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after longstanding problems with labels
on smoked fish, an inspector informed
Lakewood, "There will be no further
warning!!!!" Three months later, in-
spectors found smoked fish was being
offered past its expiration date.
Ari Lerner, Marty Lerner's son and
the new owner of the grocery store, said
a new ceiling, new floors, a fresh coat of
paint and a general redecoration has
solved past cleanliness problems.
"It is a whole new store," he said.
In addition, he has taken steps to be
more vigilant regarding expiration dates.
While its neighbors in the strip mall
have grappled with vermin problems,
Unique Kosher Carry Out has stayed
clean from inspection report references
to bugs or rats or their excreta. Unique's
violations are different, involving hy-
giene practices of employees, the open-
ing of doors during warm weather
months and incidents of
improper food tempera-
tures. Under state guide-
lines, food should be
heated above 140 de-
grees or stored below 45
degrees to avoid bacteri-
al contamination.
In its latest report, dat-
ed Sept. 17, 1996, the in-
spector reported, "Staff
performing a variety of
tasks ... need to be wash-
ing hands." This was less
than a year after another
inspection found an em-
ployee "smoking while
carrying food trays" and using an ash-
tray under the food preparation table.
Rita Jerome, owner of the carry-out
business, attributed low to moderate
health inspection scores to "nuts-and-
bolts" issues such as a missing light
shield or a door that doesn't fit proper-
ly.
"It has nothing to do with the clean-
liness of the store," she said, adding that
it is difficult to track hygienic practices
of employees.
An inspector, Morris James, said he
had repeatedly found doors to Unique
open.
"In doing'so, she was allowing in a lot
of flies and insects," he said, adding that
she corrected the problem by promising
to keep the doors closed.
At New York Pizza World in Oak
Park, the most recent inspection report
in July 1996 found few violations.
In the past, inspectors repeatedly have
reminded the owner, Leo Mertz, to keep
his pizza above 140 degrees to avoid po-
tential food poisoning.
In February 1994, pizza in Mr. Mertz's
store was heated at 90-degree temper-
atures. In January 1995, the pizza fell
to 86 degrees. A tub of mozzarella cheese
was stored at 62 degrees. Four days lat-
er, a third inspection revealed no change
in the store's health practices: pizza was
heated at 90 degrees.

Kerry Silver, manager of the pizza
shop, said that since he started 10
months ago, he has adopted measures
to maintain a tighter operation.
"I just came on board here, and about
a month or two later the health inspec-
tor came in," he said, noting that the
most recent violations were corrected
within a day of the health official's vis-

it.

"I called him and begged him to come
back soon to inspect us again," he said.
"He thought this was strange. Nobody
wants to see him."
At Superior Kosher Meats in Oak
Park, meanwhile, inspectors in August
1996 cited the store for failing to cover
bone barrels, a trash container for meat
processing scraps.
"Bone barrels uncovered in back area,
100 + flies," the report reads.
Max Luss, owner of Superior, blamed

the last inspector sighting of roaches and
rodents, but the latest report from No-
vember 1996 reveals the return of ref-
erences to fruit flies, water bugs and old
rodent droppings.
Mr. Moskovitz said the problem, so
bad at one point that the entire alley
wall of the bakery was covered with

nity, Star Bakery in Oak Park, for ex-
ample, has long been plagued with
health reports rife with references to
roaches and rodents. In November
1993, the owner of the store, Ben
Moskovitz, pleaded guilty to insanitary
conditions.
Nearly two years have passed since

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prior to charging him with maintaining
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tardy sanitation workers for leaving the
barrel out in the elements too long.
However, the problem also cropped
up in the past. On a summer day in June
1994, state inspectors, prompted by a
complaint of a foul smell, found more
than 50 maggots in a fetid, uncovered
bone barrel behind the butcher shop.
"It is inevitable that there will be
odor," Mr. Luss said.
Reports in 1994 through 1996 record
Superior having rust on hanging meat
rails in the cooler. Other problems —
cuts and grooves on cutting boards
(which have the potential for harboring
bacteria), old food residue on equipment,
no soap in the restroom — were cited re-
peatedly.
"There isn't a single butcher shop that
doesn't have these problems," Mr. Luss
said.
Nonkosher businesses in the area
hardly escape the scrutiny of the health
inspectors.
A popular bakery in the Jewish com-
munity as well as the general commu-

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