FORT MYERS, FL. State inspectors emergency-closed Clase Azul of Estero at 9908 Gulf Coast Main St on August 13 after finding roach and fly activity inside the restaurant, one of five high-severity violations documented during a week when 15 Fort Myers facilities drew citations serious enough to threaten public health.
The closure came mid-week, on a Wednesday. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for a person in charge not present or not performing duties, improper handwashing technique, food in poor condition, and toxic substances improperly stored or used. Three intermediate violations accompanied those findings, including improper sewage or wastewater disposal and single-use items being reused.
The Week's Worst Offenders
XiXi Hibachi and Sushi at 8750 Gladiolus Dr logged the highest single-facility tally of the week: 10 high-severity violations. Inspectors cited the restaurant for inadequate shell stock identification, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures for fish, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and improper use of time as a public health control. The restaurant also had no consumer advisory posted for raw or undercooked foods, and no employee health policy.
Parasite destruction and shellfish traceability violations appeared together at XiXi, a combination that matters at a sushi restaurant where raw and lightly cooked fish are central to the menu.
Tung Hing Chinese Restaurant at 3605 Fowler St drew eight high-severity violations, including food not cooked to required minimum temperature, food in poor condition, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned or sanitized, and toxic substances improperly stored or used. Inspectors also cited the restaurant for no allergen awareness, no employee health policy, an employee not reporting illness symptoms, and improper handwashing technique.
Snappers Comedy Club at 8595 College Pkwy accumulated seven high-severity violations, among them inadequate handwashing facilities, improper sewage or wastewater disposal at the intermediate level, and the same shellfish traceability and parasite destruction failures found at XiXi. Inspectors also noted no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods and no allergen awareness.
Cafe In at 4125 Cleveland Ave drew seven high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved or unknown source, no person in charge present or performing duties, and no allergen awareness. The unapproved food sourcing citation is among the most serious on the list: food that bypasses federal inspection carries no traceability if a customer becomes ill.
Miller's Fort Myers Ale House at 4400 Kernel Circle also reached seven high-severity violations. Inspectors cited inadequate handwashing facilities, food from an unapproved source, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, toxic substances improperly stored, and no allergen awareness.
Blazewing Spot at 3351 Fowler St drew six high-severity violations, including food from an unapproved source, no person in charge, improper handwashing technique, and no allergen awareness. Inspectors also documented single-use items being reused and improper use of wiping cloths at the intermediate level.
Wicked Good Deli at 3940 Metro Pkwy received four high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, failure to follow parasite destruction procedures, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no allergen awareness. Inadequate cooling equipment was among its intermediate violations.
Sweet Tomatoes at 14080 S Tamiami Trl drew four high-severity violations including no person in charge, no employee health policy, food not cooked to required minimum temperature, and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods. Inadequate cooling equipment was also cited.
Mizuki Japanese Cuisine at 16960 Alico Mission Way was cited for food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, improper use of time as a public health control, and an employee not reporting illness symptoms.
Chef Roland's Delight at 8359 Beacon Blvd drew four high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source, improper handwashing technique, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no allergen awareness. Improper sewage disposal was cited at the intermediate level.
Sai Gon Baguette at 11609 S Cleveland Ave received four high-severity violations: improper handwashing technique, food from an unapproved source, food contact surfaces not properly cleaned, and no allergen awareness. Improper sewage disposal was also noted.
HeadPinz Ft Myers at 14513 Global Pkwy drew two high-severity violations, food not cooked to required minimum temperature and no consumer advisory for raw or undercooked foods, along with improper sewage disposal and inadequate ventilation at the intermediate level.
Carrabba's Italian Grill at 12990 Cleveland Ave received a single high-severity violation for food contact surfaces not properly cleaned. Logan's Roadhouse at 5043 S Cleveland Ave drew no high-severity violations, only intermediate citations for sewage disposal and ventilation.
What These Violations Mean
The most widespread high-severity violation this week was employee illness reporting failures, cited at Tung Hing, XiXi Hibachi, Snappers Comedy Club, Cafe In, Miller's Ale House, Blazewing Spot, and Mizuki Japanese Cuisine. When food workers do not report symptoms of illness and there is no written health policy requiring them to do so, Norovirus moves directly from an infected employee's hands to food. Norovirus causes roughly 20 million illnesses in the United States each year, and a single sick food worker can expose every customer served during a shift.
Food from unapproved or unknown sources, cited at Cafe In, Miller's Ale House, Blazewing Spot, Chef Roland's Delight, Mizuki Japanese Cuisine, and Sai Gon Baguette, carries a specific danger that goes beyond the food itself. When a supplier is not licensed or inspected, there is no paper trail. If a customer becomes ill, investigators cannot trace the contaminated ingredient back to its origin, which means an outbreak can spread further before anyone identifies the source.
Parasite destruction failures, documented at XiXi Hibachi, Snappers Comedy Club, Miller's Ale House, and Wicked Good Deli, are acutely relevant at restaurants serving raw or lightly cooked fish. Fish intended for raw consumption must be frozen to specific temperatures for specific durations to kill parasites including Anisakis and tapeworm. Without that step, those organisms can survive to infect a customer.
Toxic substances improperly stored or used, cited at Tung Hing and Miller's Ale House and also at Clase Azul, creates an immediate risk that has nothing to do with bacteria. Cleaning chemicals stored near or above food, or unlabeled containers used in food prep areas, can contaminate food directly and cause acute illness with no incubation period.
The Longer Record
Several of this week's violators are not newcomers to state inspectors. Tung Hing Chinese Restaurant has 33 prior inspections on record, and this week added eight high-severity citations including undercooking, improper chemical storage, and no allergen awareness. Miller's Fort Myers Ale House, with 31 prior inspections, drew seven high-severity violations. Carrabba's Italian Grill and Chef Roland's Delight each carry 30 or more prior inspections and still drew food contact surface violations this week.
HeadPinz and Clase Azul each have 37 prior inspections on record, the highest counts among this week's cited facilities. Clase Azul's 37-inspection history did not prevent the August 13 emergency closure for pest activity.
At the other end of the experience curve, Sweet Tomatoes has only two prior inspections on record and already drew four high-severity violations this week, including no person in charge, no employee health policy, undercooking, and no consumer advisory. XiXi Hibachi and Sushi has three prior inspections and logged ten high-severity violations, the week's single highest count.
Sai Gon Baguette, with five prior inspections, drew four high-severity violations including food from an unapproved source. Whether that sourcing issue is corrected before the next inspection is a question the record does not yet answer.
