The New York City Department of Health closed Amir’s Falafel on Oct. 14, after an inspection in which officials found insect violations, roaches, and evidence of a fly infestation.
Amir’s, a Middle Eastern restaurant on Broadway between 113th and 114th streets, has a long history of violations, but none that have warranted closure. A number of
Morningside Heights eateries had their sanitation practices called into question after inspections earlier this year. Amid the economic downturn, Amir’s and Toast, a gourmet diner on Broadway between Tiemann Place and LaSalle Street, are the latest to be shut
down.
According to Jessica Scaperotti, a press secretary for the DOH, Amir’s also neglected to chill food properly, and did not store food at required temperatures.
Once the restaurant fixes the issues, another inspector will examine the premises and determine if it is suitable for reopening.
In the meantime, Amir’s has papered its windows, completely covering the interior to passersby. A day after the DOH’s notice was posted, the restaurant also placed signs stating that “We are closed due to refrigeration problems incurred on inspection day” and that “we are working diligently to reopen as soon as possible.”
When interviewed Tuesday evening, a manager at Amir’s—who declined to give his name, as he was working at the time—maintained that the closure was simply for “renovation” and “cleaning up.” He added that the restaurant would open for business again “very soon.”
The restaurant has been shown to make improvements in the past, as its scores from the department changed significantly within less than a year. In February and March 2007, the DOH cited 34 and 37 violation points. Amir’s then passed its last publicly listed inspection back in June 2008, coming in with only 11 violations for severely dented canned foods and improper storage of sanitized equipment.
According to both past inspection records, problems included “harborage or conditions to vermin” or “evidence of rats or live rats present in ... the food/non-food areas.”
Despite the closure, some members of the local community are anticipating the reopening.
Andrea Lester, a manager of Havana Central at the West End, a Cuban restaurant located next door, frequented Amir’s when not working. “Actually, I ate there a lot,” she said, “especially their wraps and hummus.” The food, she added, was “pretty good.”
Lester expressed shock at the closing of both Amir’s and Toast. “I was surprised,” she said. “I’ve been in this industry for 13 years, lived all over the country, New York, Las Vegas. I’ve never seen this happening.”
For a restaurant to avoid closure, it must receive 27 points or less, and if 28 or more points are garnered, the department conducts a follow-up inspection. Each violation assigned by an inspector merits a point.
When violations are cited, “usually they give a grace period to fix the problem, about 15 to 30 days of notifying them of the closable violation,” Lester said, mentioning that “they usually give them a couple of chances to follow up on the issue.”
It is still not clear how much time the department has given Amir’s to take measures before a second inspection.
