Some people never learn. Take Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do for example. Back in 2008 he tearfully resigned from the Garden Grove City Council , in part because he “faced great hardships in keeping his business afloat,” according to the O.C. Register.
That business was a Lee’s Sandwiches restaurant in Stanton that had been issued numerous health violations during Do’s time as owner. Remember that Do at the time was also then-Supervisor Janet Nguyen’s Chief of Staff. When she cast the key vote against letter-grade health ratings for Orange County Restaurants, Nguyen neglected to tell the public that Do owned a filthy restaurant – and that her husband, Tom Bonikowsky, was Do’s business partner.
Today there is talk again about starting a letter-grade health rating system for local restaurants and once again Do is opposing this – even though EVERY County in Southern California uses such ratings.
Do apparently has not learned his lesson. He argues on his County website that “restaurant grades fail the test.” However what fails the test is Do’s support for filthy restaurants!
It should be noted that the Lee’s Sandwiches in Stanton that Do eventually sold continues to rack up negative health ratings, according to the Orange County Health Agency. In the past year they have received these major health violations:
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
- Cross Contamination of Food/Utensils Equipment – During Preparation
- Eating/Drinking/Smoking in Food Storage/Prep Areas
- Improper Warewashing/Inoperable Dishmachine
- Lack of/Improper Handwashing
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
Do of course, like Nguyen, has accepted campaign donations from restaurants and other food concerns including:
- Pho Nguyen Hue Restaurant, $200, 12/30/14
- Dong Phuong, Inc. dba ABC Supermarket, $1,900, 12/30/14
- Kim’s Restaurant, $1,000, 1/15/15
- Bleu Restaurant & Dancing, $1,000, 1/15/15
- Circle K, $250, 1/19/15
If you look at Pho Nguyen Hue Restaurant’s health violation record you will find these major health violations in the past year:
- Improper TPHC Procedure
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
- Improper Cooling Practices
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
- Improper Warewashing/Inoperable Dishmachine
- Cross Contamination of Food/Utensils Equipment – During Preparation
Here are ABC Supermarket’s major health violations over the past year:
- Lack of/Improper Handwashing
- Improper TPHC Procedure
- Improper Cooling Practices
- Improper Sanitizer Concentration/Method
- Adulterated/Contaminated/Unapproved Food/Source
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
- Rodent Infestation/Activity in a Critical Area
- Improper Warewashing/Inoperable Dishmachine
Here are Kim’s Restaurant’s major health violations over the past year:
- Adulterated/Contaminated/Unapproved Food/Source
- Improper Holding Temp of PHF (60F-120F), (50F-59F)
And here are the Bleu Restaurant’s major health violations over the past year:
- Cockroach Infestation/Activity in Critical Area (FIVE OF THESE VIOLATIONS!)
- Improper Food Storage
- Improper Sanitizer Concentration/Method
Bear in mind that each of these filthy establishments has been issued a plethora of minor health violations as well.
You have to wonder if Do is essentially being paid by some of Orange County’s most disgusting eateries to oppose letter health grade ratings?
Lee’s Sandwiches by the way is in the midst of recalling 220 tons of mislabeled meat products, according to the O.C. Register. I would imagine that they also don’t want letter grade health ratings. Can some huge campaign donations from Lee’s to Do be coming soon?
