RESTAURANT INSPECTION SEARCH UPGRADED

The Department of Health has unveiled a new, easy-to-search restaurant inspection website. Find the results of the most recent inspection with a simple search by

• restaurant name or
• neighborhood's zip code

or an advanced search that offers these additional searches:

• alphabetical list of restaurants (restaurant names beginning with A, with B, with C, etc.),
• borough and neighborhood,
• cuisine type (ethnicity or food type), and
• inspection score.

Display the results on a map or as a list. To display them on a map, request a search that returns fewer than 100 restaurants (search by Restaurant Name or by Cuisine). When the results are displayed as a list, they can be sorted by Restaurant Name, Address, Cuisine, Most Recent Inspection Date, and Violation Points.

Since July, restaurants have been required to post a card with a letter grade corresponding to the score (total number of points) they received as a result of a sanitary inspection: 0-13 points=A, 14-27 points=B, 28+ points=C. The cards have to be easily visible to people passing by.

Inspectors check for compliance in food handling, food temperature,personal hygiene,facility and equipment maintenance, and vermin control.

"A public health hazard, such as failing to keep food at the right temperature to prevent the growth of bacteria, triggers a minimum of 7 points. If the violation cannot be corrected before the end of the inspection, the Health Department may close the restaurant until the hazard is corrected.

A critical violation, such as the presence of rodents, carries a minimum of 5 points.

A general violation, such as not properly sanitizing cooking utensils, is assigned at least 2 points."