Aug. 2, 2018 By Christian Murray
Two Astoria bakeries were closed by the Department of Health Tuesday.
NY Bakery Café, located at 32-06 30th Ave., and Vaccaros Bakery, at 28-05 Steinway St., were both shut following inspections where they racked up multiple violation points.
NY Bakery was hit with 50 violation points, after an inspector found evidence of mice; unclean food surfaces and inadequate plumbing. Restaurants that score above 28 points receive a C grade or are closed if the violations are deemed critical and can’t be immediately rectified.
Meanwhile, Vaccaros Bakery was closed Tuesday for having unclean food surfaces and there being evidence of mice. The bakery, which was hit with 38 violation points, was ordered shut by the department for the second time this year. In April, the bakery received a whopping 124 points and was temporarily closed.
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31 Comments
It amazes me, Create was shut down a few weeks ago. It opened the very next day and Hipsters were eating there as though nothing ever happened. More astonishing was the fact that they had a grade (A) on the window. How the F$%K?
With the gangsters sipping coffee at the tables outside NY Bakery everyday, I’m surprised it wasn’t settled with an old fashioned pay off.
I do not think this has anything to do with the Health Dept. being more strict or targeting Astoria. I think this has to do with the growing restaurant/bar business’ in our neighborhood. And the city is just doing its job. The city has also made it easier for the media and public to monitor health grades/violations/closings compared to a couple of years ago so we read about them more often. I work all week so if it was not for this website I wouldn’t of known about most of these closures.
With so many places being shut down and reopened every week in Astoria, many people just get used to it and do not care. This is especially true since out area is known for catering to many people who do not necessarily live in the surrounding community and are just coming for drinks, food and a night of partying.
I think they should also start inspecting and grading delis and supermarkets that prepare hot food and such for the public. I notice many food buffets popping up in markets throughout Astoria lately and I do not think they are properly being managed or monitored. I bought a piece of spinach pie from a market near my home and felt so sick after I ate it. Please be careful purchasing food at these places. You do not know where it is being prepared and how safe the food is.
Guys this isn’t about making profits or landlords trying to push tenants out. This is about Food Safety and people’s lives. It takes hard work and dedication to comply to these laws and yes they shld apply to every business that serves any type of food!! How anyone doesn’t understand or agree with these Closures is Mind boggling. It’s easy to get Violations. The hard part is to be ahead of the curve and get an A. Just do the work and keep a clean and safe environment. That shld be everyone’s goal
Most of ASTORIA think they are untouchable due to high priced condos and rent, and the people who over pay in taxes.. if the Food business is DISGUSTING and the health DOH found it, then SHUT THEM DOWN! I RATHER THEM NOT SERVE THEIR UNHEALTHY FOOD TO ME THEN THEM SERVE IT TO MY FAMILY!
I think the Health Department recently stepped up enforcement. I also agree with many of the commments regarding the street carts. I’m surprised they are exempt from the health grades and always wondered why they never gave receipts.
I call be it extortion. The health department are trying to swindle to be get money to keep them in business meaning be the merchants.
No it’s not. If the bakery or restaurant is failing grades that’s just it. As a food business owner you should know what is required to run that business. Dont be nasty cause the public cant see what’s going on behind counter or through doors! CLOSE THEM DOWN IF THEY ARE SERVING UNHEALTHY FOOD IN A UNHEALTHY ENVIRONMENT!
Obviously you’ve never gotten food poisoning from a dining establishment. I have. It was bad. Really bad. We need more inspections, not less, and probably more food handling classes as well.
New York Bakery resembles a senior center with some of the nastiest, most miserable looking people occupying the tables.
I regularly ate at New York Bakery and Cafe, like once a week I would order dessert, for about two years (I moved a year ago). I would not be surprised if Landlords were pushing complaints to shutter business and sell property to developers at insane profit. This is a family-owned business that has been in the neighborhood for a long time. That it’s only now an issue is suspicious, and fits a pattern.
The neighborhood has changed since you moved and that is why you are seeing so many places closed by the health dept. Some shop owners do not care and realized that you can sell crap in Astoria and people will line up to buy it. So they must be stopped and at least come to code.
Kevin, you sound emotionaly biased. Dept. of Health gives violations based on safety standards and visual inspections. Not based on complaints. For a place to be closed it is very serious problem. It is not a positive thing or easy for the city to force a store to close unless there are blatant and serious violations. I have been inside some Astoria bakeries kitchens and have been shocked that more places aren’t closed.
I think this also has to do with customers calling and reporting all these places being shut down at the site of anything that looks like they are in violation. Reports can also be coming from competitors or people (e.g. landlords) who want them shut down and out of business.
Passed by NY Bakery today and sign said closed due to power outage. Ok then.
I saw a cockroach crawling on a pastry once at Vaccaros, so not surprised!
It was probably just a big raisin.
Astoria is on the map not one but two wow
I have never seen anyone in this NY BAKERY actually BUYING anything.
LOL..
I’m surprised by New York Bakery. It’s always been spotless and they are always cleaning in there. I think it’s a con to milk them for money in fines.
I disagree. It’s not competitor issue but it’s called VIOLATION The inspection was done by the Dept. Of Health!We are talking about food safety here ok. If the business owners do not prioritize clean and safe handling of food then they shld. NOT be in this kind of business. DOH shld. recommend to close these businesses due to unsanitary conditions period.
But don’t you find it a little suspicious that all these health department closings are only happening now? I feel as if the health department was either turning a blind eye (until recently) and/or is trying to raise money with the huge fines.
Either way, the health inspectors are finally enforcing the rules and doing their job. And yes, these same rules should definitely be applied to food carts.
Actually I worked a food cart/truck and would get randomly inspected all the time.
I also worked in a food cart and trust me they are very lucky they’re exempt from health grades. Plus the health department never inspects the places where they cut and store the meat cause if they did they would ALL FAIL. ?
There is a suspiciously high increase in store closures lately by the health department which leads me to believe one of three things.
A) All these owners came together and all of the sudden decided not to be compliant with health regulations.
B) Or the health inspectors were turning a blind eye for many years.
C) Or the city needs money and is hitting these stores with huge fines.
Gimme a break! Its so easy to publicly report health inspectors making false reports through video surveillance, camera phones and such on social media that we would of heard about it already. These places are a heath hazard and our food safety laws need to be enforced. If you are illegally double parking throughout the day for weeks and not getting ticketed and one day you are fined does that mean you are somehow being wrongfully targeted because you did it 20 times before and got away with it? You are still in the wrong!
They changed the inspectors…who were bought up…now they finally tackled down this nasty places…disgusting to buy something n get sick..
Encourage people to report dirty places
It is your money n your health