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Details of why Oakland County health regulators shut Como's Restaurant two weeks ago are vivid and vile. You may need a barf bag.
The popular eatery's license revocation generated wide media coverage, but apparently only one journalist -- online publisher Crystal Proxmire of Ferndale -- went a step further and got 2013-16 inspection reports that document dangerous, recurring violations.
At Oakland County One-Fifteen News, she posts:
Oakland County Health Department reports obtained through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request [show that] Ferndale bar and restaurant Como’s had years of repeat health code violations and failed attempts at resolution before the Oakland County Food Service Appeal Board voted unanimously to revoke their license on Sept. 21.
The suburban news site, created in 2009, describes a dozen categories of infractions. Some involve insects, mold, employee smoking in food areas and unsafe storage.
"According to the Health Department records," Proxmire posts Saturday, "the restaurant must resolve all outstanding issues before they can reopen, as well as have ongoing training for employees, and begin using cleaning logs."
In a local Reddit thread titled "This is reprehensible," a user posting as Daniel Jay says: "As a restaurant manager, seeing those violations and the time they've been going on for just gives me the heebie-jeebies."
The restaurant is at 9 Mile Road and Woodward Avenue. (Facebook photo)
These are among excerpts from county reports Proxmire summarizes in an 1,800-word article:
► Insects: Flies and drain flies were in the kitchen and bars, one report says, and the patio bar had bees “all over.”
► Unsafe food: Temperature infractions and disregard for food safety were cited repeatedly. A 2014 inspection found moldy cream at the patio bar.
► Smoking: A September 2014 check uncovered signs of smoking at the cooking line, in a lower prep kitchen and in the outside bar. In 2015 and 2016, butts were found through the building.
► Sanitation: Each 2013-16 report cites soiled or heavily soiled items. Ice bins were observed to be soiled multiple times, and in 2016 one bin was soiled with a “black mold-like substance.”
► Sewage: An inspector in September 2014 “observed sleeves [bags] of cups stored dirty under an unshielded sewer line. The plastic wrapping shows evidence of sewage leaking on them.”
At its Facebook page, the 55-year-old restaurant attributes the unannounced shutdown to "a facelift." A Sept. 23 post with the graphic at right says:
We will be closed for a few weeks to create a better dining experience for our guests. This major renovation includes a massive upgrade to the kitchen and dining room. . . . Tune into this page for updates on the remodel.
