certified),” Shaffer said. “We’re just waiting for his certificate to get sent over.”

There also was no sign advising employees how long to wash their hands. Shaffer said that has been corrected.

Representatives of Antillana Supermarket didn’t comment. But delivery doors have gaps that could allow rodents and insects to enter, according to the state health department’s review, and liquid leaks from a meat walk-in cooler to the parking lot, attracting insects.

At Fisk Field, some employees didn’t have hairnets, and the fryer area doesn’t have adequate ventilation and fire suppression systems, according to the city health inspector’s report.

Wilson Borough Manager Karen Lohrman did not immediately return calls for comment, but some aspects of field management at Fisk Field are the responsibilities of the organizations renting it.

While inspectors can force restaurants to close if they don’t comply, Krepps said the system is not punishment.

“We work with the restaurants,” Krepps said. “We give them time to clean up what they have to clean up.”

But if a restaurant creates a situation where people could get or are getting sick, Krepps said, the restaurant will be shut down.

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