Pappas Artisanal restaurant on D Street has regained its “A” rating from the Los Angeles County Environmental Health department, after a temporary closure for violations last month.
On April 20, inspectors with the County department observed cockroaches, according to reports.
The restaurant received a “four-point” violation for this, and was closed for a day and a half.
Restaurant owner Matt Fong said the health inspector made mistakes.
“We got hit by violations that we don’t believe are completely fair,” Fong said this week. “We contacted the chief health inspector, and … talked to them about our case. We went to a hearing, they reviewed it, and they gave us an A back.”
According to Los Angeles County public records, Pappas had received A ratings since its 2013 opening, but it received its first B rating on April 14.
In response, Fong called the department right back for another inspection, hoping to get the A back. An inspector came on April 20, but ended up shutting down the restaurant after finding the roaches.
Fong agreed there were two cockroaches found during the inspection – one inside the restroom that is outside the restaurant in the shared spaces with the other tenants in the building, and one under the sink.
He said he was already taking care of the roach problem with pest control professionals before the inspection.
“The restaurant is clean every day, and we don’t pride ourselves with a dirty operation,” Fong said. “We invite anyone that’s concerned or interested in understanding what happened to come into the kitchen.”
—Cody Luk
