With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, you might be thinking about about where to take your SO, or just where to wine and dine the person who happens to be on your arm for the night.
I probably don’t know you, so I can’t make any great recommendations. But — with the help of Philadelphia’s restaurant inspectors — I can prepare you for the night in a way that Hitch never could.
(Warning: Please stop reading now if you’re squeamish at the thought of a fly in your soup, because that will be the least of your concerns. )
Let’s review our University City options.
How about that charming spot at 44th and Spruce, Rx? Their most recent inspection, in August, was totally fine. But just a month earlier, the health inspectors had this to say (in ascending order of grossness):
Refrigeration system does not maintain proper temperatures. Fruit fly infestation is present (in basement toilet room). Mouse infestation is present. Mouse feces observed on shelving, behind soda machine, table tops, benches, and floor perimeters of toilet room, kitchen, and basement areas.
Romantic? Not quite.
That’s what you get for going west of 40th Street.*
Better luck on campus maybe? The White Dog’s last few inspections have been totally clean, but in 2005, the good inspectors reported:
Fly infestation is present: live flies in cellar. Mouse infestation is present: mouse excreta on slicer table.
Excreta? There’s a vocabulary word I wasn’t hoping to learn in a piece about dining out.
The sad part is that there’s nothing amiss at Rx or the White Dog in particular – both have had zero violations in their most recent inspections. But the problems found at those places are frighteningly representative of restaurants across the city.
Ignorance is bliss, but now it’s too late for that. My bad.
Before you despair, let the record show: I had a lovely dinner at Rx less than a month ago, and it was no less delicious for knowing that mouse feces were once observed on their shelving. Really.
In any case: Happy Valentine’s Day! You can always eat in.
Tags: restaurants, rodents, valentine's day
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February 8th, 2008 at 2:24 pm
There’s a man who sells “soft” pretzels out of a stolen shopping cart on the West side of Broad between Spruce and Locust on Saturday mornings. Shall we make it a date?
February 8th, 2008 at 2:42 pm
I think rats and flies are probably everywhere you go in the city. I would be surprised if Penn Dining didn’t have to deal with the same things. But it clearly doesn’t make a big difference.
February 8th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Rx has a soda machine? Like an antique one? A real “soda fountain”?
February 8th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Last night I had a dish with black bean sauce and the beans really looked like mouse turds. Now I’m not so sure they weren’t. Thanks Lauren!
February 11th, 2008 at 9:14 am
Inspectors need to find things, infact they have to find things otherwise they would be out of a job.
It’s almost a self fullfilling prophecy.
February 14th, 2008 at 9:01 pm
[...] Look, you’re probably more worried about Valentine’s Day 2008 than 2018. And who can blame you? Have a lovely day and avoid Rx. [...]